On Friday 25 September, IACD's Administrative Officer Jessica van Kerckhoven attended the Communities Open Day at the Scottish Parliament.

The day provided a friendly and informal opportunity to explore the Scottish Parliament, learn more about how it works, and discover different ways for people and communities to get involved.

Jessica was pleased to catch up with Kate Smith and Chi Kavindele, both from the Participation and Communities Team (PACT) at the Scottish Parliament, and to learn more about their work engaging with communities across Scotland.

Jessica also attended two workshops. The first was a Parliamentary Awareness session, which provided an insight into how the Scottish Parliament works. It was particularly interesting to learn about its public petitions system, which gives individuals and organisations a direct route to bring issues forward for committee consideration and debate. Anyone can submit a petition, regardless of age or residency, with just one signature required for it to be considered.

The second workshop focused on PACT’s Communities Action Plan, where Jessica learned more about how the Participation and Communities Team is reaching out to local communities and putting community development at the heart of its approach.

Find out more about PACT, the Participation and Communities Team, and how you can get involved:
Scottish Parliament – Participation and Communities Team

The day also featured interactive and creative activities, guided tours exploring the story and design of the Parliament building, entertainment and performances, and opportunities to find out more about getting involved in the work of the Parliament.

The Scottish Parliament is an organisational member of IACD, and we were pleased to attend this event and learn more about the Parliament’s work with communities and public participation.

Thank you to the Scottish Parliament for hosting such an engaging and informative day!