Scotland: National Rural Network
Connecting Rural Scotland - Promoting Rural Growth

A new initiative to develop and promote Care Farming has been launched in the North of Scotland by children's charity Action for Children. The Care Farming Initiative aims to complete a feasibility study on the possibility of developing care farming as an option for young people in Moray, Highland and Aberdeenshire.

The project is being run by four young people - Leon Morrison, Shalane MacDougall, Amy Reynolds and Robert Dewar- who are employed under the Future Jobs Fund. In the first few weeks of the project they have established links with a number of farmers and with a range of organisations involved in farming and the provision of care and employability services.

Speaking on behalf of the Care Farming Initiative, Leon Morrison said: "What care farming does is seek to develop peoples' potential rather than focus on their limitations and that’s really important to us as individuals and as a children’s charity. We have a great team and a lot of support from Action for Children as well as various other different organisations such as SCVO and the Youth Achievement Scheme.

"Hopefully by the middle of December 2010 we will have finished our feasibility study into care farming in Moray, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands and be submitting it for lottery funding in the early months of 2011".

SCVO's Norman MacAskill, a member of the Care Farming Scotland Steering Group, said: "Care farming is a fantastic idea whose time has come. More and more farmers and service providers are showing an interest in its possibilities. But real progress will only come through making connections and building new partnerships between farmers, service providers and potential clients at a local level - and that's exactly what Robert, Shalane, Leon and Amy are aiming to do.

"Top marks to Action for Children for backing this initiative, and for giving responsibility for developing it to such an informed and capable group of young people."

More information about care farming can be found at the Care Farming Scotland website.