Rural Community Gateway

Open the gate to local food

A new Highland Food Map aimed at encouraging people to choose locally-produced food and support local farmers and crofters was launched recently at Glachbeg Croft Education Centre on the Black Isle by the Highlands & Islands Local Food Network (HILFN).

The colourful, user-friendly map also comes with a ‘Gates Open’ invite to 27 farms and crofts who will be opening their gates to the public during September and October as part of Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture.

Jo Hunt, network leader with HILFN said, "Good food comes fresh from a local farm or croft. That’s the simple message of the ‘Gates Open’ days. We needed a way to help people find food that is locally grown in their area. The Highland Food Map is an innovative guide to encourage people to get out and about and, more importantly, to get tasting!"

The Gates Open days will be held on weekends throughout September and October and are free of charge. Visitors will get a tour of the farm and get to hear how food is produced. With a wide range of farms taking part, there will also be a chance to see how cheese is made, watch sheep shearing or buy some local food straight from the farm.

You can pick up a copy of the Highland Food Map at farmers markets, farm shops, Council service points and Highlands and Islands Enterprise offices. Alternatively you can contact HILFN on 01381 600 525. Full details can also be found at http://www.gatesopen.co.uk/.

Students enjoy Rural Skills Day

Pupils from eight secondary schools, from Golspie to Ardnamurchan, enjoyed a Rural Skills Induction Day in Dingwall recently. Demand was so high for the event, that several other schools couldn’t be accommodated. With 123 pupils attending, numbers were double what organisers had predicted.

The event was co-ordinated by newly-appointed Rural Skills Schools Liaison Officer, Maxine Garson, under the auspices of Lantra, who nurture the necessary skills to meet growing demand for workers in the land-based industries.

Maxine Garson said, "My job involves going around the schools and partners to get them involved in the land based curriculum, which is a new course introduced by the Scottish Qualifications Agency.

"The main purpose of today is to set everyone off on a similar footing from the start, especially in things like health and safety and first aid, in addition to providing them with some hands on activities. It has also given our rural sector partners, the potential employers a chance to meet the youngsters, see the course in action and deliver information directly to teachers."

Potential employers such as the Forestry Commission, the National Trust for Scotland, the John Muir Trust, farmers, crofters and landowners support the course and play an active role by providing job experience and work placements.

On the day they provided workshops for the pupils including health and safety, manual handling, map reading, rope slicing, working with wood and helping to identify different tree species.

Your project - Rural Skills course
Ask an expert: Lantra (Part 1)
Ask an expert: Lantra (Part 2)

HICCaP work with training providers

HICCaP, the Highlands and Islands Community Capacity Partnership, is currently conducting an extensive Training Needs Analysis of the voluntary sector in the Highlands and Islands.  Provisional results from the TNA will become available by July, and HICCaP would like to share this information with all training providers offering training in the Highlands & Islands to make them aware of future opportunities within the voluntary sector as a market. 

To support the TNA, HICCaP has developed a unique online assessment tool that provides users with an instant and personal learning action plan. Using this plan, users can now search the HICCaP Course Calendar and Trainer Directory by skills to find those services that are most relevant to them. Providers can ensure their services are captured in searches by mapping them against the skills framework that underpins the assessment tool.

Providers have an opportunity to meet with HICCaP in person to find out more about mapping courses, HICCaP's work, and the voluntary sector as a potential market. HICCaP are hosting info sessions throughout the Highlands and Islands to offer one-to-one meetings of 45 minutes each to address any questions providers may have. The dates are:

Fort William, Tuesday, 3rd July, 10am to 4pm
Lochgilphead, Wednesday, 4th July, 10am to 4pm
Thurso, Tuesday, 10th July, 10am to 4pm
Portree, Thursday, 12th July, 10am to 4pm
Lerwick, Tuesday, 17th July, 12:30 to 5pm

To make an appointment, please contact Nicole on 01463 732 315 or by emailing nicole.deufel@scvo.org.uk. If you cannot make either of these dates but would like to discuss the changes to HICCaP, please get in touch with Nicole also.

Charter for Rural Communities Published

The Carnegie Commission for Rural Communities presented its final report 'A Charter for Rural Communities' to media and stakeholders in London on 20th June 2007.

Over the past three years, the Carnegie Commission for Rural Community Development has undertaken a comprehensive consultation on the challenges and opportunities facing local communities across the UK and Ireland in recent years.

Included in the report is the Commission’s Ideas for Action including:

• A major expansion in community ownership of assets
• An enhanced role for parish and community councils
• A Centre for Excellence supporting rural community development policy and practice on the ground
• Encouragement and assistance for local communities to develop and manage their own services and to engage in community planning.

The Commission sees central and local government, landowners, the Social Investment Bank, the Lottery distributors, Third Sector agencies, trust and local communities working together to deliver these actions.

You will find the report in the Rural Gateway documents library. Let us know what you think of the Ideas for Action, or any part of the report, by adding a comment to this article.

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