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New climate change programme launches for young people in Scotland & Malaysia

British Council, Social Enterprise Academy and University of the Highlands & Islands are looking for young people in Scotland aged 18-35 to take part in a new programme tackling climate change.

The VISION (Virtual Impact Storytelling In Our Network) project aims to encourage young people with different skill sets and areas of expertise to engage in debate, dialogue and mutual exchange of ideas on the impact of climate change on their future.

Starting in May 2021, 30 young people (15 each from Malaysia and Scotland) will participate in a 12-day online learning experience with facilitators from Scotland and Malaysia over the course of six months. These learning sessions will explore ‘visioning for the future’ and ‘impact storytelling’ as ways young people can develop ideas in response to global climate challenges. The programme will close with a Global Impact Festival in November 2021 where young people will showcase and celebrate their projects.

Applications are open from now until 16 May 2021 to young people aged 18-35 who are passionate about supporting the fight for climate justice and collaborating with peers in Scotland and Malaysia.

Supporting partners of the project in Scotland include University of the Highlands and Islands and CoDeL (Community Development Lens).

Are you a young person aged 18-35 interested in supporting the fight for climate justice? Find out more about the programme and how to apply here.

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NUDC- Member’s Gathering, April 17th

PictureThe North Uist Development Company is entering a new phase and is actively seeking younger residents to join its board of directors. There is a position on the board particularly for someone aged 18-25 to bring their views on the future of the island’s development to NUDC. 

On April 17th at 6pm there will be an online Member’s Gathering where members new and old can be updated on all of NUDC’s current projects and plans for the future and appointments to the new board of directors will be made. 

Following the meeting there will be a talk by Connie Dawson of NatureScot titled “Ensuring a safe and resilient future: adapting to climate change in the Uists”. 

The Gathering will start at 6pm, followed by Connie’s talk at 7pm.  Follow the Zoom link here.

 

 

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Promoting Island Life – Shetland

Here in Scotland the Shetland islands have developed a website www.shetland.org not just to attract tourists and visitors, but also to target specific professions and economically active groups to make a permanent move to Shetland. 

Under the headline, “Welcome to the Islands of Opportunity” they feature information on visiting Shetland, but equally prominent are sections such as “Invest in Shetland”, “Live, Work, Study in Shetland”, and (as a direct response to changed mindsets due to Covid) “2021: The year to make your move”. 

This dynamic website seeks to increase investment in long-term, non-tourism driven enterprise and showcase the many attractive reasons for economically active individuals and families to make a life in Shetland.

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NUDC Milestone in Community Hub Development

On March 26th 2021 North Uist Development Company reached an exciting milestone in their plans for a new Community Hub as they received the keys to the old Lochmaddy School building on behalf of the community. 

The school was closed in 2016 as all of North Uist’s primary school children were relocated to a new single school site at Sgoil Uibhist a’ Tuath. The Lochmaddy school building, which dates back to the 19th century and holds a significant place in the community’s memories, has lain empty since while NUDC have worked towards securing funding to convert it into a new community space.

The development plans for Phase 1 and 2 of the project include both a Community Hub and an Environment Centre, which will provide a new innovative facility showcasing the unique natural environment of Uist.

The Community Hub will provide a place for residents and visitors, featuring an ‘incubator’ for learning and enterprise and rentable spaces being made available to interested parties. Accommodation for visitors, students and temporary workers will be added in later phases of the project.

The development will be undertaken in phases and will involve the community every step of the way. Further funding is currently being sought for Phases 1 and 2: including for renewable energy for heating and electricity to support the environmental ethos of the development and Scotland’s green recovery.

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Promoting Island Life – Work From Nova Scotia

www.workfromnovascotia.com

In response to Covid-19, Tourism Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Business Inc. launched a marketing campaign to attract people working from home to move to Nova Scotia. 

The website Work From Novia Scotia features a range of information for potential residents, from things to do in the area to active real estate listings.

With their advertising campaign Work From Home Nova Scotia’s goal is to attract 15,000 to the province within one year.

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Promoting Island Life – Innovate North

The pandemic has changed the outlook for the future, and many entrepreneurs and local enterprises are seeking to become less dependent on the seasonality and distribution of tourism.

An example of the push to achieve this is north Iceland, where even before the impacts of Covid19 local councils set the goal that a new merged municipality would be known and sought after as a great place to live and run sustainable businesses. 

To push for this, an ambitious project was launched, Innovate North, which aims to put the new municipality at the forefront of the fight against climate change, strengthening the region’s long-term competitiveness and position as a vibrant place to live and work. 

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Isle20 Celebrates Its First Year

The groundbreaking island enterprise Isle20 turns one today and with its first birthday celebrates a host of inspiring successes. 

From providing a platform for offer 500 businesses suffering the effects of Covid19 and reduced visitors to the Scottish islands to hiring their first employee, the Tiree based shopping site has offered a remarkable insight into the power of island innovation. We look forward to seeing what the next year of Isle20 and parent enterprise IsleDevelop have up their sleeves.

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21 Reasons To Move To Shetland

Shetland.org’s recently published list of 21 Great Reasons To Move To Shetland highlights an inspiring array of things that make Shetland’s islands an attractive place to move or return to, especially for young and economically active individuals and families. 

The list spans the cultural, social, economic and environmental reasons that living in Shetland in particular is such an appealing prospect, but many of the reasons are applicable across Scotland’s Highland and Islands’ rural communities….

‘The island is home to thriving fishing, aquaculture, renewable energy and marine engineering industries, as well as a strong public sector, with jobs regularly available in areas like local government and health. Fast WiFi, quality infrastructure and the availability of funding also makes this a better place than many to start a new business’

‘It’s more connected than you think. Regular flights from Sumburgh mean that you can be in Edinburgh or Glasgow for a business meeting within a few hours of leaving home’

‘Commutes feature show-stopping scenery, and more wildlife than cars. Many Shetlanders report that their drive to work is actually a pleasure’

‘With more space, an ancient crofting culture and new investment in renewable energy, it’s also possible to lead a more sustainable existence on the islands.’

 

Visit Shetland.org for the full list of 21 Great Reasons to Move to Shetland. 

 

All images courtesy and copyright of www.shetland.org

 

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Uist Beò Feasibility Study

 

CoDeL has been busy working on a feasibility study for a new online platform – Uist Beò. Community consultations have been going well with over 200 responses to our survey on what individuals would like to see from the platform. A business survey is also underway and has had close to 40 responses from a variety of businesses and social enterprises across the islands. 

Our digital designer has come up with a striking and unique brand concept and social media for the platform is soon to be launched. In the meantime our community engagement officer has put together a brief video introducing the project. 

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VSRP21 Youth Session – March 6th 2021

This free, virtual session is an opportunity for rural and island young people aged 16-25 to collectively reimagine the future of their communities. Facilitated by the Social Enterprise Academy, the fully interactive session will also provide an opportunity for young people to question decision makers such as Maree Todd, Minister for Children and Young People and Bruce Adamson, The Children and Young People’s Commissioner. The outputs of the session will contribute to other sessions of the Scottish Rural Parliament and help to influence rural policy.

To attend, register for the Scottish Rural Parliament and select the Youth Session when asked.

Registration link: https://www.srp2021.scot