Dornoch & District Community Association (DADCA) was this week presented with a KeyStone Award. The award, managed by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), recognises DADCA as a very well run organisation that looks after its volunteers, cares for the building, puts the users of the facility first and makes sure that activities happen in a safe and welcoming environment.

The DADCA Board took the decision to work towards the Keystone Award 2 years ago, recognising that good governance would be a crucial part of their overall plan to build a replacement Community Centre in Dornoch. However, the Social Club continues to host over 800 events per year, from small meetings through to the regular Dornoch Cinema and annual events such as the Dornoch Fibre Fest and the Book Fair.

Presenting the KeyStone award Sandra Hogg of SCVO said, “I’m delighted to present this award to the DADCA committee. It reflects the hard work and commitment of the volunteers that run this facility for the benefit of their community. They should be rightly proud of their achievements.”

Jerry Bishop, receiving the award on behalf of DADCA said, “We are delighted to have gained this award, which is the culmination of 18 months hard work by the Board, and in particular Paddy Murray, Jill Barnes & Terry Robinson. These three directors headed our Keystone sub-committee and have devoted many hours to the administration and documentation required”.

DADCA was supported and guided through the process by a Christine Ross from VGES.

DADCA are the 14th organisation in Scotland to achieve the award, and only the second in Highland.

KeyStone is designed to make the life of the people who manage village halls and community buildings easier by providing information, support and encouragement that helps them manage their buildings more efficiently and effectively.