1000 Better Stories – Details, episodes & analysis

Our Story Weaver, Kaska, revisits Torry in Aberdeen for a GO Torry event, celebrating community's growing resilience in the wake of People's Assembly and its Declaration last Spring. We hear of RAAC and retrofit, outdoor classrooms and stealthy resistance, poetry and community with a heart.

Credits

Production: Kaska Hempel

Resources

1000 Better Stories podcast episode about Torry Peoples’ Assembly of May 2023 – putting “just” back into “just transition”  https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-5q33x-14be025 

 NEW! Torry Assembly website – with: 

• Tullos poetry zine from GO Torry event https://www.torryassembly.net/tullos-poetry-zine-1
• Declaration of Torry Peoples’ Assembly 28th of May 2023 (PDF) https://www.torryassembly.net/s/Declaration-of-Torry-A6-booklet-v1-2.pdf 
• Updates on the retrofit project https://www.torryassembly.net/about-retrofit 

Information about Torry Peoples Assemblies on the Grassroots to Global website https://www.grassroots2global.org/torry-peoples-assemblies 

Communities Assembly training by Grassroots to Global, early 2024 – SCCAN video series https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL727H-1nm_P25ueYx18ikvYroPMTGZ91-&si=dfN-nYxvbbaKQ3Ra

Just Transition Communities Project (NESCAN Hub) https://www.nescan.org/just-transition-communities 

Station House Media Unit https://www.shmu.org.uk/ 

Friends of St Fittick’s Park https://saintfittickstorry.com/ 

Aberdeen Ethnic Minority Women’s Group https://www.abdn-emwomen.org.uk/

North East Scotland Mammal Network (FB group)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/335588875705435/ 

The Bridge Centre, Torry FB page https://www.facebook.com/thebridgecentretorry/ 

Social Juice https://www.social-juice-cic.co.uk/

St Fittick’s Park court appeal fails https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/aberdeen/news/st-fitticks-lose-legal-challenge-over-park-development/ 

Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Gareth Allenby from YMCA Glenrothes about weaving climate action into life journeys of young people experiencing homelessness and the joys of judging coleslaw competitions.

YMCA Glenrothes Healthy Living Garden project was one of the community groups that received a small community grant from the Fife Climate Action Hub last year. Apply for your grant here: https://fccan.org.uk/community-climate-grants/ 

Listen to our story about First Year of Fife Climate Action gathering https://scottishcommunitiesclimateactionnetwork.podbean.com/e/year-one-of-fife-climate-hub-deepening-the-network-for-action/

Transcript 

See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-gareth-allenby-ymca-glenrothes/

Credits

Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel

Resources

Healthy Living Garden at YMCA Glenrothes https://www.ymca.scot/glenrothes/garden-open/ 

Sustainable Growing Event, Fife Climate Festival, at the Healthy Living Garden https://fccan.org.uk/events/ymca-glenrothes-fife-sustainable-growing-event/  

Seed and Development Fund, Fife Climate Hub https://fccan.org.uk/community-climate-grants/ 

Climate Hubs Across Scotland  https://sccan.scot/network-building/

Year One Of Fife Climate Hub - deepening the network for action (1000 Better Stories episode): https://scottishcommunitiesclimateactionnetwork.podbean.com/e/year-one-of-fife-climate-hub-deepening-the-network-for-action/

Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Sally Hinchcliffe, a founding member of Cycling Dumfries.

The story is the first in a five-part Dumfries series of Everyday Changemakers. 

Transcript 

See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-sally-hinchcliff-cycling-dumfries/

Credits

Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel

Resources

Cycling Dumfries https://cyclingdumfries.wordpress.com/ 

Pedal on Parliament https://pedalonparliament.org/ 

UK cycling embassy https://www.cycling-embassy.org.uk/

Sustrans https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ 

Cycling UK https://www.cyclinguk.org/ 

Sally Hinchcliffe https://sallyhinchcliffe.net/

Atmospheric river event 8-9 Oct 2023 https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/weather/learn-about/uk-past-events/interesting/2023/2023_07_scotland_rain.pdf 

Storm Babet 18 - 21 October 2023 https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/weather/learn-about/uk-past-events/interesting/2023/2023_08_storm_babet.pdf 

Kirkpatrick McMillan, inventor of the pedal bike 

Video story of the bike reconstruction and journey in 2023 https://youtu.be/pfvocT7rfQ4?si=50bFhanJxAstxAGN 

Blog on reconstructing the bike in 2023

https://off.road.cc/content/feature/bike-check-kirkpatrick-macmillans-rear-wheel-driven-wooden-replica-13181

On Cycling Dumfries website:

https://cyclingdumfries.wordpress.com/2023/10/03/there-must-be-something-in-the-nith-water/#more-17037 

BBC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-19423947 

Dell McCLurg of the Merkinch Community Council reflects on turning life's challenges into local activism and the creation of the community's Merkinch Local Nature Reserve.

The story is the final in a 5-part series of weekly interviews with a variety of grassroots organisations involved in climate, biodiversity and social justice action across Inverness. 

Transcript 

See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-dell-merkinch-community-council/

Credits

Interview, edit and sound production: Kaska Hempel

Resources

Friends of Merkinch Local Nature Reserve https://www.facebook.com/merkinchreserve/ 

Merkinch Local Nature Reserve Ticket office http://www.merkinchlnr.org.uk/htm/old_ticket_office/old_ticket_office.php 

Merkinch Community Centre https://www.merkinchcommunitycentre.co.uk/about/ 

Networks of community organisations:

Scottish Communities Climate Action Network https://sccan.scot/ 

Development Trusts Association Scotland https://dtascot.org.uk/ 

Highlands and Islands Climate Hub https://hiclimatehub.co.uk/ 

Highland Good Food Partnership (also a great podcast!) https://highlandgoodfood.scot/ 

Highland Community Waste Partnership  https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/highland-community-waste-partnership/ 

Circular Communities Scotland https://www.circularcommunities.scot/ 

Incredible Edible Network https://www.incredibleedible.org.uk/ 

Community Woodlands Association Scotland https://www.communitywoods.org/ 

Community Land Scotland https://www.communitylandscotland.org.uk/ 

Jon Dixon from the new Holm Grown and Maria from Knocknagael CIC talk about shielding their green spaces from the wave of urban sprawl in Inverness.

The story is the 4th in a 5-part series of weekly interviews with a variety of grassroots organisations involved in climate, biodiversity and social justice action across Inverness. 

Transcript 

See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-jon-holm-grown-amp-maria-knocknagael-cic/

Credits

Interview recording: Kaska Hempel and Craig Dunn

Edit and sound production: Kaska Hempel

Resources

Holm Grown https://holmcommunitycouncil.org.uk/holm-grown-a-community-growing-space/

Holm Community Council

https://www.facebook.com/Holmcommunitycouncil 

https://holmcommunitycouncil.org.uk/ 

Incredible Edible Inverness https://www.facebook.com/IncredibleEdibleInverness 

Incredible Edible Network https://www.incredibleedible.org.uk/ 

Knocknagael Ltd  https://www.knocknagael.org.uk/ 

Community Asset Transfers https://www.gov.scot/policies/community-empowerment/asset-transfer/ 

Community Land Scotland https://www.communitylandscotland.org.uk/

Highlands and Islands Climate Hub https://hiclimatehub.co.uk/ 

Highland Good Food Network https://highlandgoodfood.scot/

Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Gina and Mike at Aultnaskiach Dell about the ways they have been taking care of their tiny, urban woodland.

The story is the 3rd in a 5-part series of weekly interviews with a variety of grassroots organisations involved in climate, biodiversity and social justice action across Inverness. 

Transcript 

See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-gina-and-mike-aultnaskiach-dell/

Credits

Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel

Resources

Aultnaskiach Dell website https://www.aultnaskiach.org.uk/

Community Woodlands Scotland https://www.communitywoods.org/ 

Case study: Aultnaskiach Dell as the Scottish Land Commission case study (includes video and report) https://www.landcommission.gov.scot/our-work/governance-ownership/community-ownership/aultnaskiach-dell-community-woodland

https://www.landcommission.gov.scot/news-events/news/municipal-forests-v-community-woodlands-reflections-from-2020-national-student-award-winner 

Local press article about the early days of the Dell SCIO https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/inverness/673891/20000-appeal-launched-to-save-natural-habitat-in-inverness-city-centre/

Abriachan Forest Trust https://www.abriachan.org.uk 

An audio story of Abriachan Forest by Mairi Mcfadyen and accompanying essay on land ownership in the Highlands http://www.mairimcfadyen.scot/fragile-correspondence/2023/audio-piece 

Mairi’s presentation for SCCAN storyteller collective audio skillshare https://youtu.be/HwHo0fjlKjQ?si=szJ25FvAaQo259Xt 

Case study: Abriachan Forest 

https://www.forestpolicygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Abriachan-FPG-case-study.pdf

Community woodland case studies by Community Woodland Association, including Abriachan Forest https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2022/02/community_woodland_case_studies_scotland.pdf 

Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Everyday Changemaker Louise Marshall, the producer for Dance and Accessible Arts at Eden Court in Inverness. 

The story is the 2nd in a 5-part series of weekly interviews with a variety of grassroots organisations involved in climate, biodiversity and social justice action across Inverness. 

Transcript 

See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-louise-eden-court/

Credits

Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel

Resources

Eden Court Climate of Hope project, for COP26 https://eden-court.co.uk/news/climate-of-hope-a-beginning 

Ink Asher Hemp https://eden-court.co.uk/news/back-in-my-day 

Anthropocene by Gym Jam Theatre https://www.gymjamtheatre.com/home/projects 

It’s Not That Radical by Mikaela Loach https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61645827 

Louise Marshall https://eden-court.co.uk/profile/louise-marshall

“Not in My Back Garden” performance by Eden Court’s Community Engagemnet Groups for COP28 https://www.highlifehighland.com/blog/eden-court-climate-emergency-performance-hosted-at-inverness-botanic-gardens-this-weekend/ 

The Eden Court’s statement of commitment to climate action https://eden-court.co.uk/news/climate-emergency-commitment?fbclid=IwAR3P5rmOgbJ_BbivDSCwSrmHnVVm7JJxfIrVIzCHFlRaJAqYVOm_1sq_j0g 

Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Iain McKenzie, a volunteer and Vice Chair of Inverness Foodstuff.

The story is first in a 5-part series of weekly interviews with a variety of grassroots organisations involved in climate, biodiversity and social justice action across Inverness. 

Transcript 

See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-iain-mckenzie-inverness-foodstuff/

Credits

Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel

Resources

Inverness Foodstuff https://invernessfoodstuff.co.uk/

Highland Good Food Partnership https://highlandgoodfood.scot/what-do-we-do/ 

Highland Good Food Podcast https://highlandgoodfood.scot/podcast/ 

Cafe Artysans https://www.cafeartysans.org.uk/ 

Cafe 1668 https://www.highlandtsi.org.uk/cafe  

Velocity Cafe (videos) https://www.velocitylove.co.uk/films 

Active travel maps Inverness https://www.velocitylove.co.uk/active-travel-maps 

Highland Community Waste Partnership https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/highland-community-waste-partnership/ 

In this crossover episode, Katie Revell, a podcast producer and a member of SCCAN's Story Circle and the Storytellers Collective, shares a bonus episode from her Testing Ground podcast series.

It features an interview with Mairi Macleod, a Glasgow-based writer who works in both Gaelic and English, and her short story, Seasickness, or Cur na mara. Mairi’s story updates the traditional Scottish folktale, The Selkie Wife, for an age of climate crisis. 

Testing Grounds series focuses on the collaborative response to the climate crisis by the Nordic Alliance of Artists Residencies on Climate Action (NAARCA). Mairi’s work was commissioned by NAARCA.

Credits

Testing Grounds is produced and edited by Katie Revell and includes original music by Loris S. Sarid and artwork by Jagoda Sadowska. The short story was commissioned by NAARCA from Gaelic writer Mairi Macleod.

Transcript

See our website:

https://sccan.scot/blog/seasickness-cur-na-mara-a-story-by-mairi-macleod-crossover/(opens in a new tab)

Resources

Testing Grounds podcast: https://testinggrounds.buzzsprout.com/2113331 

NAARCA: https://naarca.art/ 

NAARCA blog about Mairi and her commission: https://naarca.art/2023/08/14/testing-grounds-bonus-episode-seasickness-cur-na-mara-a-short-story-by-mairi-macleod-now-available/

Our SCCAN intern, Madeleine Scobie, interviews three more people from Arran Eco Savvy. During her visit to Arran, she talked to Jess Wallace, Sustainable Food Coordinator and Nikki Harris, Eco Savvy shop manager. She also spoke with Stuart Wallace, ebike mechanic, online in October.

Transcript

See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-jess-nikki-stuart-arran-ecosavvy/(opens in a new tab)

Credits

Interview, recording and sound production: Madeleine Scobie.

Resources

Arran Eco Savvy website: https://arranecosavvy.org.uk/

Zero Waste Cafe: https://arranecosavvy.org.uk/about-arran-eco-savvy/current-projects/zero-waste-cafe/ 

Zero Waste Cafe video: https://vimeo.com/796376962/ce499f02e2

Sustainable Food Places: https://www.sustainablefoodplaces.org/

Arran Eco Savvy Community Shop: https://arranecosavvy.org.uk/community-shop/ 

Community Shop video: https://vimeo.com/826523465/3f3863284a?share=copy

Circular Economy: https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/topics/circular-economy

An illustrated interview with Wally: https://arranecosavvy.org.uk/news-events/eco-savvy-news-events/arran-eco-savvy-bike-mechanic-wally-wallace/

Active Travel Hub: https://arranecosavvy.org.uk/about-arran-eco-savvy/current-projects/active-travel-hub/

Active Travel Hub video: https://vimeo.com/799647519/663c6e3da1

20 Minute Neighbourhoods project: https://www.ourplace.scot/about-place/themes/20-minute-neighbourhoods-home/20-minute-neighbourhoods