Opening by Fasil Bogale

Fasil opened the Fair by welcoming everyone and celebrating the event’s significant growth. He announced that the Fair had more than doubled in size since last year, with 44 stalls across six different zones and in four locations, representing a diverse range of organisations from sole traders to charities.

He defined the Fair’s purpose as providing a platform for these busy organisations to connect with the community and showcase their work. He noted the addition of a new feature this year: a livestream that allowed  online participants from around the world to join the event, extending its reach beyond the local area.

He introduced the Fair’s theme, Buy Local Buy Social Empower Your Community, by referring to Jonathan Dawson’s keynote at the opening of the Enterprise Fair 2024, and explaining the “leaky bucket theory.” He described the local economy as a bucket where money flows in from various sources like wages, tourism, and grants. The “leakage” occurs when money is spent on goods and services from national chains or imported products, causing it to leave the local economy. Fasil stressed that the goal should be to reduce this leakage rather than simply seeking more outside income. To illustrate the point, he used the example of spending £10 at a local independent café versus a national chain. He explained that the money spent at the local café would circulate and “multiply” within the community, generating an estimated £26 of economic activity, whereas the same amount spent at a national chain would only generate £11. He concluded by urging both individuals and businesses to become “multipliers” by consciously supporting local suppliers, volunteering, and spreading the word. He also announced the creation of an online Enterprise Directory to make it easier for people to find and support local businesses.

Ariane Burgess, MSP: A Blueprint for Community Resilience

As our local Member of the Scottish Parliament Ariane commended the Ecovillage Findhorn Community as a model for regenerative design and community resilience.

She began by sharing recent data from a social enterprise census, noting that 33% of social enterprises in Scotland are based in rural areas like the Highlands and Islands, where they contribute significantly to the economy and create jobs that pay above the national average wage.

Ariane’s core message was a call to remove the systemic barriers that prevent communities from replicating Ecovillage Findhorn’s success. She identified four key “blocks”:

• Access to land: She noted that land is often priced out of reach or tied up in slow bureaucratic processes, preventing communities from developing housing or growing food.
• Restrictive funding: She criticised the current system of short-term grants with confusing criteria and extensive reporting, which she said exhausts community members and stifles long-term planning.
• Outdated rules: She argued that current laws and procurement systems are built for large-scale, profit-driven entities and often fail to support circular, values-driven enterprises.
• Distant power: She highlighted the disempowering effect of decisions being made far away from the communities they affect.

Ariane celebrated the Ecovillage Findhorn Community for having already overcome many of these challenges through innovative models like its community land trusts and cooperative investment schemes. She concluded by stating that her work in parliament, including efforts on the Land Reform Bill and the Community Wealth Building Bill, aims to “remove the friction” from these systems, empowering other communities to build their own resilient futures.

Donnie Maclurcan: The Intuitive Wisdom of a Post-Growth Economy

Donnie Maclurcan, Findhorn Fellow and co-founder of the Post Growth Institute, used an interactive experiment to illustrate his core argument. He asked the audience to draw a symbol representing a future economy that works for everyone and a symbol for the present economy. He revealed that across cultures and demographics, people consistently draw symbols of circularity, spirals, and hearts for the future, and jagged lines, downward arrows, and squares for the present. This, he argued, demonstrates a deep, intuitive human knowledge that healthy systems, whether in nature or the human body, are based on circulation and flow, while linear, extractive systems lead to collapse.

Donnie asserted that while the global, linear economy is in a state of cascading collapse, local communities are building the models that will sustain them. He shared two powerful anecdotes to support this: first, his experience in Argentina, where a sophisticated informal economy and banking system discounts for local purchases allow communities to thrive despite high national poverty. Second, he told the moving story of the women of Rwanda after the genocide, who chose to trade at local marketplaces and maintain their community, even though they knew their husbands may have killed each other. He concluded that “the future is local” and that this intuitive, community-based resilience is what will see people through the challenges to come.

One of our wonderful volunteers, Helena Matos, had the inspiration to ask Pam Gregory for an endorsement of the Enterprise Fair and we were surprised by her prompt and enthusiastic response. Pam offered a macro-level context for the themes of the event as she explained that the world is moving into the “Age of Aquarius,” which is fundamentally linked to community, collaboration, and grassroots action. She drew a historical parallel to the last time Pluto was in Aquarius (1777-1798), a period that saw the French Revolution, the storming of the Bastille, and the beheading of the monarchy. She noted that this period witnessed a shift from top-down authority to a new era where ordinary people came together to start small farms and artisan businesses, leading to the birth of a middle class.

Pam Gregory believes a similar “shift of power to the people” is happening now, with a global movement towards localised networks of intelligence and support. She cited examples such as “stand in the park” groups and the formation of intentional communities that buy land to grow food and share resources. This movement is seen as a collective, heart-based network that will create the future. Pam concluded that the focus will become “local rather than global,” as communities rely on each other for support, and that this age is a fundamental birthing of community.

We are deeply grateful to Pam and also to Helena Matos who had approached her for this endorsement.

Marilyn explored the different stages and shared examples from her own experience. As a speaker with a varied global background and eight years of experience living in the Park Ecovillage Findhorn, her work focuses on the development of individuals, leaders, teams, and communities. She uses a framework she developed called Integral City Thinking, which views human settlements as complex, living systems. She explained that these systems, much like the fractals of which they are composed, all follow similar patterns of growth, often described as forming, storming, norming, and performing.

Marilyn remembered her work with Scott Peck’s organisation, the Foundation for Community Encouragement. Peck’s work involved using circle dialogue to help build community. Over time, the organisation’s facilitators realised that while they were successful in working with specific communities, public workshops were much more difficult and less effective. Ultimately, the board decided the organisation was no longer successful and had to close.

Instead of simply ending operations, the foundation chose to hold a wake to honour its work and allow its members to grieve the loss. This three-day event, attended by 150-200 people, taught Marilyn that organisations, like people, have life cycles. She referenced Ichak Adizes and his book Corporate Lifecycles, which suggests that organisations are born, mature, and eventually decline if they are not renewed. She explained that a proper and graceful ending allows for a regenerative process, releasing energy for new beginnings.

Then two other participants shared their own experiences. Helena, from Portugal, spoke about closing a school she founded. She said she was deeply moved by the idea of an organisational lifecycle, as she realised her school’s growth and eventual ending mirrored the stages of her own children’s lives. She expressed gratitude for the insight, which helped her understand the grief she had felt but couldn’t previously articulate, and the importance of honouring the past while moving forward.

Sue, also from Portugal, shared her experience with Reeconomia, a local currency and community initiative that lost momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. She spoke of her grief over the initiative’s decline and her uncertainty about what comes next. Marilyn reflected that a period of decline is part of a natural cycle, like autumn, which is a time for pause and regeneration before a new season can begin. She stressed the importance of not rushing into something new and allowing time to mourn and reflect.

Beginnings – The Leap of Faith: Ann McEllin, from the accountancy practice “Ways to Make It Count,” spoke about her personal journey into entrepreneurship after 30 years of working for others. She shared that it was the first time she truly understood the personal and financial risks involved. She noted that a new business must be started “wholeheartedly” and that a crucial milestone is simply surviving the first 18 months.

Transitions – The Turbulent Flow: This segment featured entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of change. John Talbott of Cullerne House described the “scary” transition from a community “rescue mission” to a sustainable business that must now repay its 50+ angel investors. Campbell and George Goudsmit of AES Solar discussed the management buyout that saw Campbell become a “custodian” of the company, while George expressed the personal difficulty of stepping back from a business he founded. Tim Slack of NFD spoke candidly about the “unsettling” process of an organisation splitting into two separate ventures while trying to “emancipate” staff to take on new accountability. Eian Smith of Duneland Ltd shared a story of a long transition that has brought “richness” and a new “road map” for winding down the company. Jonathan Caddy of Findhorn Hinterland Trust discussed his planned, multi-year transition, highlighting the importance of handing over the “spirit” and “ethos” of an organisation to the next generation.

Endings – Releasing Attachment and Creating Space: The final part of the session explored the emotional and practical aspects of endings. Lee Kelly, who sold his accountancy business after 20 years, shared that the process was emotionally challenging but a “natural conclusion.” Kathy Tyler from the Findhorn Foundation Trust described the profound grief and “wondrous experience” of winding down the trust, with a deep desire to preserve its legacy. Fasil Bogale spoke about the “relief” of ending his coffee business, Greenbridge Organics, after realising his personal “attachment” was causing the business to “limp along” and become a drain. He celebrated the business’s legacy: creating a community of coffee lovers who appreciate quality. Tim Slack concluded by sharing his personal view of the perfect ending, stating that it is when you “walk away, no one notices” because the organisation is thriving on its own.

The presentation slides: