In this episode, Kaska Hempel explores the ideas behind the Narrating Change workshop - a creative experiment in using storytelling to bring community voices into climate adaptation policy-making. You will hear from researcher and workshop lead Emma Yule, and community participant Luke Fraser who is based in Orkney. They share what they got out of the session, and reflect on their wider ideas of adaptation and resilience in our communities and how the current Scottish Government policy fits into...
Jul 31, 2025•54 min•Ep. 80
In this cross over we share a 2022 episode of The Highland Good Food Podcast, published by Highlands Good Food Network. Host, Laura Dorantt, speaks to Anna from Planet Sutherland, Mairi from the Fearn Free Food Garden and Emma from the Auchtertyre Community Garden. They discuss the importance of community food projects, which offer a space for learning, a place to gather and grow. Enjoying the podcast? Support us with a donation on ko-fi or simply share the story with others, review or rate our ...
Mar 25, 2025•32 min•Ep. 79
In this cross over we share the first episode of the Paperboats podcast, associated with the Paperboats collective of Scotland-based writers focussed on nature and environment in a time of climate and ecological breakdown. Host, Ian Grosz, talks with Paperboats co-founders Sandy Winterbottom and Elaine Morrison about the ideas behind the movement and its work so far. Enjoying the podcast? Support us with a donation on ko-fi or simply share the story with others, review or rate our show. Resource...
Feb 10, 2025•42 min•Ep. 78
2024 marked the five-year anniversary of Greener Kirckaldy's ownership of their community building and 100 years of the community land ownership movement in Scotland. This is a story of this community’s journey to community ownership and how that empowered them to do more on climate, build resilience and help people in need. SCCAN podcast has lost it's funding . While we look for other sources, you can support us by donating through ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/1000betterstoriespod You can also join...
Dec 09, 2024•47 min•Ep. 77
Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to the creative duo behind Art Moves Fife, Gillian McFarland and Kate Downes, about slow movement through landscape as a means to mobilise creative response to climate crisis, creative patience in thinking about solutions and tails wagging dogs. You can find the audio tour illustrating the essence of the creative process during the first art move at Tayport Heath on izi.travel website or app here . Credits Production: Kaska Hempel Resources Art Moves Fife we...
Nov 27, 2024•34 min•Ep. 76
Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, speaks with Marie-Anne Brown, a manager at Magpie in Banchory, about embracing a circular economy lifestyle, balancing social and climate responsibilities, and planning for extreme weather. This is a final episode in our mini-series on climate driven extreme weather and adaptation in Scotland, marking the first anniversary of the devastating October floods in North East Scotland. Credits Production, recording and editing: Kaska Hempel Resources Magpie Shops https:...
Nov 21, 2024•29 min•Ep. 75
We continue on our theme of climate change fuelled flooding and how we are adapting to it in Scotland. In the last two episodes we touched on responses from creative organisations and farming. Today we focus on future-proofing of newly built public buildings. In a podcast crossover, we share an episode from CampusCast series at Fife College, which focused on their Dunfermline Learning Campus as a pathfinder project for The Net Zero Public Sector Buildings standard. It’s the only pathfinder proje...
Oct 28, 2024•43 min•Ep. 74
In this episode, we share a recording of a panel discussion on Farming and Water held at the Groundswell Outreach regenerative farming meet up at the Falkland estate in Fife, last July. The session explores how landscape-level, regenerative management can help us adapt to the climate-induced extremes of floods and droughts. It also touches on the barriers to implementing such an approach. The panel was led by Ian Davis and included Alister Leggatt, Lyn White, and Cees Kamp and Anthony Ellis. Thi...
Oct 21, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 73
Our Story Weaver, Kaska, talks to Everyday Changemaker Simone Stewart at the Barn’s “Plenty?” Festival in Banchory last October. They discuss degrowth and snails, storm Frank’s influence on the Barn’s creative direction, and the value of improvisation and community in an emergency. One year on, they also reflect on the impact of last year’s flooding which interrupted the festival. This is the first in a short series focusing on flooding and adaptation stories this month. Credits Recording, inter...
Oct 16, 2024•43 min•Ep. 72
In this cross over episode from Harbour Voices podcast by Open Road, we hear a story of Hans Unkles' all electric lobster boat. This is first episode in Harbour Voices Festival of the Sea series which gives an important historical perspective to the stories of Torry People's Assembly we published recently. Credit Open Road Resources “Harbour Voices” podcast: https://www.openroadltd.com/projects/harbour-voices/ “It’ll never work - an all electric electric lobster boat” documentary https://itllnev...
Sep 30, 2024•43 min•Ep. 71
Retrofit coordinator, Matthew Clubb, talks through benefits and options of the retrofit project for Torry in Aberdeen. This is a recording of a talk from GO Torry! event in June 2024. Credits Recording and edit: Kaska Hempel Resources Listen to "GO Torry - growing resilience one year after peoples' assembly" https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-736yg-16bfd67 Community-driven regional retrofit support services: Edinburgh: https://www.edinbric.scot/ SCCAN Members Skillshare presentation: https://youtu.be...
Sep 16, 2024•33 min•Ep. 70
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-14be0...
Sep 02, 2024•49 min•Ep. 69
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...
Aug 12, 2024•29 min•Ep. 68
In this Edinburgh Fringe special, Kaska speaks to Lewis Coenen-Rowe about the trees and myths that inspired his deforestation opera STUMPED, becoming an artist activist, and about the importance of coming together for storytelling like this to help us imagine a better future and take collective action. STUMPED is showing at the Scottish Storytelling Centre starting this week and each performance ends with a short reflection from a different invited expert or community group involved in caring fo...
Jul 29, 2024•30 min•Ep. 67
Kaska Hempel reports from the Fife Climate Hub gathering in celebration of their first year. We hear how they have built on longstanding partnerships, welcomed new faces and the critical importance of leadership from governments in support of the urgently needed community climate action. Consider this leadership when voting in general election on the 4th of July. Reviews of party manifestos on environment: Carbon Brief (Energy and climate only) - includes SNP and other minor parties https://www....
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 66
Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Rebecca Gibbs from SCCAN about rollerblading for sanity, turning NET zero into NOT zero and the invitation to get into climate adaptation planning with us. Transcript See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-rebecca-gibbs-sccan/(opens in a new tab) Credits Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel Resources Rebecca can be reached on rebecca@sccan.scot NEW! SCCAN Adaptation for Communities resources and news https://scca...
May 28, 2024•25 min•Ep. 65
Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Alex Daniels from Transition Dundee about gleaning, fair access to fresh food and his favourite glut-busting recipes. Transcript See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-alex-transition-dundee/ Credits Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel Resources Register for 1000 Better Stories Collective skillshare with Manuela and Daniel from Maxwell Centre in Dundee, 30 May, 1-2pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/904908354247 G...
May 15, 2024•24 min•Ep. 64
Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Paul and Chloe about making dreams come true and turning the forgotten patch of land into a safe place for community connection and play. The story is the last one in the five-part Dumfries series of Everyday Changemakers. Transcript See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-paul-and-chloe-sandside-community-garden/ Credits Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel Resources Sandside Community Garden facebook page https:...
Apr 17, 2024•20 min•Ep. 63
Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Martin O’Neill from The Stove network about coming home and creative placemaking with his community. The story is the fourth in a five-part Dumfries series of Everyday Changemakers. Transcript See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-martin-the-stove/ Credits Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel Resources The Stove https://thestove.org/ Midsteeple Quarter stories and studies https://www.midsteeplequarter.org/midste...
Apr 08, 2024•25 min•Ep. 62
Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Rachel Cooper of The Crichton Trust about taking large strides and small steps in their journey towards their zero carbon future teeming with life. The story is the third in a five-part Dumfries series of Everyday Changemakers. Transcript See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-rachel-the-crichton-trust/ Credits Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel Resources The Crichton Trust https://www.crichton.co.uk/...
Mar 20, 2024•22 min•Ep. 61
Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Tom Burns, Marketing Officer from Shax, about the circular economy with a heart. The story is the second in a five-part Dumfries series of Everyday Changemakers. Transcript See our website: https://sccan.scot/blog/everyday-changemakers-tom-burns-shax/ Credits Interview, recording and sound production: Kaska Hempel Resources Shax https://shax.org.uk/ Circular Communities Scotland https://www.circularcommunities.scot/ Investing in Volunteers Award https://i...
Mar 11, 2024•18 min•Ep. 60
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....
Mar 04, 2024•20 min•Ep. 59
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 pro...
Feb 22, 2024•28 min•Ep. 58
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 D...
Feb 06, 2024•23 min•Ep. 57
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 Hempe...
Jan 30, 2024•23 min•Ep. 56
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 E...
Jan 22, 2024•20 min•Ep. 55
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://in...
Jan 15, 2024•24 min•Ep. 54
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 collabora...
Jan 08, 2024•34 min•Ep. 53
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...
Dec 18, 2023•39 min•Ep. 52
Our Story Weaver, Kaska Hempel, talks to Hollis, a volunteer involved in Dundee’s Wee Forest project. The story is the final in a 5-part series of weekly interviews with members of Dundee Community Garden Network (Grow Dundee) recorded this June, and an audio tour exploring the meaning and impact of community gardening. You can find a draft of the audio tour here: https://izi.travel/en/ff0a-dundee-community-garden-network-draft/en WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! We are looking for micro-story contribu...
Dec 12, 2023•23 min•Ep. 51
