Community Voices
What community led local development means to people in Moray.
“I want to see more conservation.”
Declan, Elgin resident
“It would be so much more positive for all generations if more people lived together. Like a communal living project, where you take one block of flats, lose a few at the bottom and make a communal area, a communal kitchen with a big table, study areas with computers and printers, and so on. Shared washing spaces and community gardens. So things aren’t so segregated. If you have a shared garden and a shared trampoline, then children have the positive aspect of social living together.”
Ricarda (left), Forres resident
“I’m Swedish but have lived in this area for 26 years. For the Carbon Neutral Communities project, it was mine and Ricarda’s suggestion to look at the social aspect. We think it’s really important to mix ages, to have retired people and kindergarten or nursery school children in contact with each other. Maybe not all day every day but nurseries can be close to where elderly people are. In general, in society I think it’s important that people mix.”
Helena, Forres resident
“We could use less plastic - or we could recycle our plastic properly. We need to recycle more and not waste so much.”
Chloe, Elgin resident
“I envision a carbon neutral community to be one that is more alert, more aware and indeed prolific in the community’s understanding of the collective consequence of its existence on every aspect of our immediate and global environment.”
Scott Sliter, former Chair, Portgordon Community Trust
“We need more transport of a viable nature. More opportunities for people who have low income, who can live in a more viable community, and feel important. We need places where old people can live alongside young, with collective spaces. We need to keep seeing the picture of how it could be.”
Romany, Forres resident
“Gardening and nature automatically bring more connection, because of that connection to land.
So I think that will be a touch point for the future. The land. Growing food. Getting your hands dirty. Understanding the soil.”
Kelly Warren, Transition Town Forres
“I don’t think young people are given enough say over environmental stuff. It’s mostly adults that have the say. In the future I’d like to see more wildlife. More trees.”
Luke, Elgin resident
“One thing I’d really like to see more knowledge sharing because there’s not a lot of knowledge about sustainability. People don’t always know what they could do.”
Paula, Elgin resident
“In the future I would like to see more green energy. Using every possible kind – tidal, wind turbines. To generate independence and give us some income for the locals. If everyone could have EV cars, that would be great. And improved insulation in all the houses to reduce gas use.”
Mona, Portgordon resident
“I’d like to see better care of the environment in Elgin. More bins in the local area. There’s not as many as there should be. Schoolkids who go to Tesco and the leisure centre leave a lot of rubbish on the connecting path. Sometimes it gets chucked into the river. We need more posters reminding people to use bins.
“And I’d like to see more green spaces. We have trees on the high street. But we need more. More grassy spaces. Especially for dog owners. I’d like to see more electric vehicles. I’d like to see more protected areas, that you have to walk or cycle to, that you can’t drive to. That would make it more green and protect the area.”
Amelia, Elgin resident
“Moray has the potential to be an exemplar because it has the thinkers, the energy and the will in people. The imagination in folk to do it. Because of climate change, the climate is changing here, which is opening up the window for more produce and different approaches to growing.”
Mark, Findhorn resident
“People often get overwhelmed by the negative side, the frightening side, of climate change. Places being flooded, refugees of climate change, forest fires. We need a positive approach. You know, if we’re going to get there, how are we going to get there. A positive vision of what Moray might look like. The park, its buildings, your school, your home.”
Donna Breen, Youthworker, The Warehouse @ Elgin Youth Cafe
“Here at the Park in Findhorn, you can see pretty much every garden has fruit trees. We’re all growing vegetables. I got my seed potatoes from Transition Town Forres. And the owner of my house invested in an air source heat pump last summer. We’ve lived with it for three years and it has a very pleasant heating system. And we will be installing solar panels.
Behind the park there are three wind turbines providing electricity. We almost able to supply our energy needs.
We also have what is called a living machine, which treats the wastewater in our community, and turning it from grey water into potable water. We recycle it and use it in a completely circular manner.”
Marilyn, Findhorn resident
“You have the macro – the environment – and you have the micro – people and psychology. You’ve got both issues to deal with. We must encourage people to talk about the environment. We all like to talk about the weather. There need to be more conversations about climate change.”
Sean, Portgordon resident
Community led local development acknowledges that communities have a wealth of expertise of what works for them and where resources should be prioritised. Moray communities should celebrate their unique assets that are key in creating a wellbeing economy that benefits everyone.
Viktoria Eriksson, Community Development Leader, Dufftown and District Community Association
Community led local development empowers communities to look at what is important to them, to make decisions on where they as a community want to go, and how they see that working. It naturally evolves in way and pace that is suitable for that community as well. It is resourcing and empowering communities in an appropriate way that is driven by them and that will help them to better demonstrate social impact.
Michelle Good, Community Development Officer, Portgordon Community Trust
All our clients are in fuel poverty or struggling financially, especially with the cost-of-living crisis. The whole of Moray has a huge number of people in fuel poverty. More people are in fuel poverty than ever before.
We know what the issues are. We’ve identified the problem. What we need from the Scottish Government and funders is the will to support us – and others – to address this problem. Our challenge is that much of this funding is time limited. We need a blueprint, a wider vision on how to tackle these problems.
Segun Adebayo, Project Manager, REAP
“There’s an eco group here [at Elgin Youth Cafe]. And if you think there’s something you can do, to do with carbon neutrality, you can bring it up with the group and they’ll always see if it’s feasible. Like using more local ingredients in the meals here. And reusable cups. There’s more we can do here in the café – and in Elgin too.”
Eamonn, Elgin resident
There’s a strong sense of community in Findochty. The community council is well attended these days. It’s a real focus for the village.
Ron Dawson, Trustee, Findochty Village Hall
The community took on the hall a few years ago. In fact it was a trustee who suggested we should try to get funding for the emergency power. And within a year we had the funding, and the generator.
For the pop-up cafes, we’ve had over 100 people. Folk coming from Macduff, from further along the coast. And that’s thanks to the hard work of the trustees and volunteers.
Sandy Innes, Trustee, Findochty Village Hall
“Moray Local Action Group is supporting the Cameron Project here at Forres Town Hall, where Forres Area Community Trust organise various activities. Painting, yoga, exercise, art workshops. The whole idea is to encourage people to socialise more, meet other people. Sometimes the person next to you is as important as the activity itself.
“We had over a thousand people through our doors between September and December last year. And five hundred between January and February this year. Forres has a large elderly population. They can be more vulnerable. Sometimes they have health issues. Or they are simply lonely and have no relatives nearby. These activities help with befriending. They bring people together so they have some company and make new friends.”
Ilona Wood, Events and Activities Development Worker, Forres Area Community Trust
Community led development allows communities to decide what is right for them. It allows communities to develop and grow at a sustainable pace and allows them to adapt faster to changing circumstances.
Communities should have an everchanging roadmap of the way ahead, they need to understand their strengths and weaknesses and create a picture of what their community will be like in 10 years time.
We have seen the herring fishing come and go; we have seen the wealth oil has brought but what will the children who start school this year have for their future prosperity.
Communities need to think further ahead and decide what they would like to see for their children/ grandchildren and the role of local government is to facilitate their wishes.
Stan Slater, Director/Volunteer – Project Management & Fundraising, Cullen Community Centre
I see community as a group of people who live in the same place and get along together. I joined Burghead Community Council because I wanted to be able to put my thoughts forward and represent something.
Poppy, Burghead Youth Club
Portraits by Alexander Williamson.