ROGART DEVELOPMENT TRUST

Tribute to Alasdair Waddell

 Kate Roach RDT Chair

"We would now like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Alasdair Waddell. We certainly wouldn’t be here today if it hadn’t been for Alasdair.

In the relatively short time that Alasdair resided in Rogart, he did a huge amount for the community.

Alasdair together with Christine Ross, Jonathan Hedges, William Sinclair and Roger Hughes founded RDT in 2016. Alasdair took up the mantle of Chair and was the driving force in enabling the Trust to purchase the Mart site which was successfully completed in June 2019. He was passionate about bringing music and theatre to the Highlands and backed by the community the Trust proceeded to raise considerable funds towards the aim of converting this Mart building into a multi-use venue. By the time he stepped down in June 2020 , largely due to health reasons, two thirds of the funding had been raised for the Mart refurbishment project.

With the Mart site secured and a large proportion of funding in place, the current board of Trustees, were in a strong position to be able to take the project to completion in August 2022. Sadly, Alasdair passed away in September 2020 before seeing his vision accomplished.

During his time at the helm of the RDT Alasdair was also involved in:

·       leasing the football pitch at Corry from THC, with the installation of the shed there

·        helping to set up Coffee and Blether

·       helping to establish Visit Lairg and Rogart, a joint venture tourist group.

·       and various works on the Round Rogart Path

In addition to working with the Trust Alasdair also served on the RCC as Chair from 2014 to 2020 and I would now like to ask Caroline Lewis as a past Rogart Councillor and friend of Alasdair’s to come up to say a few words and unveil the plaque to Alasdair."

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Caroline Lewis

"First of all, a huge congratulations to the Development Trust on the completion of the Mart. I was on the CC when at the time the new DT was formed, which gave Rogart the means to be able to access the wind farm funding coming on stream. It is absolutely amazing to see how far the Trust has come and how this project has come to life, from the various piles of paperwork on Alasdair’s kitchen table, to being officially opened by King Charles – I don’t even think Alasdair could have imagined the King himself opening our wee mart in Rogart! It is incredible how the Trust has brought his vision to life and I know he would be very proud of this incredible achievement.

Those of you who managed to get passed the gauntlet of his very badly trained, but very lovely dogs, will be aware of the organised chaos that was his kitchen table. It certainly wasn’t a place for eating, possibly the odd dram or red wine, but mostly where his weird and wonderful ideas began to take shape. A place to reflect on his creativity and symbolised his passion and commitment to bringing the community together through not only this project, but various others throughout the village. He did get the ball rolling with this one though with funding, drawings etc, the amount of time and effort he put in behind the scenes really got the idea off the ground. He would grumble, and moan, and groan about it of course, but he was dedicated to the cause and without his determination we might not be standing in here today.

Rogart life is about the people you meet every day out and about in the community and the memories you create along the way. Alasdair really understood and embraced that, and despite his sudden passing, his vision and inspiration has given us a unique and special place to bring the community together, to make amazing new memories with our family, friends and neighbours and for that we should be so thankful to him.

I am so honoured to unveil this plaque in tribute to our friend Alasdair, he will now be a part of every new memory created here."