Rural Community Gateway

Editor's Note
We've had a number of interesting postings in our Rural Answers section recently. This is the part of the site where you can post a question or query for the Rural Gateway community. In the past few weeks, we've had a couple of tourism-related questions, a student looking for some summer work and speakers being offered free to uplift. Rural Answers is a great way of networking, discussing rural issues and sharing advice and ideas. So, why not get involved? Can you help any of our recent contributors? Or do you have a question you want to put to other Rural Gateway users? Go to Rural Answers to make a posting.

Video of the week
Every week, we will highlight a video from the Rural Gateway's Video section. Our first Video of the Week is a record of a study trip organised by the Southern Uplands Partnership to the Cevenne Biosphere in France to look at the possibility of a biosphere in Galloway/Ayrshire. The video comes in three parts, and you can find them in our Video section. Don't forget to let us know about interesting rural videos by emailing editor@ruralgateway.org.uk.

Migration survey for young people
A major online survey has been launched to find out what people aged 15 to 30 think about jobs, quality of life, communication and more in the Highlands and Islands. The survey aims to discover what the deciding factors are for young people staying, moving to or returning to the area. The survey only takes around ten minutes to complete. You can find out more here.

Tartan tat or quality crafts? What do tourists want to buy?
That's just one of the questions currently being asked in our Rural Answers section. Neil Paterson supports a community run shop in an Angus Glen. A constant question for them is what would draw more income - quality crafts and foodstuffs or cheap souvenirs and sweeties? If you are involved with a shop or venue, what do you find tourists want to buy? What generates the most income? What do you want to buy when visiting an area? Post your answers in Rural Answers.

Village of the Year deadline extension
The deadline for submissions to the Calor Village of the Year Awards has been extended to 30th June 2008. The awards are a chance to win up to £4000 for community development in your area. There are four regions: North, Central, South and Scottish islands, and the awards are open to places with a population of less than 5000. Find out more here.

Funding news
You can catch up with all the latest funding news in Sandra Hogg's Funding Latest 54. And don't miss a special edition of Funding Latest giving information on the Scotland Rural Development Programme.

Send us your wildlife photos
We've been enjoying receiving your submissions to the 'Going wild in rural Scotland' photo competition theme, so keep them coming! We've had some great photos so far, including some rarely photographed creatures! Send your submissions to editor@ruralgateway.org.uk before 29th June 2008. Look out for our 'Working away in rural Scotland' gallery coming to the site next week.

Can you help us promote competition for young photographers?
In 2008, we are excited to have a special photo competition for photographers under 18. Young photographers can submit photos under any of our six themes before 15th December 2008, to be in with a chance of winning Amazon vouchers to spend online. We are keen to promote this competition as widely as possible so we get submissions from all around rural Scotland. We'd be grateful if you could tell young people you know about the competition. If you'd like more information, or an article for your newsletter or website, please get in touch by emailing editor@ruralgateway.org.uk.

Your Project
In our latest Your Project, Paul Cortopassi tells us about the popular Eco-Schools Project, which 96 per cent of Scottish schools are signed up to. The project is part of an international programme aimed at encouraging schools to be more environmentally aware. Find out more in Your Project - Eco-Schools Scotland.

Safeguarding our rural schools consultation
The Scottish Government are urging teachers, parents, young people and anyone with an interest in rural schools to take part in their 'Safeguarding our rural schools' consultation. You can download the consultation document from our library and read more in Rural school closures - have your say.

What do you think about the way school closures are dealt with? What are your views on the Scottish Government's proposals for change? We want to know what you think about these issues, and any raised in the consultation. You can add your comments to the article Rural school closures - have your say.

Events
Recently added events include Authentic Communication Training in Dumfries and Galloway and the Lanark Medieval Festival. Don't forget you can send details of your event to mailto:editor@ruralgateway.org.uk. Remember to include a contact email address and telephone number.

Off the Shelf
In our May Off the Shelf we highlighted some recent additions to our documents library. Our most popular document so far this year is SCVO's first Scotland Rural Development Programme Briefing Paper, which has been downloaded over 300 times already. We also highlighted the Scottish Fossil Code, the Village Halls Summit report and the Rural Schools consultation document.

Funding newswire
If you need to know about funding, sign up for our very popular Funding latest newswire, produced by Sandra Hogg, our resident funding expert. Remember to select to receive them in html format.

Thank you
Thanks to Shirley, Paul Cortopassi, Kate Sankey, Judith Lowes, Jonathan Wordsworth, Southern Uplands Partnership, Flora MacDowall, Les Sharp, Michael Johnston, Scott Barker, Neil Paterson, Faith Hope, Bill Mitchell, Hazel Collier and more for their recent comments and contributions.

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Contact us

We are always happy to hear from Rural Gateway users, so please feel free to email editor@ruralgateway.org.uk with any comments or suggestions. If you wish to unsubsribe from this newsletter go to My Newsletters.

Best wishes
Norette Ferns

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Norette Ferns

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