How to be a Community Changemaker: vision, action and change

Free 4-session evening course for community volunteers and aspiring changemakers in Midlothian.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best in Midlothian communities. We’ve seen people banding together to look after neighbours and the environment. Now is time to think about the next steps and keep that energy going. Do you want to make change in your community?

Midlothian Council’s Communities and Lifelong Learning Service and Midlothian Voluntary Action have created this 4-week introductory course to community changemaking. The course will be led by Daniel Baigrie (Midlothian Council) and Rebecca McKinney (MVA), both with many years’ experience in community development and changemaking.

Who is it for?

Residents of Midlothian who have recently started volunteering in the community, members of grassroots groups wondering where to go next, and people with good ideas that will have social and/or environmental benefits.

Are you part of a new community group and wondering what to do next?Do you want to gain new skills and make new connections?

What will I learn?

The course will cover:

• Where you are starting from, what motivates you and what change you want to make
• What is the data telling us, who are our connections and what assets do we already have
• Partnership working, equity, engagement and inclusion
• Practical issues like funding and getting set up
• Taking time to plan your next steps with support

Learning format

The course will take place over 4 Tuesday evenings: 1, 8, 15 and 22 June, 2021 from 19:00-20:30.

The course will take place on Zoom, but it will be fun and interactive. There will be videos, exercises, group discussions and plenty of information. It will be a small, safe group and everyone is welcome.

Participants will be offered free one-to-one follow up support from Daniel and Rebecca.