Castle Douglas Development Forum was established in 2012 and is now a two-tier Scottish Incorporated Charitable Organisation (SCO43639) and a Government recognized Community Anchor Organisation.

The catchment area for CDDF includes the town of Castle Douglas and the outlying villages and agricultural communities of the Ken/Dee valley to Parton and Corsock, the Urr Valley to Haugh of Urr and Milton and the parish of Kelton to Gelston and Bridge of Dee. 

All residents who reside within this area are considered members of CDDF, and therefore receive votes at the annual general meeting, and those aged over the age of 16 are welcome to join the board of trustees.

CDDF puts the community at the forefront of all its projects, run for and by the community, they encourage civic pride and community spirit. CDDF volunteers help to run the Heart of Galloway Visitor Centre, the Castle Douglas Town Shop, Stepping Stones Community Larder and Pantry, Stewartry Community Garden and help to write and deliver the Castle Douglas Journal. CDDF is also involved in running the local Men’s Shed, and an environmental action group: EcoCD. These groups strive to provide opportunities to build confidence and skills amongst the citizens of Castle Douglas so that the town can thrive, grow, and innovate.

CDDF fulfils its aims through its organisation of a busy calendar of civic events; from the full week of activities during the town’s civic week, to the monthly producer’s market. CDDF creates a hub of activity for the community that is accessible to all. Even though Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdowns CDDF has aimed to create events and opportunities for the community through the formation of its environmental action group ‘Eco CD’, which has hosted an online Climate Café’s and put together the opportunity for all local primary aged children to grow their own lettuce, and by putting together a socially distanced Easter Egg hunt in the towns’ shop windows.

If your organisation would like help with a project or a small grant towards a project please contact us with your request for funding. All applications will be considered by the Charities management trustees. Contact details are at the bottom of our home page.

Download the application form here :

Ongoing Projects

Town Shop

The Castle Douglas Town Shop opened is CDDF’s charity shop on King Street and has been running since the 19990s. From donations gifted by the community the Town Shop’s profit’s go to supporting the civic events Castle Douglas Development Forum hosts in the town. In addition, the profits raised in the Town Shop allow for CDDF to offer Grant money of up to £1000 to local groups and clubs.

In 2019 CDDF used this money to buy new uniforms for Castle Douglas Football club.

Stepping Stones Community Larder

Stepping Stones Community Larder and Foodbank was formed in August 2023 after having previously being run solely as a foodbank since March 2020.

The Larder model was researched through extensive reading materials, visits to local pantries and consultations with our local public health authority and CDDF board members.

We created the model to suit our local community clienteles needs but also with input from the many volunteers of Stepping Stones.

Our mission is to ease food poverty and create food dignity by maintaining ‘a Larder Open to All’.

Heart of Galloway

CDDF took over the running of the Centre after Visit Scotland, the country’s national tourism agency, announced its closure after a national restructuring. Alarmed at the prospect of the town losing this vital resource and concerned about the possible effect this might have on local tourism in the area, CDDF contacted Visit Scotland and started a trial lease of the building in May 2018.

The centre was re-branded as the Heart of Galloway Visitor Centre and provides a friendly welcome and information to visitors and also a retail area that sells locally produced artisan food and drink and gifts produced by local artists. The income generated is reinvested by CDDF into the community and helps fund civic events hosted by the Forum.

CDDF took ownership of the Tourist Information Centre in March 2020..

Crannog Campus

Our most ambitious project to date, CDDF obtained a lease at the start of 2026 on the former outdoor activity centre in Lochside Park and rebranded it as the Crannog Campus.

It offers a flexible space at the edge of Carlingwark Loch hosting a varied range of events and available for hire for community activity.

We have plans to refurbish the former park keepers cottage as phase one of redevelopment, creating workshops and office space available for short term leases.

Castle Douglas Development Forum also runs the monthly producer’s market, every third Sunday of the month. From March to November.

Our Board

Castle Douglas Development Forum is a charity and a registered SCIO. The work of CDDF is overseen by a board of trustees.

CDDF’s Board is open to all members of the community, over the age of 18.  The Board is pulled together with the aims of equipping CDDF and a range of expertise, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is up to the Trustees to ensure that the charity has a clear strategy and aims and continues to exist to promote the health and well-being of the people of Castle Douglas and the surrounding rural areas.

CDDF’s Board of Trustees meet monthly on the second Wednesday of the month.

The Board consists of: