"We All Want to Make This Place Better" - A spotlight on David Douglas, from Holywell Trust’s Leadership Collective

Born and raised in the Waterside, David is one of the city's most distinctive voices in tourism — and a proud member of the Holywell Trust Leadership Collective.

You trained as an accountant — not an obvious route to becoming a tour guide. How did that happen?

"I decided to follow my head rather than my heart and studied accountancy at QUB rather than history. I qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG Peat Marwick in Belfast and worked in industry, private practice in Limavady, and as a freelance accountant for a number of years."

But history never went away. After completing a tour guiding course with NWRC, David set up Derrie Danders Walking and Audio Tours in 2018 — at first as a hobby. When he semi-retired from accountancy in June 2022, it became his main occupation.

"It was something I enjoyed and was good at, particularly with my love of local history."

What makes Derrie Danders different?

"I felt there was a gap in the market in the city for quality politically neutral tours, where politics and history could be explained to visitors with no political slant. There are two equally valid political viewpoints in the city that visitors should be told about, and the use of violence should never have been an option to further these."

That philosophy runs through everything David does. Alongside the City Walls and Murals tours, he has developed specialist tours covering the Blue Plaques of the City, Ulster Scots/Scots Irish heritage, Shirt Factories and Industrial Heritage, Musical History and Heritage, and a darker history tour tied to the Halloween festival. During Covid, he partnered with international platform VoiceMap to produce audio tours, with French and Spanish versions already available and a German edition in the works.

"My tours are warts and all. The city has lived through some dark days but I am passionate about its historical past and positive for its future."

How do you see the wider tourism opportunity for the region?

"I think that Derry/Donegal/North West needs to be marketed as a complete region to encourage visitors to come and stay for a few days, not just a stop on a coach tour. We need to broaden our offer of culture, history, heritage and natural beauty."

He's also clear about what makes the region's story worth telling in full.

"We have such a rich heritage for visitors to learn about, be it Irish, British, Ulster Scots — and why can't we embrace it all, rather than pigeon-hole ourselves into one culture or identity, and retain our own political viewpoints in a respectful way? I think more guests are looking for authenticity from their guides, and being politically neutral is a big plus for me."

Why did you join the Leadership Collective?

"I wanted to grow as a person and learn from other leaders, from different backgrounds and sectors. I also wanted to contribute more to the city and the region by using my skills and knowledge — especially as I represented the business sector and tourism."

The experience has lived up to those hopes.

"The Leadership Collective has allowed access to Stormont and other local leaders in many fields. The opportunity to network with this diverse group of people has been very useful."

What has stayed with you most from the experience?

"There has been so much respect within the group for each other's beliefs and values, and the underlying motivation is that we all want to make this place a better one for all to live in."