Have an idea for a circular project but not sure where to begin? Join our Circular Economy for Communities Training to build your confidence and gain the tools to make your circular project happen.

Join Community Development Officer Aisling, who leads on circular communities projects as she provides an introduction to the circular economy and examples and inspiration from those who have carried out those projects across Scotland.

Note this training is intended as an introduction to the circular economy and repair, reuse and recycle projects so it is most appropriate before beginning a project or for those wanting to learn more about the circular economy.

Are you working on community resilience planning for your place?

Confused about where to start? What you should include in a Community Resilience Plan? Overwhelmed with sources of information and templates?

Join us in a training session where we cut through the confusion and give you the direct information and support you need to create a Community Resilience Plan for your place.

Spaces are limited so please book early.

Join us for a special community screening: The People’s Emergency Briefing #PEBuk at Eden Court on Thursday 29th October.

What’s happening with climate and nature, and what does it mean for everyday life in the UK?

Join us for a screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing - an eye-opening film bringing together nine leading UK scientists and experts with the latest evidence and why it matters for things like:

🌧️ Extreme weather
🍞 Food security
🏥 Health
💷 Cost of living

The film is based on the National Emergency Briefing in Westminster (featured by ITV, Channel 4 and The Times) with appearances from Chris Packham, Deborah Meaden, and a range of voices from across the UK.

After the film there will be a short open discussion about what it means for our community and what we can do locally.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

Join us for our launch event for Community Resilience Connect. A space and source of information to enable communities who are planning or carrying out community resilience in their places to connect, learn from each other and learn from others.

Our climate is already changing, we see more instances of extreme weather each year from both heat in summer and winter storms. Supporting our communities to be more resilient means making connections, plans and learning. Community Resilience Connects aims to share resources, learning from partners and from each other to support and grow resilience in our places.

For this launch event we will be joined by:

Kerry Jardine, Scottish Government - Ready Scotland

Hannah Cameron-Ross, Highland Council - Emergency Planner

We’ll also share what you can expect from Community Resilience Connect and have the opportunity to hear from you about what you need to support resilience in your community.

In late Spring 2026, Highland Adapts published the Highland Climate Change Risk & Opportunity Assessment (HCCROA).

“Climate change is affecting the Highland region. Changes in rainfall patterns, storm intensity, temperature, coastal processes, and drought are influencing health and wellbeing, infrastructure, buildings, ecosystems, and livelihoods. These impacts are expected to intensify over coming decades, even under scenarios where global emissions are reduced.

The Highland Climate Change Risk and Opportunity Assessment (HCCROA) provides a regional overview of climate change risks and opportunities from the present day to the 2080s. It brings together scientific data, economic analysis, regional expertise, and lived experience to establish a shared understanding of where climate change is already having an impact, where risks are expected to increase, and where timely action can influence future outcomes.” - Highland Adapts

Join Harper Loonsk, Highland Adapts Partnership Manager and staff from the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub while we present and share the HCCROA, what it means for communities and your resilience work, learn how a regional adaptation partnership operates in Highland and hear about projects across Highland, Orkney and Shetland who have identified climate risks in their places and the actions they are taking now to address those risks.

We’re thrilled to be hosting, in partnership with Climate Café Shetland, our Climate Action Ting Celebration – an evening to celebrate the community projects that were chosen by Shetland residents through the Green Participatory Budgeting earlier this year.

Come along and hear from the 9 groups that received funding, as they share what they’ve been up to, their challenges and achievements, and how their projects have made a difference in their communities. Each group will have 5 minutes to present their project followed by time for questions.

There will be food and drink provided, and plenty of time to meet people, hear about local climate action and celebrate what can happen when communities are given the opportunity to make things happen.

Whether you voted at the Green Participatory Budgeting event, applied for funding, supported one of the projects, or are simply curious about what’s been happening across Shetland, everyone is welcome! No booking needed, just come along on the night to celebrate what these community groups have achieved.

Join us for an evening celebrating five years of the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub and the local Inverness members who have helped shape it. Enjoy a light meal, member talks, community stalls and opportunities to connect with others taking climate action locally.

Join us for Members Connect this August with Jared M. Child from Arkaig Community Forest, who will give an overview of ACF, their restoration work, partnerships and wider footprint around Loch Arkaig. We’ll also hear about the day-to-day challenges and opportunities of community-led woodland restoration.

Join us for an ACTive Hope Workshop, a taster session based on The Work That Reconnects by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone. Through practical tools and guided exercises, you'll explore ways to build resilience, reconnect with your purpose, and stay engaged in climate action without burning out. Open to Hub members, with spaces limited to 20 participants.

The period after an election is one of the best times to connect with your MSPs, MPs or local councillors. In their first few months in office, elected representatives are deciding what issues and priorities they want to focus on for the years ahead - making it the perfect opportunity to make your voice heard and support the causes you care about.

We’ll be joined by Hayley Wolcott from Young Sea Changers Scotland to explore how to communicate confidently with your representatives and speak up about the issues that matter to you. No issue is too small, after all, these people are elected to represent you! In partnership with the H&I Climate Collective.

Our Speaker

Hayley is a marine biologist based on the Isle of Skye and the Youth Advocacy Officer for Young Sea Changers Scotland. She is passionate about empowering youth voices and supporting the next generation of ocean advocates to create meaningful change for Scotland’s seas.

Young Sea Changers Scotland (YSCS) empowers young people aged 16-25 with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to speak up for Scotland’s seas and influence the decisions that affect them.

For June’s Members Connect, we’ll welcome guest speaker, Anne Clark from the Let Us Grow Project in Glen Urquhart. The project is led by Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association (GURCA) in collaboration with Glenurquhart Care Centre and Highlands Rewilding.

We recently published a news article all about the project so far which you can read here. Join us while you enjoy lunch to chat, network, learn what fellow members and the Hub are working on and share your own experiences.

Join us for the next Inverness Climate Conversation!

This month’s discussion will focus on walking & wheeling for wellbeing in Inverness, bringing together local projects, organisations and individuals passionate about active travel and healthier communities.

Come along to meet like-minded people, share ideas and explore the barriers and opportunities around walking and wheeling in the city.

Join Fiona MacDonald, Caithness & Sutherland CDO for an interactive, in-person workshop where you'll learn the skills and techniques needed to write successful funding applications.

Members Connect is an exclusive opportunity for members to join one another and representatives from the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub to share challenges and successes on what we’re all working on.

This month’s guest speaker is Anne Thomas from Highland People’s Power (HPP), a community energy cooperative working to ensure the benefits of renewable energy stay within Highland communities.

The sessions are informal so please do join us over your lunchbreak to chat through any questions you may have about our current and upcoming projects and activities and anything you’re working on that you think we can support with - or, just come along and listen to what everyone else is up to and gain some inspiration!

In response to member requests, we’ve developed a whole week dedicated to training which has been designed to exclusively support members to progress their climate action goals.

A Net Zero policy outlines your commitment to reducing environmental impact, setting objectives and targets, and achieving net zero in line with Scottish Government Policy and Global Sustainable Development Agenda to lower energy and resource costs, engage positively with employees and the community, and control your own narrative.

Hub Training Officer, Natalie Moore will work through how to develop a Net Zero Policy which works for your organisation. This session will offer straightforward and practical advice that supports you to take another step in your climate action journey.

This session takes place online on Thursday 28th May from 10am - 12noon

In response to member requests, we’ve developed a whole week dedicated to training which has been designed to exclusively support members to progress their climate action goals.

We recently offered workshops which tests resilience plans to understand how effective they are and while we were pleased to welcome lots of communities ready to take that step, lots of you got in touch to ask for support in creating a resilience plan in the first place so we’ve developed this session just for you!

Hub CEO Joan Lawrie will go through the steps required to create a resilience plan that works for your community and is easy to implement in the case of an emergency.

This session takes place online on Wednesday 27th May from 10am - 12noon

In response to member requests, we’ve developed a whole week dedicated to training which has been designed to exclusively support members to progress their climate action goals.

Always a popular session, and one of the most commonly asked for when we talk to members is the Funding Masterclass. Hub CEO, Joan Lawrie has lots of experience in writing funding applications and is pleased to share her knowledge, hints and tips with hub members.

This session takes place online on Tuesday 26th May from 7pm - 9pm

Interested in a friendly space to talk about climate change and its impact on your community?

Join a free introductory session from the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub to learn about Climate Cafés-what they are, how they run, and how they could work in your area.

Wednesday 6th May
- Fiona’s Wholefoods, 80 High Street, Grantown on Spey PH26 3EL

Book your space here.

These events are part of Cairngorms 2030, a programme by the Cairngorms National Park Authority supported by The National Lottery.

Interested in a friendly space to talk about climate change and its impact on your community?

Join a free introductory session from the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub to learn about Climate Cafés-what they are, how they run, and how they could work in your area.

Wednesday 6th May
- 12-1.30pm – Glenmore Visitor Centre & Café, Aviemore, PH22 1QU

Book your space here.

These events are part of Cairngorms 2030, a programme by the Cairngorms National Park Authority supported by The National Lottery.

Climate Café Nairn: Blue Health talk on outdoor swimming, wellbeing & nature. Hear from guest speakers + connect with your community.

Join us for Climate Café Nairn, an informal and welcoming space to explore climate-related topics and connect with others in your community.

This month’s theme is Blue Health, focusing on the benefits of water, outdoor swimming and our connection to natural environments. Hear from guest speaker Ben as he shares his journey swimming the high lochs and lochans of the Cairngorms, offering insight into outdoor swimming, mountain landscapes and the personal impact of engaging with nature in this way.

You’ll also hear from Blue Space Highland about opportunities to experience the benefits of blue health locally, and how connecting with nature can support wellbeing across Nairnshire.

Whether you’re interested in climate action, nature, or simply keen to meet like-minded people, everyone is welcome. Food & drink available to buy.

Introducing Highlands & Islands Climate Collective - a space for 16-30 year olds across Highland, Orkney & Shetland passionate about climate action.

Climate Collective will spotlight ways that young people can take action, connect with community groups and organisations, and help build skills to enter sustainable careers. We’ve co-created Climate Collective with our Youth Advisory Board who input to its priorities and activities.

At Climate Collective’s launch we will be exploring why it is so important for young people to get involved in climate action and share how community groups can connect with young people.

We are thrilled that we will have Alyson MacKay and Ellie Moore joining us to share their experiences of being involved in climate action and sustainable careers.

We’re looking forward to welcoming young people interested in climate action and organisations who’d like to engage more young people to Climate Collective’s Launch!

Sue Muir shares Alness Repair Cafe’s first-year success, followed by Q&A and a chance to connect with other members.

The Hub’s monthly members networking event is back! Join Sue Muir from Alness Repair Cafe as she shares insights from the project’s first year, followed by a Q&A and a chance to connect with other members.

*Please note - this is for members only - if you would like to become a member of the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub, please do so here: Join us — Highlands & Islands Climate Hub

The Climate Action Ting event is almost here and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Climate Action Ting is a participatory budgeting event from the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub, made possible thanks to #NationalLottery players, the Coastal Communities Fund from Shetland Islands Council and Zenobe, through Foundation Scotland.

You can read all about the project here but as a recap;

• Climate Action Ting offered £60,000 to communities to take positive, community led climate action

• We hosted online and in person events to let community groups know about the opportunity and supported them to apply.

• Applications opened in January 2026 and closed in February 2026.

We’re now thrilled to invite the sucessful applicants to showcase their project to fellow Shetland residents in the hope of securing your vote. Community organisations with the most votes at the end of the event on the 14th March 2026, will be awarded grants up to a maximum of £7500 to complete their identified project.

Please join the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub and the community groups of Shetland for an afternoon of inspirational climate action opportunity and have your voice heard by voting for your favourite projects.

We’re pleased to offer delicious refreshments and will welcome live musicians to entertain you while we do the all important vote count. The event takes place from 2 - 4.30pm within Mareel.

*If you’re unable to attend in person but still want to participate, details of an online voting system will be available from 26th February. Or advice is to join us on the day if you can - we’re so looking forward to the positive atmosphere this event will undoubtedly create.

Orkney Climate Fair is set to take place on Saturday 7th February in Kirkwall and all climate conscious folks are invited to attend.

What to expect:

• Workshop on strengthening Orkney’s circular economy (3-5pm) BOOKABLE HERE

• Mini Repair Session with Orkney Repair Cafe

• Family activities led by Fiamma Creative Club

• Information, craft and retail stalls

  Stall holders:

• Warmworks

• OHAL

• Orkney Zerowaste

• Orkney Wild Crafts

• Orkney Library and Archive

• Orkney Repair Café - hosting a mini repair session, please bring along broken items for repair on the day (one per person please)

• Orkney Islands Council Waste Team

• Fiamma Creative Club - Storytelling sessions for 2-6 year olds and their grown ups as well as lots of craft activities for older children and their grown ups!

• Greener Orkney

• Orkney Tea Plantation

• Orkney Boreray Sheep

• Orkney Fair Trade Group - Bringing along a demonstration of just how many textiles are thrown away in Orkney!

• Transects project

• Stronsay Development Trust

• Restart

• H&I Climate Hub

King Street Halls, Saturday 7 February 2026
11am - 5:00pm

Please note the building will be closed from 1-2pm for lunch. Refreshments provided before and after lunch!

Hub colleagues Fiona and Ashleigh will join countless employers at an event in Thurso, Caithness to explain to job seekers what it like to work with an organisation like ours and help people understand if a role in the charity sector and specifically Community Development is for them.

Ashleigh is our Graduate Apprentice and Fiona is a super experienced Community Development professional - both are excited to share with attendees the career paths they've chosen.

Please note that at this time, we’re not actively recruiting. Whenever we are, it’ll be advertised here on our website.

This online session is perfect for community groups, clubs, organisations, or anyone with an idea that could help make Shetland greener, more sustainable, or more resilient (funding available for constituted groups).

What to expect:

• A step-by-step walk-through of the Climate Action Ting application form

• An explanation of how the participatory budgeting process works

• A Q&A session where you can ask about your project idea or the PB process

Whether you're already shaping a project or just curious about applying, this session will help you feel confident and prepared.

💡 About Climate Action Ting
Climate Action Ting empowers communities to take the lead by deciding how funding is spent to support climate action across Shetland. Grants of up to £7,500 will be awarded through a public vote in March.

We look forward to seeing you there and to support the brilliant ideas emerging across Shetland!

This project has been made possible by players of the National Lottery and from the support of the Coastal Communities Fund from Shetland Islands Council.

Got an idea for a greener Shetland? Join the H&I Climate Hub in Shetland to get support, funding & inspiration for climate action!

We’re excited to invite you to take part in Climate Action Ting, Shetland’s Participatory Budgeting programme supporting community-led climate action.

Do you have an idea, big or small, that could make your community greener, more resilient, or more sustainable?
Whether you’re part of a local group, club, or organisation, or just a few friends with a good idea, this is your chance to make it happen!

When: Saturday 29th of November 2025, 10:30 – 1pm.
Where: Islesburgh Community Centre
What to Expect:

• Support to turn your ideas into fundable projects

• Guidance on the Climate Action Ting application and voting process

• Inspiring speakers sharing examples of Shetland climate projects

• A chance to connect and collaborate with others across the island

Food and refreshments provided!

Miriam Adcock of Zero Waste Scotland will be hosting a "what is Circular Economy?" talk with the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub and we would love to see you there!

This session offers members of the Hub, the public and the Hub team the opportunity to ask questions and develop a greater understanding of what a Circular Economy is and how you can get involved in creating or contributing to it in your community.

This event is part of the European Week of Waste Reduction.

The Highland Climate Conference, hosted by the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub and supported by the Scottish Government seeks to bring together people from all sectors across the Highlands who are working towards a sustainable, thriving Highland Region.

The steps needed to be taken in our region to address the climate emergency and adapt to our already changing climate impacts on every sector and every community across the Highland area.

Through the themes of

• Place

• People

• Power

• Partnerships

We’ll explore through this interactive conference how we can work together to ensure a just transition to net zero for all in our communities.