Over 150 delegates gathered in Edinburgh on Tuesday 29 September at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre for a symposium on the theme ‘These Islands: Cultivating Communities and Tackling Inequalities’, an event split across four overarching sessions showcasing the breadth of the BIC’s work.

The event was opened by the Scottish Government Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Jenny Gilruth MSP, and Shona Riach, Director General Exchequer, Performance and Strategy.

Reshaping Communities Through Place

The first formal session of the symposium considered the story of Belfast Grand Central Station through a range of different lenses , viewed here as a case study in reshaping communities through place-based infrastructure and regeneration.

The session began with a keynote address from John Glass, Director of Infrastructure & Projects at Translink. John’s address was called ‘Connecting People, Places and Opportunity: The Belfast Grand Central Story.’

This address was followed by parallel workshops on Traffic Management from James Redmond, Director of Transport Planning, Modelling and Data Analytics within the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland; and Accessibility and Place, presented by Louise Doyle, Station Manager, Belfast Grand Central Station, and disability advocate Michael Lorimer head of the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC) Secretariat.

The session concluded with a panel discussion that explored the wider community, planning, and accessibility considerations linked to the project. This discussion brought all previous panellists together, where they were joined by Katheryn McFerran, Director of Regional Planning Policy and Casework at the NIE Department for Infrastructure, and Gary Marshall, Senior Infrastructure Stakeholder Engagement Manager with Translink Major Projects. The panel was chaired by Sian Kerr, co-chair of the BIC Transport Work Sector.

Circularity and Sustainability

The session explored place-based and community approaches to achieving the energy transition through a renewable energy and circular economy lens.

Chris Stark, Head of the UK Government’s Clean Power Mission in DESNZ, opened with his keynote address ‘Bringing the Energy Transition Home’. Chris spoke about the importance of shifting discourse away from public energy deployment to public participation, the work of GB Energy in supporting communities and local authorities in taking ownership of energy projects, as well as the symbolic importance of GB Energy’s HQ being based in Aberdeen.

A panel session then followed exploring ‘Achieving Circularity and Sustainability at the Local Level’, led by Nicola Hopley, Chair of the Environment Work Sector. Chris was joined on stage by Dr. Rachel Lombardi, Chief Executive of International Synergies, an industry leading organisation on industrial symbiosis and the circular economy in action; Calum MacDonald, founder of the Point and Sandwick Trust – the UK’s largest community-owned onshore wind farm situated on the Isle of Lewis; and Elaine Brown, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Remakery – an award-winning charity based in Leith which specialises in repair and reuse, in addition to delivering several community outreach initiatives.

Panellists reflected on the value of involving communities, both individuals and businesses, in circular and sustainable initiatives and the importance of communities seeing and feeling the tangible benefits.

Supporting a Healthy Society

During the third session the Symposium turned its focus to both the early years sector, and health, wellbeing, and certain support pathways within communities.

The opening panel discussion explored how perinatal and family supports can be strengthened for women with substance use challenges where we were joined by leading health experts and those with lived experience. Featured on the panel were Ellen Crushell, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, Ireland; Dr Aisling Sheehan, National Lead of Alcohol and Mental Health and Wellbeing Programmes at the Irish Health Service Executive; Professor Maeve Eogan, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; and Sharon Graham, Research Assistant and the Lead for Lived Experience at Glasgow University within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health team.

This was followed by parallel workshops focusing on screen time and post custody recovery supports respectively:

Dr Katie Daubney, developmental psychologist and neuroscientist at the Institute for the Science of Early Years (ISEY), University of East London, led a workshop exploring healthy digital experiences in the early years titled: Not All Screen Time is Equal: The Importance of Supporting Healthy Digital Experiences in the Early Years. Dr. Daubney spoke about ISEY’s research on the neurological impacts of screen time on young children, as well as a range of different scenarios where screen time can have a negative and positive impact on child learning and brain development.

Alongside this, leading academics from Ireland and Scotland participated in a panel exploring recovery and reintegration support for individuals leaving custody. The discussion raised the many complex challenges individuals face in this context, and emphasised the importance of joined-up, evidence-informed and person-centred approaches that respond to the needs of those leaving custody. Chaired by Professor Diarmuid O’Donovan, Director of National Health Improvement with the Irish Health Service Executive, the panel included Elaine Dunne, Healthy Prisons Lead for the Irish Prison Service; Lisa Miller, operational lead of Scottish Recovery Consortium’s (SRC) Prison Recovery Development Team who drew on her lived experience, and Dr John McGhee, a researcher from both the University of Glasgow and University of Edinburgh, whose work focuses on the intersections of health, inequality, and the criminal justice system.

Culture and Heritage

The final session of the symposium explored the role of culture, heritage, language and the creative industries in supporting identity, community and inclusion.

It commenced with two parallel workshops.

In one room was a panel discussing ‘Pride in Place’, focussing on the impacts of Bergerac in Jersey and An t-Eilean in the Isle of Lewis, featuring Ben Bickerton and Phil Trethowan of BlackLight TV, Bill MacLeod of MG Alba and Arabella Page Croft of Black Camel. The panel, which was chaired by Chris Kelleher, Chair of the Creative Industries Work Sector, discussed how the productions had provided employment and career opportunities in Jersey and the Isle of Lewis, the response from local residents, the importance of embedding the production teams in Jersey and the Isle of Lewis, as well as the wider economic benefits provided by the productions, including increased tourism.

In parallel, a panel took place exploring the role of ‘Minority Languages in the Age of AI’, featuring Professor Will Lamb of the University of Edinburgh, Gruff Prys of Bangor University, Dr Brian Ó Raghallaigh of Dublin City University. Chaired by Niall Bartlett, this discussion considered the associated opportunities and challenges Indigenous, Minority and Lesser-used (IML) languages face amid rapidly developing large language models, and its impacts on translation, education and minority language.

Freelance Director and Producer, Liz MacBain, then addressed delegates on the BIC’s Celtic Exchange Programme, which – with the support of the Welsh Government – has been running the past two years, with programmes taking place in the Outer Hebrides in 2025 and Belfast in 2026. Liz spoke about the positive feedback given by young participants from across the island of Ireland, Cornwall, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man, and the value of breaking down silos and supporting a network for young, language creatives from across these islands.

The symposium programme formally concluded with the final panel exploring ‘Breathing Life Into Third Places: Language and Intangible Cultural Heritage Policy’, featuring Wyn Roberts, Chair of Tyn’ Llan, a community-owned pub in Llandwrog, North Wales, Dr Esbjörn Wettermark of the University of Sheffield’s School of Languages, Arts and Societies, Bláithín Mhic Cana, an award-winning singer, educator and language activist from South Armagh, and Steve Byrne, Scottish singer, folklorist and cultural advocate as Chief Executive of TRACS (Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland). The panel was led by Llŷr Gwyn Lewis, Chair of the IML Languages Work Sector.

Following the Symposium, the Consulate General of Ireland in Edinburgh hosted a networking event with additional attendees joining from the Network of Academics for Irish and Scottish Engagement (NAOISE).

On 16 and 17 September, the Scottish Government hosted the British-Irish Council (BIC) Invasive Species Work Sector in Perthshire.  The busy two-day programme was an opportunity for officials to learn how the Scottish Government, its agencies and the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) are working to control and eradicate invasive non-native animals and plants, including American mink, grey squirrels, stoats, Giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed.

The first day featured a fascinating series of presentations at the A K Bell Library in Perth.

The first presentation was delivered jointly by Dr Peter Robertson of Newcastle University and Professor Dan Tompkinson of the University of Auckland. Together, they discussed a stakeholder driven approach to advancing Invasive Alien Species (IAS) management capability. As part of Professor Tompkinson’s remarks officials heard about New Zealand’s ambitious Predator Free 2050 Project.

The second presentation was from Gail Turney, Programme Manager at Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Project.  Gail’s presentation focussed on the project’s 10-year strategy to eradicate grey squirrels across mainland Scotland and its utilisation of several innovative techniques such as feeder box monitoring and scent detection dogs.

The third presentation was from Sarah Sankey, Operations Manager from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project (ONWP). Sarah’s presentation focussed on ONWP’s 2019-2030 plan to control, eradicate, mitigate and prevent the spread of stoats in the Orkney Islands.

The final presentation was from Callum Sinclair, Project Manager for the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI). Callum’s presentation focussed on responsive action at landscape scale where he spoke of SISI’s ten-year project, which covers 29,500 square km across Scotland. He highlighted the threats posted by American Mink to domestic water voles and other ground nesting birds as well as the transformative impact of volunteers.

The second day saw the work sector visit SISI’s River Almond site to see the work being undertaken by the local project team and their volunteers to control invasive plant, including Giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed and American skunk cabbage along the riverbed.  The group were also given a demonstration of an automated mink ‘smart trap’ to learn about the work being undertaken to capture mink across the River Tay’s catchment area. Officials heard reflections from the local project team on the importance of consistent volunteer and community engagement to cultivate support and buy-in for the multi-year initiative.

On 10 and 11 June, the Welsh Government hosted the British-Irish Council (BIC) Invasive Species Work Sector in Swansea and Oxwich Bay.  The busy two-day programme was an opportunity for officials from across these islands to build relationships and learn how the Welsh Government, its agencies and stakeholders are utilising a host of innovative technologies to monitor and combat the threat of invasive species to biodiversity.

Day one featured presentations from Charlie Richards and Elen Evans from the WaREN project, Sean Faulkner of Kersten UK, and Bethany Greenfield from Natural Resources Wales.

Day two started with a presentation from Tom Fairchild and Joshua Mutter from Spectral Ecology Ltd before a trip to Owixch Bay to visit the 16-hectare site where they use drones to survey and map invasive species. Due to the typical Welsh weather, the group were unable to witness a live demonstration this time around!

An overview of the speakers and their presentations can be found below.

On Wednesday, 11^th February 2026, the British-Irish Council Invasive Species Work Sector held a webinar on ‘Combatting the Threat of Asian Hornets Across These Islands’.  The webinar was chaired by Niall Moore, Head of the GB Non-native Species Secretariat and Chair of the Invasive Species Work Sector. The webinar was attended by 300 people from across these islands and further afield, including Belgium and New Zealand.

The webinar featured four fascinating presentations exploring some of the policies and interventions being used to prevent the spread of Asian hornets across several of the BIC’s administrations.

The first presentation was given by Dr Peter Kennedy of the University of Exeter. Peter spoke about the lessons learned in the 20 years since the arrival of Yellow-legged Asian hornets in Europe. He explained how following their arrival in France in 2005 and that it was not until 2006 suspicions over its potential invasive nature began to emerge. Dr Kennedy shared what had been learned about their potential impact and how technology can assist with efforts to control the species.

The second presentation was from Chris Isaacs who spoke about Asian Hornet’s colonisation of the Channel Islands, including the numbers of nests and queens, as well of his in-depth analysis of their nest development and behaviour.

The third presentation was given by Nigel Semmence of the UK’s National Bee Unit, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who focused on ‘Advancing the Yellow-Legged Hornet Eradication Response in England: Key Improvements and Efficiencies’. Nigel highlighted particular innovations that have improved nest detection, rapid response, and resource allocation. He also explored lessons learned from recent operations, opportunities for further optimisation, and how technological enhancements are contributing to long-term resilience.

Concluding the Webinar was John Kelly of Ireland’s National Biodiversity Data Centre. John spoke of the rapid response to multiple incursions of Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), including confirmed nests in both Cork and Cobh. He explained that an ‘on-the-ground’ taskforce was quickly formed to coordinate and lead the response, resulting in the successful location and destruction of all known nests before new queens could emerge. He confirmed that the nests and associated captures are now the subject of genetic analysis.

A recording of the webinar can be accessed below or via the following link; https://vimeo.com/1164385193/e39f7f74bb?share=copy