Scottish Rural & Islands Transport Community Gathering

The 2021 Gathering will bring together bring together members of the rural and islands transport community from across the world.

Keeping to the spirit of the SRITC, the Gathering will be engaging, informative, interactive, and most importantly fun.

COVID continues to reshape rural economies and communities so the Gathering will address these consequences along with discussing the latest developments in rural transport innovation projects inside and outside Scotland.

Over the space of 4 hours we'll hear from rural communities, practitioners, and innovators who are at the heart of creating more accessible, affordable and sustainable mobility services. 

Whether you work in the academic, public or private sector, or are a concerned member of a rural community, the Gathering is a one of a kind of event that you will want to attend. 

Programme Details 

1pm - Opening Remarks – Jenny Milne, Founder of SRITC

1:15pm - Session 1: Mobility Hubs and 20-minute neighbourhoods

In this interactive Q&A session, panellists representing local, regional, and national organisations involved in the design, implementation, and management of rural mobility hubs and 20-minute neighbourhoods will be asked to answer a range of questions posed by participants.

Confirmed Panellists:

Steven Scarrott, Senior Transport Planner at Midlands Connect. Midlands Connect have undertaken extensive research to identify how the development of mobility hubs can reinvigorate the economic vitality of rural towns and villages in the Midlands of England.

Duncan Bryden, Sustainable Rural Development Specialist and lead designer of Tomatin Community Hub, a multi-functional, inclusive, and sustainable rural community hub that provides employment and a local services for the 660 residents of the village of Strathdearn in the Scottish Highlands.

Julie Vinders, Project Officer Mobility Hubs , SEStran

2pm - Break:  While you break for a coffee/tea, look out for a little fun game that you’ll be asked to play.

2:10pm - Session 2: International Rural Innovation and Rural MaaS

Jenny Milne chairs a panel discussion with representatives from the international rural innovation & rural MaaS community. 

Confirmed Panellists:

Magnus Fredricson, Project Leader at KomIland, a project focused on developing & various mobility solutions in the Timmersdala, Broddetorp and Lundsbrunn areas of rural Sweden.

Paul Pietersen, co-founder of Qarin, a Netherlands based service provider that specialises in the design and development of innovative mobility solutions. Their mission is to make door-to-door travel possible for everyone no matter where they live.

2:50 - Break: Grab a refreshment

3pm - Session 3: Rural Decarbonisation

This will be a round table session led by Urban Foresight who specialise in developing urban and rural sustainable mobility solutions.  

Confirmed Panellists:

David Gray, Professor of Transport Policy, School of Creative and Cultural Business at Robert Gordon University. David Gray is the strategic lead for research in the School of Creative and Cultural Business. His specialist areas of research includes transport in remote, rural and island communities, and climate change transport policy in Scotland.

Chris Ramsey, EV Adventurer, Presenter & Spokesperson, Plug in Adventures. Chris is widely regarded as the leading authority on electric adventure. For over 10 years, Chris has pioneered electric and sustainable adventure. He's worked with both print and broadcast media, vehicle manufacturers and sustainability brands all over the world, educating and informing people on how to explore our fragile planet in a more sustainable way.

Neil Kermode, Chair of the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF). OREF aims to address the strategic issues affecting Orkney’s renewables sector through focused collaboration with members, the local community, key stakeholders, and Orkney’s world-leading academic and research organisations.

Katherine Frangos, Co-Founder, Director & CEO, Empowering Local Energy (ELE) Group. ELE are a team of three women engineers who want to ensure that everyone has access to the renewable energy revolution. Their vision is to create an inclusive world where everyone has access to affordable, clean energy, with no communities left behind.

3:45 - Session 4: Community Organisations & SME Showcase  

In this rapid-fire session, representatives from rural community organisations and SMEs will be offered 1 minute to share a problem or challenge that they are currently facing with participants who will seek to provide an answer or offer support.

4pm - Break: Time to shake your body and grab a cuppa

4:10pm - Session 5: Rugrats to Retirees: Active and Accessible transport for all

In the final session of the day, Rachel Murphy, Director for Scotland at the Community Transport Association (CTA) will chair a panel discussion focused on how people of all ages and abilities can be offered access to transport that improves their health and wellbeing.

Panellists will include representatives from Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS), City Mobility & Community Transport Operators.  

5pm - Wrap Up and Closing Remarks Jenny Milne, Founder of SRITC

18:30 onwards – Social Workshop

Come together with people in your local area for a drink and bite to eat at a venue near you! Each workshop will be hosted by a local champion and will focus on discussing the winning submissions to the Summer STEM sustainable mobility challenge organised by the Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology who are located in Shropshire, England.

This is a great way to hear the thoughts and opinions of the next generation of sustainable traveller as well as catching up with people in your local area (all subject to your regions COVID guidelines)

A venue in and champion in your local area will be confirmed before the Gathering.