Carnegie UK has been headquartered in the town of Dunfermline since its foundation in 2013.

It is one of the largest operating trusts in the UK to be town-based. As such, it has a long term commitment to supporting the resilience and wellbeing of town communities across the UK and Ireland.

In 2012 and 2013, the Trust will be undertaking both policy and practice work to develop understanding of the challenges facing our towns as the economy, public sector capacity and consumer habits all undergo drastic change.

This process began in the Summer of 2012 with a round table discussion on towns planning and regeneration at Andrew Carnegie House, and continues in the Autumn of 2012 with commissioned research into the typology of modern Scottish towns.

The TestTown initiative is drawn from this stream of Trust work, combined with our research on enterprise and business innovation among future workers. With this project, the Trust is getting involved in doing something practical to support the rejuvenation of towns as creative places to work and visit.

The Trust has also been involved, as an external expert, in the early discussions of the Scottish Government's Town Centres Review, and will continue to support the review as it develops its thinking over the coming months.