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Methil: Learning Leadership and Shaping Local Spaces

Cath McNally, Programme Officer, People in Place

5 Aug 2025 | Blog

Earlier this week we shared the 2024 Place Annual Update from Methil. So far, we have also shared the latest news from Buckhaven in Fife, Blacklands in Kilwinning, Cumnock in East Ayrshire, Langlees in Falkirk, Carbrain in Cumbernauld and Dunterlie in East Renfrewshire as part of our annual catch up with the eight communities we work alongside through People in Place.

Accompanying each update, we hear from Corra’s Cath McNally – Programme Officer on the People and Place team. Working closely with these communities, Cath will be sharing key insights, learning and themes – here’s some thoughts on what the community has achieved in Methil this year.

The experience in Methil throughout this year offers a compelling insight into how communities grow stronger when people are given the time and space to come together, learn from one another, and build confidence in their own voices. What has become clear is that change doesn’t happen overnight, but through a steady process of shared reflection and collective effort. For many involved, taking part in learning opportunities that connect personal experience with wider community issues has been transformative. People who once doubted their ability to engage in formal education found themselves not only completing courses but also stepping up to lead conversations about the future of their community. This shift in confidence is more than individual achievement; it’s a catalyst for a wider sense of possibility within the community.

Beyond personal growth, there is a growing determination among local people to shape the spaces and decisions that affect their daily lives. Rather than being passive observers, they are actively involved in discussions about how to protect valued green spaces and influence housing developments to better meet community needs. This engagement has helped demystify complex processes and empowered people to navigate systems that once felt out of reach. While sustaining this involvement can be challenging, especially when life’s pressures weigh heavily, the commitment to keep the conversation going demonstrates the strength of local connections and shared purpose.

An important part of this journey has been the rediscovery and sharing of local history. Through gatherings that bring together stories from different generations, people have found a renewed pride in their community’s past and a deeper understanding of how historical events continue to shape present realities. Creative ways of exploring these stories, through art, discussion, and collective memory, have helped make the past feel alive and relevant, inspiring new ideas about what the future might hold.

What stands out most is that learning is not confined to classrooms or formal settings. It happens in everyday moments – over cups of tea, on walks through familiar places, and in conversations sparked by curiosity and care. This ongoing process of learning together has built a foundation of trust and shared knowledge that strengthens the community’s ability to face challenges and imagine change. When people come alongside each other with respect and openness, the impact goes far beyond individual projects; it creates a lasting sense of possibility and resilience that can carry a community forward.

Read the Methil 2024 Annual Update