The 2021 Scottish Rural Parliament has come to an end and we would like to thank the over 500 of you all who attended to share your story, learn and influence change. Each one of the 16 sessions was curated by an organisation with expertise in the topic, and supported by a diverse range of facilitators, presenters and chairs to deliver it.
Recordings of the sessions are available via the event portal until May 31st 2021 and will shortly be uploaded to the Scottish Rural Action website where you will be able to watch them at your leisure.
Scottish Rural Action is now working, alongside Scottish Islands Federation, curators and partners to collate the information gathered from each session into a Manifesto for Rural and Island Scotland.
With thanks, here is a list of organisations and individuals that curated sessions for, contributed to or supported the 2021 Scottish Rural Parliament
Secretariat
Scottish Rural Action
The Scottish Islands Federation
Sponsors
Scottish Government (Scottish Rural Network)
Event Delivery: Speakeasy
Young People Leading Change
Delivered by: Social Enterprise Academy and Rural Youth Project
Panellists:
- Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Children and Young People
- Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner
- Donald Mackinnon, Scottish Crofting Federation
- Mollie McGoran, MSYP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
Remote and Rural Activism
Curator: Scottish Rural Action
Chair: Esme Leitch, Scottish Rural Action
Speakers:
- Gurpreet Sidhu, BLMintheStix
- Ellie Ratter and Lavinia Schmidt, Shetland Rape Crisis
- Màrtainn Mac A'Bhàillidh
- Padruig Morrison
Democracy and Local Governance
Curators: Scottish Community Alliance and Scottish Community Development Centre
Chair: Micheal Russell MSP
Presenters:
- Dr Oliver Escobar, University of Edinburgh
- Joyce Kelly, Strathard Community Council
- Roland Playle and Jamie Hamilton, Community Chartering
- Jacky Niven, Kincardineshire Development Partnership
- Brian Logan, Scottish Government
Advancing Equality
Curators: Sleeping Giants Community Development CIC and Scottish Rural Action
Chair: Grace Cardozo, Sleeping Giants Community Development CIC
Presenters:
- Ian Buchanan, Disability Equality Scotland
- Eleanor Sanders White and Scott Cuthbertson, Equality Network
- Jess Smith
Rural Movement
Curators: The James Hutton Institute and Scotland's Rural College
Chair: Dr Jane Atterton, Scotland’s Rural College
Presenters:
- Phil Raines, Scottish Government
- Petri Rinnie, Village Action Association of Finland
- Vanessa Halhead, Scottish Rural Action
- Professor Mark Shucksmith OBE, Newcastle University/ACRE
Rural & Island Economy
Curators: GrowBiz and Inspiralba
Chair: Prof. Sarah Skerratt, Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Scottish Consortium for Rural Research
Presenters and panellists:
- Emma Sedgwick, Rural Communications
- Shanon McDonald, Tarbert Harbour
- Kaja Ekiert, Handam Refill Station CIC
- Jane Cummings, Highlands and Islands Committee of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry
- Lorna Gregson-MacLeod, Highlands and Islands Enterprise
- Jane Morrison-Ross, South of Scotland Enterprise
- Phil Raines, Scottish Government
Digital Rural and Island Scotland
Curator: Scottish Rural Action
Chair: Dr Brian Cameron, Scottish Rural Action
Presenters:
- Graham Curran, Kyles Community Broadband CIC
- Joe Fernand, Newlands Community Development Trust
- Dr Megan Palmer-Abbs, University of Aberdeen
The Use of Coastal Land and the Seabed
Curators: The Scottish Islands Federation and Scottish Land Commission
Chair: Emma Cooper, Scottish Land Commission
Presenters:
- Lisa Maclean, Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn
- Rachel Shucksmith - University of the Highlands and Islands and Shetland Islands Regional Marine Plan
- Fred Taylor, Isle of Harris Marina
- Morven Gibson, South West Mull & Iona Development
Community Led Tourism
Curators: Senscot
Chair: Sarah Cameron, Senscot
Speakers:
- Andrew Ward, Creetown Initiative
- Kirkcudbright Showcase
- Wendy Reid, Isle of Ulva
- Julia Latto, Scottish Enterprise
- Mark Tate, Cairngorms Business Partnership
Climate Change
Curator: Scottish Islands Federation
Chair: Calum MacDonald, Point and Sandwick Trust
Presenters:
- Jess Pepper, Founder of the Climate Café Movement
- Victoria Mackay, Community Energy Scotland
- Dr Gareth Davies, Aquatera
- Rosie MacLeod, Ross Camilli and Ross Gillies, Raasay Community Renewables Ltd
- Reeni Kennedy Boyle, Fyne Futures Ltd
- Philip Revell, Scottish Communities Climate Action Network
Rural and Island Transport
Curator: Scottish Rural and Island Transport Community
Chair: Jenny Milne, Scottish Rural and Island Transport Community
Presenters:
- Prof. Laurie Pickup, Vectos Ltd and the University of Aberdeen
- Rachael Murphy, Community Transport Association
- Kate Redpath, Marr Area Partnership
Social Care
Curators: Growbiz and Outside the Box
Chair: Anne Connor, Outside the Box
Presenters:
- Graham Galloway, Kirrie Connections
- Jackie Brierton & Lorna McCurrach, Growbiz
- Harry Johnson, Voluntary Action Orkney
Good Food
Curators: The Highland Good Food Partnership and Scottish Rural Action
Chair: Prof. Julie Fitzpatrick, The Moredun Research Institute and Glasgow University
Presenters:
- Kate Rowell, Quality Meat Scotland
- Emma Whitham, MOO Food and Highland Good Food
- Nikki Brown, Shellfield Farm
- Kate McDonald, North Uist Distillery
20 Minute Neighbourhood
Curator: Development Trusts Association Scotland
Chair: Lena Hutton, Development Trusts Association Scotland
Presenters:
- Robert Scott, Rosewell Development Trust
- Sarah-Jane Allsopp, Castle Douglas Development Forum
- Louisa Macdonell, Development Trusts Association Scotland
Rural Mental Health and Wellbeing
Curator: National Rural Mental Health Forum
Chair: Jim Hume, National Rural Mental Health Forum
Presenters:
- Alison Forbes, Generation Scotland
- Dr Rebecca Crowther, Equality Network
- Gemma MacKinnon, Penumbra
- Rachel Cackett, Samaritans Scotland
The Big Panel Debate
Chair: Ruth Wishart
Panellists:
- Ariana Burgess, Scottish Green Party
- Mairi McAllan, Scottish National Party
- Rhoda Grant, Scottish Labour
- Oliver Mundell, Scottish Conservatives
- Catriona Bhatia, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Theona Morrison, Scottish Rural Action and CoDEL
- Kate Rowell, Quality Meat Scotland
- Dr Michael Foxley, Further Education Regional Board for the Highlands and Islands
- Louisa Macdonell, Development Trusts Association Scotland
- Lisa Maclean, Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn, Community Land Outer Hebrides and the Scottish Government’s Social Renewal Advisory Board
