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Welcome to the website of The Paisley Development Trust. 


  • Paisley Development Trust

    The Paisley Development Trust is undertaking a brand new project for 2011/2012. The Renfrewshire Witch Hunt 1697 will involve key partners in the voluntary sector, Erskine Theatre Company, Renfrewshire Council's Art and Leisure departments and local schools and voluntary groups. An application for £35,000 has been granted by the Heritage Lottery Fund and a £16,000 plus award from the LEADER fund. We have also been granted funds from the Local Area Committees and the Paisley Vision Board.

     The Trust seeks to encourage all sections of Renfrewshires' Community to take part in our activities, by facilitating such projects we hope to assist in not only the pyhsical but more importantly the societal regeneration of Paisley and the whole of Renfewshire.

    If you would like to find out more about this project click on the link on the menu above.

    You can also email us at  Paisley_development_trust@yahoo.co.uk

  • Renfrewshire Witch Hunt 1697

    The Renfrewshire Witch Hunt 1697 project runs over a 12 month period and is divided in to 3 distinct areas of activity:

    Research on the Renfrewshire witch hunt, exploring historical sources and linkages to the development of the famous PAISLEY SHAWL. Separating evidence and fact from myth and legend.

    Creation, development and displaying of, in various locations, a Touring Exhibition linked to a historical enactment pieces with historical artefacts, documents and web based materials based on the initial research phase.

    Planning. Designing and Staging of a large scale community event based on the events/ trials of 1697 and ceremonial laying of a horseshoe on the final resting place of the remains of the witches on the 9th June 2012.

    It will achieve a number of learning outcomes based on the research surrounding the Social, cultural and historical context of the events of 1697. It will engage young people and volunteers in developing research, investigation, and literature search skills. It will subsequently develop their planning, design, team building and cultural/art based skills via the development of the touring exhibition and the final major community town centre cultural event.

  • Latest News

    Saturday 31st December 2012

    A big thanks to all that attended the ceremony this morning.

    It was a dreich day but that did not prevent the remaining survivors being joined by about 70 of us in remembering the wee ones that lost their lives this day 82 years ago. Our Tony was emotional as he introduced Bishop Tartaglia and Provost Celia Lawson who said a few words and prayers. Survivors Jim MaCallum and Peter Smith laid the Paisley Development Trust wreath on behalf of the people of Paisley.

    Emily Thompson, also a survivor will celebrate her 90th Birthday in April and enjoy a cruise round the Mediterranean in the summer, I’m sure I speak for us all when I all wish her and all of the survivors well in the coming year.

    Friday 30th December 2011

    As the last day of the old year draws near, it’s time for us to gather at the Cenotaph at 10.30am, near Paisley Cross to honour and remember those that lost their lives in the Glen Cinema Disaster on Hogmanay in 1929.

    During the cowboy film ‘The Dude Desperado’ a canister of nitrate film made contact with the live terminal of a battery and began to smoulder, the resulting smoke gave the wrong impression that the cinema was on fire, panic ensued and 71 young children died and 40 were injured in the crush that followed.

    On Saturday the 31st December the few remaining survivors of the tragedy along with the Paisley Development Trust, Bishop Tartalia, Reverend Briss and representatives from the council and the community of Paisley will gather to pay our respects to those that lost their lives that fateful day.

    Please join us.

    Tuesday 13th December

    The Renfrewshire Witch Hunt 1697 project continues a pace with the Curriculum for Excellence Schools Pack being distributed among Renfrewshire schools for their appraisal, a full launch of the Pack will be held in Paisley Abbey in February 2012

     Tuesday 13th December

    The PDT invites all the people of Paisley to attend our annual wreath laying ceremony in rememberance of the 71 children that lost their lives in the Glen Cinema disaster of 1929. We will gather at the Cenotaph near The Cross at 10.30am on the 31st December. There will be a short service with prayers and thoughts from Bishop Tartalia, Reverend Alan Briss and from our Provost Celia Lawson, thereafter there will be some hot refreshments in the PDT office at the YMCA at the corner of High Street and New Street.

    Monday 28th November

    Regular and steady progress with the PDTs desire to accquire the Russell Institute and use the building to create an Arts and Cultural Hub for Paisley. Meetings have been held with the Plannning Department, Councillors of all the major parties, MSP and MP. There is general agreement that the building would fit the suggested use by the PDT. Everyone is keen to make sure that the Institute is preserved and put into a use that would benefit the Community of Paisley. The sellers are actively looking for a purchaser for the building but have noted the PDTs interest in the Russell. They see us as a fall back position if there is no progress on finding a developers for it.

    We could short circuit the whiole thing by raising the £500k required to buy it out right. Any rich patrons or newly made multimillionaires out there?

    Monday 28th November

    The Witches project is progressing nicely with regular meetings and workshops every Thursday nights at 7pm in the PDT office at the YMCA 39 High Street Paisley (Corner of High st and New St). The is also a Facebook page Renfrewshire witch hunt 1697. Join up and keep up to date with the ever expanding project

    Tesday 25th October

    The final grand re-enactment and day out of the Witches story will be held on Saturday the 9th June 2012. The PDT has the support of Renfrewshire Council and the Paisley Vision Board for this.

    Tuesday 25th October

    The PDT is seeking to save a famous Paisley town centre building and take it into community ownership. We are speaking with Renfrewshire council and the owners of this building to see if we can find a course of common good. If you are interested in saving, using, surveying or valuing  the building we have in mind, please get in touch with us.

    Tuesday 25th Oct

    After a very popular and well attended launch of the RWH1697 project the work has started in earnest, the Schools Pack (Draft) has been approved by the PDT committee and volunteering for the various aspects of the research and development of the travelling exhibition and drama parts are well under way and starting to take shape.

    Monday 3rd October

    There will be a reception and launch of the Witches project on Thursday the 6th October in the PDT office in the YMCA shop at 39 High street, Paisley. The event starts at 7pm.

    Monday 19th Sept

    The PDT has been looking into the possibility of acquiring a redundant building in the town centre to create an Arts and Cultural 'HUB' for Paisley. We have taken big steps in this direction and we have identified a building that could be brought back into Community use. We are in the process of applying for funds to undertake an in depth feasibility study and to formulate a business plan to take this forward. We would welcome your help and ideas to help take this major project forward. If you think you can help, pop in to the office on the High Street and have a chat.