DG Comm/Unity 2025 convened third sector organisations, community groups, statutory partners and ­national voices from across Dumfries and Galloway for a day of collective learning, collaboration and strategic dialogue.

Designed as a space for ­honest ­conversation rather than presentation led engagement, the ­conference created the conditions for ­relationship-building, shared ­learning and system-level reflection on how communities, funders and public ­services can work differently to achieve better long-term outcomes.

The event was jointly funded by ­Dumfries and Galloway Council, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, South of ­Scotland Enterprise and Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway. This ­collaborative investment enabled the conference to remain free to attend, ensuring accessibility for ­organisations of all sizes, including small, rural and volunteer-led groups who are often excluded from paid or centrally located events.

DG Comm/Unity 2025 reinforced the critical strategic role of the third ­sector in prevention, ­population health, community wealth ­building and long-term place-based development. It also generated clear, actionable learning to inform future funding approaches, investment ­design and system change across the region.

Alan Webb, Chief Executive of Third Sector Dumfries and ­Galloway, ­highlighted the value of cross-­sector engagement and shared ­understanding. DG Comm/Unity 2025 was ­intentionally designed with a ­streamlined programme to ­allow time for focused ­discussion on priority ­issues, reinforcing the ­importance of being together as a ­sector and working collaboratively.

The conference programme was shaped around policy areas where the third sector plays a critical and ­distinctive role, including: Community Wealth Building; Population Health; and Creating the conditions for ­long-term, sustainable investment in communities.

A strong emphasis was placed on moving away from short-term ­funding models towards ­approaches that ­support stability, prevention, and long-term impact. Alongside workshops, delegates ­engaged in ­facilitated networking discussions on topics such as:

1. Community wealth building: ­redirecting wealth and power

The workshop drew on a ­presentation by Community Wealth Building ­practitioners and invited ­participants to reflect on how this could be ­advanced within Dumfries and ­Galloway looking at the challenges, opportunities, and actions identified during the session.

The workshop concluded that ­Community Wealth Building is a ­systemic and cultural transformation, not a series of isolated projects.

Dumfries and Galloway already has strong community leadership, proven examples of success, and a vibrant third sector

To unlock the full potential of ­Community Wealth Building, ­participants identified the need for:

• System redesign aligned to ­community outcomes
• Culture change within anchor ­institutions
• Long-term, flexible investment in communities
• Genuine power-sharing through strategic partnerships

The message from the workshop was  that community Wealth Building requires moving from rhetoric to action, from ­control to trust, and from extraction to shared prosperity.

2. Health and wellbeing created in communities: the role of the third sector in population health

This workshop looked at what would help third sector ­organisations maximise their ­impact in delivering the Population Health Framework. It also considered what does good collaboration looks and feels like and what would participants like to see different one year from now.

Across all workshop groups, ­participants expressed a consistent and ­coherent set of priorities. Third sector organisations are ­committed to improving population health, but they need stronger ­foundations: ­sustainable funding, equal ­partnership, ­transparent ­communication, shared learning, and practical support to ­overcome rural barriers.

There is a clear appetite for ­deeper collaboration across all sectors in Dumfries and Galloway, with a ­desire to move quickly from discussion to action. ­Participants envision a ­future where communities are ­central to decision-making, preventative ­approaches are prioritised, and the third sector’s contribution is fully recognised and resourced.

3. Fair Funding and collective ­leadership – building a ­sustainable and investable future for our ­community sector

The workshop explored alternative approaches to ­funding the third sector in the region and drew inspiration from models such as the ­Regenerative Futures Fund, which ­emphasise long-term, ­community-led ­investment, collective working, and the ­redistribution of ­decision-making power.

The workshop ­demonstrated a strong appetite within the third ­sector and wider ­community for new ­funding models that are ­fairer, more ­collaborative and more ­sustainable. Concerns ­remained – particularly around equity, ­rural ­inclusion, capacity and ­power ­dynamics – but participants were clear that these challenges are ­surmountable with the right design principles and investment.

Any move towards a Dumfries and Galloway version of a regenerative or fair funding model will need to be:

• Community-led and place-based
• Supported by independent ­facilitation
• Designed to protect and uplift smaller organisations
• Grounded in trust, long-term ­commitment and shared values

The workshop highlighted a clear message: meaningful change is ­possible, but only if it is developed with communities and the third ­sector, not imposed upon them.