Promoting the interests and sustainability of Scotland’s island communities

Promoting the interests and sustainability of Scotland’s island communities

group photo of Scottish Island Federation members
By Scottish Islands Federation
Wednesday 12 December 2018 - 15:48

In this article from the Scottish Islands Federation you can find out more about the organisation and its work.

Islands face many distinct and often amplified obstacles but are also agents of change, testbeds and pioneers of innovation, holding enormous potential within their inherent assets. The Scottish Islands Federation (S.I.F) provides a unique forum to promote and highlight the value and opportunities of island communities as well as raise awareness of and seek solutions to the challenges.

Set up in 2000 by islanders keen to learn from each other, work together and have a stronger voice on issues of common concern, S.I.F is run by a voluntary board of directors from across the islands. Our members include Development Trusts, Community Companies, Community Councils, individual islanders and other bodies concerned with the sustainability of island communities.

We are a member of and currently chair the European Small Island Federation (ESIN). Very much valued for the connection it creates between all our islands, ESIN is also a key vehicle for campaigning for recognition of the smaller island situation at all levels. Recent outcomes of this work include the “Smart Islands Initiative” which aims to bring together island groups, local authorities, academic institutions and businesses to enable islands across Europe to take a lead role in sustainable development and the Clean Energy for EU Islands Initiative which will invest 10 million euros to help islands generate their own sustainable, low cost energy.

In 2016, a very welcome contribution from the Scottish Government enabled us to take a step up. We took on a part-time project officer and carried out our first survey ‘Scotland’s Island Communities, Meeting the Challenges’ which highlighted priorities for action directly from islanders themselves.

That little bit of investment along with funding from the Community Learning Exchange meant we were able to hold our first island gathering - in 2017 we hosted the AGMs of ESIN and S.I.F, in partnership with the Orkney International Science Festival and Shapinsay Development Trust. The theme was ‘Small Islands Think Big’ and islanders from across Scotland and Europe came together to share experience on new innovative and pioneering projects around sustainable transport and energy, tourism, local produce and heritage.

Over the last couple of years, we have contributed an island perspective to a number of policy areas in Scotland including Brexit, fuel poverty, the Islands (Scotland) Bill and the Crown Estate Scotland Bill as well as working through ESIN and the CPMR Islands Commission to raise the profile of small islands within the EU.

This year our island gathering was in Tiree with debate, discussion and learning around marine plastic, the impact of tourism, demographics and young people, housing, social care, Brexit and the opportunities for Smart Islands.

Discussing our future direction highlighted the value of S.I.F’s two main objectives - connecting island communities to share experience, solutions and expertise; and building a strong, collective voice to inform and influence policy. Members agreed that our focus for the year ahead should include: the forthcoming National Islands Plan – it was very clear from Tiree that island communities themselves want to be engaged in shaping and monitoring the Plan; building on our communication, website and partnerships; developing a stronger link with academic research bodies; and creating a new resource of key island data and indicators.

We are very much looking forward to the next few years of our journey, coming away from Tiree with renewed inspiration and a very clear mandate and actions to take forward, one of which is our annual island gathering - provisionally planned for Autumn 2019 in Uist!

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