Scotland: National Rural Network
Editor's NoteBeverley Maclean, Scottish National Rural Network Regional Coordinator and myself (Norette Ferns, Scottish National Rural Network Website Editor) have just returned from Belfast where we attended the first UK National Rural Network conference. The two day event was a great chance to meet our counterparts in the different regions of the UK and to find out about projects and initiatives happening in other places.
An event report and all the presentations will be available on the UK National Rural Network website in due course, and we'll highlight these to you. We'll also be bringing you our photos, a short video clip and our reflections on the event soon.
A Rural Community Empowerment seminar organised by the Scottish Government and the Economic and Social Research Council will take place on 25th March at Battleby, near Perth. This seminar is designed to engage a wide range of stakeholders in thinking how social science insights can give a fresh perspective on what makes some rural communities more dynamic than others, and how the evidence on rural community empowerment can be applied in ‘real life' situations. A limited number of spaces are available, if you're interested send your contact details to editor@ruralgateway.org.uk. Names will be drawn from a ballot on 19th March and you will be notified that day. You can find out more in Places available at Rural Communities Empowerment seminar.
There is still time to book for the Scottish National Rural Network regional events in the Outer Hebrides and Highland regions. The Outer Hebrides event takes place in Berneray on 16th March, while the Highland event will be held at Strathpeffer Pavilion on 19th March. You can get more information and links to booking forms in Still time to book for Rural Network Outer Hebrides and Highland events.
Booking is now open for the Scottish National Rural Network regional event in South Lanarkshire. This event takes place at the Lanark Agriculture Centre, Lanark on 24th March. You can get the programme and a link to booking in the Rural Network South Lanarkshire regional event flyer.
New date for Rural Network Rural Tayside eventThe date for the postponed Rural Network Rural Tayside regional event has been set for 23rd April. The event was due to take place last month but had to be postponed due to the adverse weather conditions. You can get further information in New date for the postponed Rural Tayside Scottish National Rural Network event.
You can get event reports, photos and presentations from the Rural Network West Lothian regional event in our Rural Network Regional Events archive.
In our Ask an Expert feature, you can put your questions to a range of organisations and individuals with expertise in different areas.
Do you have any questions about planning? Here's your chance to have them answered. Send your questions by email to editor@ruralgateway.org.uk by 5pm on 26th March 2010. We'll send a representative selection of questions to Planning Aid for Scotland and then publish their responses on the website.
You can find out more in Put your questions to Planning Aid for Scotland.
Do you think Prestwick Airport should be renamed Robert Burns Prestwick Airport? Do you have experience or knowledge you can share with a group who want to purchase land for a community woodland? Are you involved in a project to help tackle youth unemployment? These are just some of the recent discussion topics added to our Forum. You can get involved by logging in and adding your comments!
A team of experts led by the Universities of Aberdeen and Leeds is calling on the government to financially reward farmers to manage upland areas in a way that will protect them for the future. New recommendations from the Sustainable Uplands project would see farmers rewarded for producing things like clean water and carbon storage, in addition to food. It would be great to hear what you think about the recommendations. You can get more information, and share your views, in Should farmers be paid to protect uplands for the future?
Leadership skills are key to growing Scotland's economy, say Scottish Enterprise. Their 2009/10 Rural Leadership Programme is currently underway, aiming to increase the professionalism of rural Scotland at all levels. You can find out more in Leadership key to improving rural economy.
Seminar in Romania to look at semi-subsistence farmingA seminar to be held in Romania in April will look at semi-subsistence farming. This three day seminar has a mix of presentations, workshops and field visits. Speakers include Loretta Dormal Marino, Deputy Director General, DG AGRI, European Commission, Sophia Davidova, Reader in European Agricultural Policy, University of Kent, Antonis Constantinou, Director, DG AGRI, European Commission. You can find out more European seminar on semi-subsistence farming.
In Rural Jobs Round Up: March 2010, you'll find links and information on some current rural vacancies, including paid internship opportunities.
The Dunnet Head Educational Trust have posted an announcement in our Bulletin Board about their decision to join the Wild Scotland organisation. You can find out more in Dunnet Head joins Wild Scotland. And if your project or organisation has some news to share, why not post a bulletin?
There will be a Clean Up of the Foreshore & Woodland Trails at the Rubha Phoil Permaculture Centre at Armadale on the Isle of Skye on Monday, 12th April 2010. Find out more here.
You can add your Spring Clean events to our calendar. Follow the instructions in our How to Add Content section.
An art and photography exhibition will again be held in Saline in May 2010. This will be the fifth consecutive year that an exhibition has been organised and hosted by the village of Saline. You can get more information in our events calendar.
Brodies LLP is co-hosting with the Scottish Rural Property Business Association and Ernst & Young its second renewables conference in Perth on the 25th March. You can get more information here.
Remember, as a registered user of the website you can add your own content directly to the site including news, bulletin board postings, forum topics and events.
You can find step by step instructions on how to add your content on the aptly named How to add content page. Content added will be included in the weekly newsletter which goes out to hundreds of people across rural Scotland and beyond.
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