We are incredibly excited that our 1000 Better Stories Podcast was shortlisted for the inaugural Scottish Podcast Awards – a celebration of thriving and truly unmissable audio storytelling in Scotland.
The awards attracted a whopping 400 nominations but our Dumfries Everyday Changemakers series emerged as one of only 10 shows shortlisted in the Community Impact and Charity category, in recognition of the meaningful difference it has made in communities and people’s lives.
Our Story Weaver who produces 1000 Better Stories podcast, Kaska Hempel, represented SCCAN at the awards ceremony in Glasgow on Thursday 25 June 2026. She said:
Visiting communities and talking to everyday people making a difference where they live has been my favourite part of being SCCAN Story Weaver. People are always so generous with their time and every conversation leaves me inspired!
Hearing Everyday Changemaker stories time and again restores my faith in the irrepressibility of human spirit. It helps me imagine how together we can build a better world for everyone, starting at our own doorsteps.
It is especially rewarding to see this work recognised beyond community climate action circles through the Scottish Podcast Awards nomination. I hope it means these stories will reach and inspire even more people and communities across Scotland.
We would like to say a big thank you to all the Changemakers that were involved in the making of this series: Sally Hinchcliffe from Cycling Dumfries , Tom Burns from Shax, Rachel Cooper from The Crichton Trust, Martin O’Neill from The Stove, Paul and Chloe from Patch Ae Land – Sandside Community Garden.
You can find the five stories from the Dumfries Everyday Changemaker series here.
Would you like your community work to feature in 1000 Better Stories podcast or set one up yourself? We can help! Through SCCAN Services we offer audio story production and training. Get in touch with Kaska on stories@sccan.scot.
