About Macroscopia

Macroscopia is a Community Interest Company, or social enterprise, which was set up in 2015.  It aims to develop environmental, social, economic and cultural sustainability in an inclusive, just way. It does this through promoting better public policy and social change through evidence-based interventions.  We are based in East Antrim, Northern Ireland. The directors of Macroscopia are Jude Stephens, John Eversley and Jeni McAughey. Jude is Deputy Director of the Gibson Institute for Land, Food and Environment and course convenor for the Master’s in Leadership for Sustainable Development at Queen’s University Belfast. She has many years’ experience in education and activism around environmental and rural development issues in Northern Ireland. John has been a tutor on the Leadership course. He has many years’ experience as a policy adviser, public sector manager and community worker, focusing particularly on issues of public health, equality and social justice. His experience is in London, in international projects and Northern Ireland. Jeni is a retired GP who lived in Whitehead fro many years and is now living in Scotland. Jeni was one one of the founders of Whitehead Smalll World Group and Jubilee Farm , Northern Ireland’s first community-owned farm, among many other things. Jude is now on the board of Jubilee Farm.

We have been engaged with projects to:

• Promote sustainable sheep farming and the wool industry in Northern Ireland Spinning New Yarns together with the Gibson Institute for Land, Food and Environment ) – see May 2023 Making the Most of NI Wool
• Improve conditions for refugees (with Whitehead Small World Group)
• Improve conditions for  immigration detainees with (Larne House Visitor Group )
• Promote an inclusive history of Whitehead (with Whitehead Suffragette Society)
• Develop a garden to grow fruit and vegetable dyes for wool and other fibres Beach Road Dye Garden Facebook group
• Advise on developments in health and social care. John is an Associate of the Health and Social Care Leadership Centre in Northern Ireland. Together with our sister company ppre CIC, he recently  undertook an assignment for the Regional Stroke Network in Northern Ireland, planning research on the effectiveness of Virtual Reality headsets for upper limb stroke rehabilitation. This project came to a halt when the Covid 19 pandemic began.

Our interests are in sustainability, justice, peacebuilding, community development. It is not enough to have a good or important idea, the process of putting it into practice is also important. We want to support organisations and movements in not only doing the ‘right thing’ but ‘doing the thing right’.  That often involves using innovative methods for exploring issues – policy simulations, Forum Theatre, uncovering hidden histories of social movements and social change.  Links to some  of the materials we have been involved in producing are here.

.