Circular Communities Scotland’s entire staff and board would like to say a huge thank you to our CEO Michael Cook for his time and dedication to leading our organisation over the last 8 years.
To say goodbye, we asked Michael some questions about his time leading Circular Communities Scotland including highs, lows and some final words for our members and the sector.
Learn what Michael has say and read a message from our Chair of the Board, Naomi Johnson, below.
- You’ve been with Circular Communities Scotland for nearly 8 years, what has that journey been like for you and the organisation?
If I had three words to describe my time at Circular Communities Scotland, they would be Worthwhile, Challenging and Transformative.
Worthwhile because the work of our members is delivering for people and planet every day. One of our values at Circular Communities Scotland is social and environmental justice and this is in our DNA. Supporting and representing our amazing members is a very worthwhile responsibility.
My role as CEO at Circular Communities Scotland has certainly been challenging at times. But is anything truly worthwhile achieved without a challenge? As many of you will know leadership has its highs and lows, and I have known both in this role. But taking the longer view, this is partly what makes it rewarding.
Lastly, I am proud and grateful to be leaving Circular Communities Scotland in a much stronger position than when I started almost eight years ago. This period has been transformative for the organisation as our membership, staff, reputation and impact have all grown significantly. The magic that has made this possible has been a strong board leading an excellent staff team to serve a wonderful membership. My role as CEO placed me at the meeting point of all that for which I am very grateful.
- What are the highlights of your time as CEO with Circular Communities Scotland?
Some of my most enjoyable moments in this role have been interacting with our members. Be it visiting them and seeing their work first hand or chatting over coffee at our Annual Conference.
And that is probably another highlight, there is such a lovely atmosphere at our conference each November bringing our sector together with engagement levels which would be the envy of many membership organisations.
Another highlight for me would be seeing the staff team at Circular Communities Scotland grow. Whilst the team has grown from 3 to 12, it is for me more about seeing the amazing calibre of staff we have today and how everybody is growing in their roles too. It has been a real privilege to lead this team.
And lastly, I would add that working with Nao as chair and the whole board has also been a big highlight over the last few years. At Circular Communities Scotland we are privileged to have a strong and dedicated board and I am very grateful for their support and challenge in equal measure.
- What do you see for the future of our sector and membership, and what do you hope for?
These are times of great challenge and opportunity.
Challenge because these are tough times. Our buildings are more expensive to run, our staff more expensive to employ, materials harder to sell (especially textiles) and funding harder to secure.
Opportunity because the work our members do is no less valuable – the incredible social and environmental impact remains – so how can we ensure it continues and indeed grows?
My hope for our sector going forward is that these opportunities are achieved despite the challenges. I hope our sector builds capacity and grows in scale – that reuse, repair and sharing behaviours can become much more mainstream. And, with the community sector remaining at the heart of that transition. For this to happen we need much more ambitious and supportive policies at local and national level.
- Tell us about your plans for life after Circular Communities Scotland.
My next adventure is starting my own wildlife photography and guiding business working across Scotland. Wildlife photography has been a passion and hobby of mine for over two decades, and I am ready to make it my full-time career. I am looking forward to spending less time looking at a computer screen and more time out in nature.
Do check out my new venture at www.wild-scot.co.uk and please follow me on your social media channel of choice to keep in touch with all I am doing.
Examples of Michael’s wildlife photography
- What message would you like to leave for the staff, board, and members?
Put simply, thank you and keep up the good work.
A big thank you to the board for your support, challenge, encouragement, direction and vision, both for me personally and the entire organisation.
A massive thank you to the staff team for your hard-work and bringing all your skills, abilities, passion and enthusiasm to work. Thank you for following the lead I gave to the organisation especially when it was difficult. Everything that has been achieved over the last few years would have been impossible without your contribution.
And thank you to our members for delivering day in day out for their communities. You are rarely appreciated as much as you deserve but the work you do is vital at many levels.
So let me end by saying the work of Circular Communities Scotland and our members is so vital. Please keep up the good work all of you.
A thank you from our Chair of the Board, Naomi Johnson:
“The entire team, board and membership would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Michael for his hard work and dedication to his role as CEO with Circular Communities Scotland. Michael has led the way in transforming the organisation, creating a strong and steady base on which to build a vision for a more circular economy in Scotland. His creative solutions and unwavering positive attitude have helped the organisation and our members to thrive. Moving forward, we will continue to build on his work, seeking to increase the capacity of our membership to continue to benefit communities and the environment through waste reduction in Scotland.”