Invest in women who invest in the Climate: International Women’s Day 2024

Hub News

7 Mar

Happy International Women’s Day to all women across the Highlands & Islands! The climate crisis is diverse, and needs a diverse effort to work towards a solution; take this day to look around you, and see the indispensable progress women make towards the climate cause.

Climate Action Highlands & Islands is the perfect showcase of the capabilities of women to build a green economy and future that we can thrive in. As a Hub we are incredible proud of the work of our Members!

In 2023, we were delighted to partner with Climate Cafe® to curate the climate session at Scotland’s Rural and Island Parliament (SRIP) where we showed our film, Climate Action: Highlands & Islands and with Jess Pepper of Climate Cafe, hosted an informal following the screening. Several issues were raised during that session including the need to resource and support communities and refocusing on community transition rather than individual actions relating to climate action. You can read more about the discussions and the themes raised in this recently published Policy Spotlight with SRUC on Climate Action in Scottish Rural and Island Communities.

A pervading theme raised when we have shown our film to any audience and which was picked up at the SRIP event was the role of women taking climate action in communities. It’s a focus we will be exploring more during March to co-incide with International Women’s Day on 8th March and seems to be common thread linking grassroots climate action activities both in Scotland and further afield. Read on to find out more about the inspiring woman taking climate action in our film.

Join us through March as we celebrate inspirational women across the region who lead the way in Climate Action and empower other women to harness their skills and join, #InspireInclusion.

“Invest in Women; Accelerate Progress”

— INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2024 THEME

Meet the women accelerating climate action in the Highlands & Islands

What power is held in that picture! Each woman represents an innovative, sustainable project that is happening right now across the Highlands & Islands. Let’s take a journey to meet each woman and find out what climate action means to them and how their projects #InspireInclusion.

Featured

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Jane, Greener Orkney

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Across Orkney, Jane and her team have created a network of community fridges to reduce food wastage and encourage a sense of community. The 3 fridges are located in Kirkwall, Stromness, and Dounby Primary School, so accessing a fridge is possible for the whole of Orkney. Throughout the day and evening, volunteers collect unused food from shops to stock up the fridges - they then weigh the food available each night and publicise this on their website. In a single night they can have over 100kg of food to share! By establishing community fridges across Orkney, Greener Orkney have created opportunities for sustainable eating with a community sense, and through this they spread the message of climate action, inspiring change.

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Helen, Socially Growing

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In Thurso, Socially Growing is living up their name - community growing! At the heart of the town they have 2 Polycrubs which inside are thriving with different fruits, vegetables and even herbs. A team of volunteers maintain the greenhouses, and they have created a space not only for growing, but an inclusive space for anyone to get work experience or some green support. Socially Growing was works hand in hand with Thurso Community Development Trust, and the two work to ensure they are ‘ethically enterprising’, and keep the community at the centre of their roles. The greenhouses also support Socially Growing’s retail shop, which is filled with local produces and sustainably baked goods. By creating a welcoming space in Thurso for people to not only learn about growing food, but themselves too, they are accelerating progress.

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Maree, Polycrub

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Maree and her Polycrubs are showing their Shetland strength, by creating a growing facility durable enough to last even a Shetland winter. Polycrubs utilise waste pipe from the salmon industry; Maree and her team clean the pipes and upcycle them into create polycrub hoops, which are sent our with their kit to build a Polycrub. Polycrubs are popping up all across Scotland, allowing more people to grow their own food - increasing food security. The creation of Polycrubs have already saved over 100 miles of pipe from ending up in landfill - Maree and her team’s ingenuity is is inspiring.

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Lesley, Lochaber Environmental Group & Highland Waste Partnership

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The Highland Waste Partnership exist to reduce wastage across the Highlands, and are driven by community groups. One of these partners is the Lochaber Environmental Group. Lesley and her team work to promote a sustainable lifestyle for Lochaber, and do this by supporting projects with a focus on sustainability. Green Fingers encourages and empowers a diverse audience across Lochaber to use environmental practices. They upcycle furniture, and create pieces from recycled materials. The Bike Kitchen restores donated bikes to their former glory, run bike maintenance workshops to upskill people in bike repair and offer tool loans & safety checks. By supporting community-led projects, they are inspiring inclusion.

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Ullapool Sea Savers, Ullapool

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A passionate group of children in Ullapool are taking the initiative to ensure their generation’s future is green. Their connection to the sea is strong, and they helping clear marine litter and inspire others to ensure marine conservation. By raising awareness and respect for drainage, they hope to prevent litter even entering the sea. Across Ullapool, the abundance of litter has drastically reduced thanks to their crucial work. Painting drains across Ullapool has brought marine awareness into the community, and created a positive relationship with the Sea. Ullapool Sea Savers inspire the need for a diverse climate response, and the inclusion of our bright next generation is paramount.

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Emily, CEO of Velocity Cafe and Bicycle Mayor of Inverness

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Emily’s philosophy for Inverness is to create a city that is cycle friendly - to introduce cycling as a safe and accessible means of transport. At Velocity Cafe being active is connected to their eatery through Bicycle Workshops. As Bicycle Mayor, she campaigns for Inverness to become a more bicycle friendly city, and reduce reliance on cars as a mode of transport. Kidical Mass encourages cycling by hosting a community bike ride in the heart of Inverness. By showing a group front, it encourages the predominance of bikes, and creates a safe space for children to cycle in Inverness. Creating a space where bikes have a place for the Next Generation is their hope.

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Rosie, Raasay Community Renewables

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By harnessing the Earth’s natural resources to make energy, Raasay is connecting their community to the environment through the lifeline of electricity. Raasay Community Renewables are using hydro stations to create an income for their community through the sale of electricity, and looking towards using it locally. By utilising two existing rivers on the Island they can create and export electricity to the National Grid. Rosie is passionate for all things Renewables, and this project allows her to connect to her local community and harness the power that brings in Community Benefit.

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Girls on Boards, Kyle of Sutherland

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In Kyle of Sutherland, their Development Trust are taking their community’s connection with the Earth to the next level - through Sutherland Girls on Boards. Using their natural assets of the Kyle, they are bringing together the female community with paddle boarding! By strengthening themselves and feeling the peace of paddle boarding, their appreciation for the environment grows. Beth takes the Girls on Boards group to beautiful local places, and encourages the feeling of connection to each other and the Kyle to #InspireInclusion.

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Aileen, Lairg & District Learning Centre

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Lairg and District Learning Centre immersed their community into the Climate by exhibiting Letters to the Earth in Rogart Mart. They engaged the whole community - their Primary School created a book about Wild Eating and the Exhibition featured an autobiography based on a croft highlighting changes across the years, resonating with locals. Lairg District and Learning Centre brought an international Exhibition to a small town, connecting people across the Earth in the Climate Cause.

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Henrietta, Go Golspie Development Trust

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Golspie is at critical risk of flooding, but Henrietta and Golspie do not want to turn their backs on the sea. Inspired by the work of their pier as a natural groin, Go Golspie Trust is campaigning to have groins recreated across their coastline. Not only will this protect the community, but foster a positive relationship with the sea as it will create a beach for Golspie to enjoy!

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What’s Next?

Women all across the Highlands and Islands are blazing the trail for community climate action. Join was this month as we celebrate more inspirational women, and hear their stories of how they are shaping our green future. Follow our socials to be inspired.

Look around you, go and get involved with inspiring projects and accelerate progress in your community. If you want to hear the full stories of each project, go and watch Climate Action Highlands & Islands - available on our website.

Ashleigh Coghill

Invest in women who invest in the Climate: International Women’s Day 2024

Meet the women accelerating climate action in the Highlands & Islands

What’s Next?

Spotlight on Harper, Highland Adapts

Jane, Greener Orkney

Join our growing community