Last week, MCAN hosted its very first Members Gathering at Penicuik Town Hall. This was the first time members came together as part of the network and we couldn’t have asked for a better evening of discussion and vision.
The evening kicked off with a delicious meal prepared by the Edinburgh Food Social, as we got some time to catch up with each other and meet new faces.
Time Machine to 2035
With introductions out of the way, we stepped into our Time Machine and travelled all the way to 2035, through ten years of remarkable and profound change to Midlothian. Here, facilitated by Philip Revell from Sustaining Dunbar, we reflected on what a future Midlothian could look like, sound like, and feel like.
As Philip very eloquently put it, one of the biggest crises we face is a “crisis of imagination”. By making the space to explore our hopes for the future and discuss them with others we were able to create a collective vision of what a better future could look like.
Once we returned to 2024, we collected these insights into our imagination board of Delicious Ideas of what Midlothian can become.
What if...?
Drawing from the delicious Ideas sparked by our short time in 2035, we gathered in small groups and explored this vision of a fairer, more sustainable and resilient Midlothian.
But imagination without action is not enough.
This exercise provided many great ideas for potential projects, a testament to the imagination of our members. These were brought to the wider group, so that together we could choose which should be our priorities going forward.
Given how many of the same ideas popped up cross various groups, this turned out an easier task than anticipated.
What if…
…our communities had ownership of their own renewable energy production?
…wildlife corridors stretched out throughout Midlothian, weaved into the fabric of our towns and villages?
…Midlothian had an Outdoor Learning Centre where both young ones and grown ups could explore, learn about and connect to the natural world while developing their skills and knowledge?
By the end, we ended up with these three main priorities chosen by our members to focus on going forward, as well as a few other ideas which also had very strong support.
Next steps
Having identified these priorities, we spent the remaining of the gathering developing what the next steps should be and identifying key interested parties.
Currently, the Hub Staff is still processing all the insights and materials collected, but we hope to be able to share the outcomes very soon. This will include further future events that will focus on supporting our members in working towards this shared vision.
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