Rural Wisdom in Moray – and now the Coastal Connections project – has been raising awareness of issues around fuel poverty since 2017, helping more people get involved. In this rural area traditionally thought of as rich, there were high levels of fuel and food insecurity, and few channels to address it. By framing conversations around reducing fuel consumption and renewable energy solutions, local issues with energy became less stigmatised and individual. We supported people across the community to develop their ideas, and hosted a community energy fair with food, information, and activities for people of all ages.

This opened up invitations to other forums addressing poverty in the area, and making connections to health and transport inequalities. Big plans are in progress around alternative fuels and energy systems, and ways to reduce inequality and make sure everyone has what they need. Groups like Zero Carbon Moray have been taking approaches and ideas from the community info events forward, bringing people together to find sustainable solutions to shared problems.

Telling a different story can be the first step to change. Community reporters, storytellers and newsletters are a necessary part of reducing stigma, opening up space for collaboration, and keeping communities’ needs on the agenda. Our contribution has been supporting individuals and groups with simple DIY media and storytelling skills, so they have the power to share their experiences and make an impact. We hosted workshops that gave people a chance to explore human rights while creating media like zines, oral storytelling, animation, podcasts and digital events. It’s important everyone, regardless of resources, can be part of the conversation and share their stories.

Participants came up with creative ideas for how media can connect their communities – like using zine-making to gather informal input on making support services work better.

The Borders Buddies project we got going in Tweeddale has been supporting people’s wellbeing by using a whole-community approach. Nurturing the network of community support (online and offline) has helped dozens of people access what they need. It’s been building up community assets, from outdoor connections to income maximisation – making sure people get all the benefits and credits they’re entitled to – and sharing surplus food and goods locally. By pairing information stands with enjoyable community events, more people got access to advice and signposting on tenants’ rights, energy grants, welfare rights, and speaking to the right people who would take forward an issue on their behalf.

The group started with people looking for some support to get locally connected in a Covid-safe way. It involved some development work – finding out how to make the most of local outdoor spaces, and working with local venues to make things accessible for everyone. People built confidence to get outside, to challenge barriers, to support each other, and to share their learning. This led to supporting 8 voluntary groups to find different ways of meeting (like outdoors, and hybrid meetings), and with risk assessments, good volunteering practice and getting funding.

LINKS in Eyemouth supports families with the cost of living with informal, community-driven activities around food. 100 families in Eyemouth are now working with local networks to share recipe bags – using warm, genuine peer support to ensure families have confidence, knowledge and access to healthy food, benefits and budgets information. Our worker is a mum herself and is constantly out in the community speaking to people, building access and connections in a genuine way. LINKS has a strong local base and is reaching more families through networks – doing family cooking and outdoor activities too. They’re working with the Eyemouth Gateway to Good Health pilot, Changeworks, Housing Associations and other organisations on addressing the cost of living, so families dealing with it have a say in planning solutions.

As well as benefitting from community events planned and led by the community, people are gaining confidence to run their own activities, like teaching people how to make a Polish soup. “LINKS Eyemouth has made us feel like we are part of the bigger picture, where we are sharing things around food, recipes and budgeting to make sure our families get healthy food.”

In the pandemic, we helped the Families Supporting Families groups plan a series of wellbeing activities, and work together with local artists and practitioners to organise them. Having access to fun, grounding, relaxing activities to do shouldn’t be a luxury, especially when life’s stressful. The families wanted more low-pressure ways to meet and feel socially connected, without having to engage in a full conversation. Their activities included yoga, including child friendly yoga videos, wet wool felting, and other tactile activities that provide a ‘common third’ everyone can engage with while connecting.