About Us
In October 2024, Ardenconnel Woods was put up for sale and some members of the community decided to make an offer. This decision was twofold, to ensure the woods was not developed as housing and to keep the woods as a nature reserve for wildlife and the environment.
A preliminary meeting was held and some community members volunteered to take this purchase forward. It was decided that, if there were other opportunities that became available, we would prefer to be prepared to offer immediately and so an overall charity was formed to enable this to happen. The Rhu and Shandon Community Trust was formed.
Since October 2024, the Trust has been working towards the purchase of the woods and also looking at other projects for the community, as highlighted by the community.
The Trust held its inaugural General Meeting on 18 November 2025.
Our Vision
RSCT will foster community cohesion and empower local residents to take an active role in maximising the potential of our local natural and built assets. Working in partnership with key stakeholders, RSCT will proactively identify unmet local needs and seek solutions that will enhance our community. These will include supporting the community to adapt to and mitigate threats associated with global warming, nature degradation, neglect of buildings and cost of living pressures.
Our Mission
To achieve our vision we will:
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Create a sustainable management model for our CT that puts community resilience and wealth building, income generation and reinvestment, training, employment, volunteering and partnerships with key statutory and private stakeholders at the centre of its operations.
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Align our CT action plan with relevant national and local strategic plans.
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Organise regular consultation opportunities for local residents and stakeholders to ensure we listen and respond to existing and emerging community needs, and these needs help to shape our action plan.
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Help deliver solutions to restore the health, resilience, biodiversity and productivity of our natural environment, including Ardenconnel Wood. RSCT will explore further opportunities to purchase additional local natural assets and will proactively seek to enhance community resilience, especially to flooding and fresh food shortages, and removing invasive non-native species (INNS) and other pollution.
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Help deliver solutions for derelict and under-used buildings that can meet community needs by seeking opportunities and partnerships to bring those buildings back into good repair and use.
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Seek greater access and an improved paths network in our villages and wider countryside.
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Provide volunteering, training and social opportunities for residents that are meaningful and rewarding.