The Development Trusts Association is the UK wide community regeneration and enterprise network.
It was formed by practitioners elected from its development trust members in 1992. A number of the development trusts in Wales were original founding members of the Development Trusts Association (DTA).
The Development Trusts Association was a response to development trusts and communities who were committed to the long term regeneration of their neighbourhoods but felt isolated and lacked information of emerging good practice elsewhere. They believed they had a lot to gain from being able to network with others who shared similar visions and aims and by having a voice at a national level.
The Development Trusts Association Wales provides support to and is the membership body for the development trusts in Wales. It was established in January 2003 with the support of the Welsh Assembly Government through the Communities First Support Network, to provide support in Wales for the existing network of development trusts to operate well and for communities and organisations that wish to establish new development trusts and to promote good practice and a practitioner based learning network in Wales.
Since 1992, prior to the establishment of Development Trusts Association Wales, all of the support for the Development Trust network in Wales, good practice exchange and support for new trusts in Wales has primarily been by voluntary effort by the Trusts themselves.
Development trusts are part of a fast growing movement across the UK and are now leaders in the community regeneration and social enterprise field. In Wales there are currently 40 development trusts (full members) and 21 associate members. The UK membership is 400 full members and 150 associate members. Across the UK development trusts hold assets worth more than £300 million which have generated £19 million income for local communities.