Our 2025 AGM took place on 23rd October at Kilmory Council Chambers in Lochgilphead, bringing together Board members, staff and partners to look back on another busy and inspiring year. 

After a warm welcome and introduction from our Chair, Ross Lilley, our accountant David Nichol presented an overview of the 2024–25 accounts, highlighting the continued growth and impact of ACT’s work across Argyll. Here is a link to view the ACT AGM 2025 Minutes.

We then heard from Karen McCurry from the Snowdrop / Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Mid Argyll, who gave a heartfelt and thoughtful perspective on their work with ACT over the past four years, from the early days of the foodshare scheme through to their current ABCAN seed-funded projects. Karen spoke about how climate change is affecting the people they support, and how community-led projects can make a big difference to local resilience and wellbeing.

After the presentations, we set aside some time for something a bit different; a hands-on Climate Adaptation Pathways activity designed to spark ideas, creativity and conversation. Led by our ABCAN team, the session invited everyone to think about one of ACT’s main areas of work, nature regeneration, climate action and awareness, or education, health and wellbeing, through the lens of climate adaptation.

Working in small groups, participants mapped out a journey through three stages:

• Awareness: discovering and understanding how climate change is already affecting us
• Engagement: realising the need to adapt and involve others in that process
• Action: identifying what tangible steps we can take to adapt and build resilience

Each table turned their ideas into visual “pathways”, using drawings, magazine cut-outs and post-its to capture their thoughts and reflections. It was a lively, creative and at times thought-provoking process, and one that helped connect ACT’s projects in a new way.

     

What came through strongly:

• Climate adaptation is a long-term process, and communities need to be part of shaping it every step of the way.

• Local, community-led work is vital. Adaptation is already happening informally in small ways across Argyll and Bute.

• Collaboration is key. We need strong connections between communities, local government, landowners and organisations.

• Young people must be part of the conversation. They are the generation who will live with these changes the longest.

• We must plan for disruption. Weather events are already reshaping our work and our landscapes.

   

Groups also highlighted how important it is to give nature a voice in these conversations, not just people, ensuring that our actions support both communities and ecosystems to adapt together.

The creative outputs from this session, including the drawings, comments and ideas, will now feed into ACT’s future planning and the development of the Argyll & Bute Climate Ready Region business case.

   

It was an inspiring reminder that adaptation is not just about responding to risk, but about learning, connecting, and imagining better ways forward together. A big thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such thoughtful conversations around climate adaptation in Argyll. 

If you would like to share any further reflections or ideas, we would love to hear them. Please get in touch with the team, [email protected], your insights will help shape the next steps in this important piece of work.