Scotland: National Rural Network
This is part two of the event report from the Scottish National Rural Network regional event in Moray. In this part you can find details of the two project presentations - Wild Things! and Farm to Work. In part one, you can find details of the opening remarks from Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead, and information updates on the Scottish National Rural Network, LEADER and Rural Priorities.
Jennie Martin from the Moray project Wild Things! gave an inspiring presentation about the work of the project. She began by inviting delegates to think about a time when they'd been outdoors and felt really good. She asked us to imagine the beautiful natural heritage and landscape, and then to imagine if you went back there and some of that biodiversity was gone.
Wild Things! offers opportunities for children and vulnerable adults to experience these beautiful places and to learn how to look after them. She showed a short film with lots of great images of the young people enjoying the outdoors and Wild Things! activities.
The project started in 2003 with the objective of providing a practical hands-on approach to environmental education and a mutually benficial relationship between the individual and the natural environment. In 2004, there were 466 participants and by 2009 this had risen to 1508. They have a maximum of 15 children to one leader. 93 percent of participants said they would like to come back, and 89 percent rated their experience as good.
Their Ancient Woodland Day Trips to Glen Affric shows children that their local environment can be just as exciting as the tropical rainforest, which they seem to know more about. The Moray-based Forest Schools programme is a classroom without walls that sees primary school children go out to a local wood once a week over a six week period.
The Bushcraft/Wilderness Skills project is a vehicle to access teenagers (and it's been around for a lot longer than Ray Mears!). They work mostly with learning support units, and participants work in a non-competitive way. They also run Adult Bushcraft for adults in early recovery from addiction.
A group of boys from Lossiemouth who took part in Wild Things! completed thir John Muir Conserve Award, at the time only 39 other people in Scotland had done so. Ms Martin said this showed great commitment. In conjunction with the award, Wild Things! offer a Junior Assistant programme where young people come and volunteer as peer educators.
Wild Things! has six board members, three staff and 12 freelancers. They are currently advertising for a new field manager and a seasonal activity leader. In 2009, funders included Scottish Natural Heritage, Awards for All, Moray LEADER and Cairngorms LEADER.
Through BBC Children in Need funding they have been running Nature Club and Summer Camp which have been a great success. They've also been able to offer private camps, which is providing some income.
Ms Martin talked about their partnership with Moray LEADER. She said the project had great contact with David and Lindsay at LEADER, which is something they don't normally get with funders. Mr Watson gave advice on how to shape the project and Ms Martin thanked Moray LEADER for their valuable assistance.
You can find out more about the project by taking a look at the Wild Things! website. Jennie Martin's presentation will be available on the site shortly.
Caroline Matheson from the Ballicherry Farm to Work Project gave another inspiring presentation about the work of this care farming project. Ballicherry Farm is five miles west of Cromarty in the Black Isle. It's a predominantly arable farm with around 200 cows, some sheep and two ponies.
Mrs Matheson is a nurse and midwife, and a farmer's wife. The Farm to Work project started in July 2008, with the aim of improving the health of people on employment support allowance. Mrs Matheson had read about Care Farming - using land based industries to help a wide range of people with various health difficulties - and she went to visit some care farms.
Mrs Matheson visited an egg farm which took young offenders. At the start of the programme many of these young offenders couldn't pick up an egg without breaking it, but after a week they could hold an egg.
On the Farm to Work project, customers undertake a 12-week programme. They are given a health assessment and set goals. The programme tackles health issues, obesity and confidence building. An independent evaluation using tools that measure health and wellbeing showed the whole thing was useful.
Mrs Matheson said the most important person on the farm was the farmer, who is a role model for customers. People relate well to the farmer and this helps build confidence and improve their work.
Care Farming Scotland was launched last May. Care Farming Scotland won't be actively involved in the delivery of care farming services but, once established, it will support those who are, through awareness raising, provision of information and advice, developing network opportunities, training, lobbying and policy development.
Mrs Matheson said the Farm to Work project was looking for longer term funding. She said they were hoping to tap into Fairer Scotland funding, and maybe if they were a social enterprise they could access LEADER funding? A Highland consortium of land based service providers is at an early stage.
You can find out more by downloading Caroline Matheson's presentation from our document library.
Due to adverse weather conditions in the area it was decided to end the event after a networking lunch. Delegates enjoyed sandwiches and cakes from the local social enterprise Craighursts. Some very interesting exhibits were set up around the room - with a range of organisations represented, including Business Gateway, Moray College, Grampian Police, Earthshare and the NHS. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead stayed for lunch to talk with participants.
In Rural Network Moray event part one you can get details of Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead's opening address, and information updates from the Scottish National Rural Network, LEADER and Rural Priorities.
The discussion session was unable to take place due to adverse weather conditions, however we're still really keen to hear stories from Moray. So, why not get involved in our What's working well in Moray? forum? We want to know about the successful projects, initiatives and businesses in the area, and how you think these successes could be built upon in the future.
The Moray event is one of a series of 20 taking place across Scotland. For more information go to our Regional Events section. You can get event reports from other events in our Rural Network Regional Events archive.
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