It was was formed in March, 2002 as part of the government’s Market Towns Initiatives. It is a Community Interest Company, and was originally called the Diss and District Development Partnership. It is a partnership of individuals and organisations working to improve Diss. It promotes and initiates a wide range of activities and groups, including a lot of grassroots consultation:

• The Skelton Festival - a year-long, 40-event, award winning festival culminating in a Tudor Fair.
• It promotes local food by setting up Waveney Valley Food Group, Slow Food Waveney Valley, working to re-invigorate the Diss Farmer's Market.
• Ran a Betjeman Centenary festival
• Set up a credit union
• Set up the Diss Film Society

and much more.

Diss has recently become the UK’s third Cittaslow town, an initiative started by DCP originally. We are currently applying for funding from the EU’s LEADER+ fund for a major Cittaslow programme that will include

• a co-ordinator’s post
• DissConnected.net, a state of the art community website
• a Diss Food Network
• a clay lump building project
• a Cittaslow Directory
• a Cittaslow Community Fund
• re-branding of Diss