Rural Community Gateway

Historic Scotland has launched the annual funding application round for the voluntary sector, which will cover the three financial years beginning 2009/10. A revised pdf-format application form is available for download and completion from Historic Scotland’s website here.

Historic Scotland have highlighted the fact that there is heavy demand for grant assistance and the application appraisal service will involve priority being given to those applications that clearly demonstrate activities that assist or complement Historic Scotland’s own activities, especially with regard to meeting their ongoing corporate targets. You can find more on this at the link above.

Organisations that are presently in receipt of a three-year programme of funding support will not be expected to re-apply for further assistance until year three of their 2008-11 programme. Organisations currently in receipt of grant aid are therefore discouraged from applying for grant support with additional activities unless this has been previously discussed and agreed with Historic Scotland.

Completed applications must be returned to Historic Scotland by 30th September 2008, with initial decisions on the award of grant scheduled to be made by 30th November 2008.

If you have issues downloading the application and guidance notes and would like an Microsoft Word version please contact Martin Ross on 0131 668 8805 or email Martin.Ross@scotland.gsi.gov.uk If there is anything you would like to discuss contact Martin Ross, Development Officer on the details above or Thomas Knowles, Deputy Head of Investment and Projects on 0131 668 8819 or at Thomas.knowles@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

Cabinet Secretary eats Scottish

For one week, from 23rd May 2008, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead ate only Scottish produce. His week’s food included porridge, tablet from the Isle of Skye Fudge Company, Orkney salmon steak, Stornoway black pudding, Speyside fillet steak and a giant birthday cake with a Saltire on it, which went to a care home in the Elgin area.

Speaking before his ‘eat Scottish’ week Richard Lochhead said, "Scotland is home to some of the freshest, finest food in the world and supporting our home grown produce is in our national interest.

"We are developing the first ever cross-cutting national food policy for Scotland, which goes far beyond what we eat and takes into account the impact of food on all aspects of life from business and industry to education and health."

You can read more about the Cabinet Secretary’s eat Scottish week and his visits to various producers in his ‘Eat Scottish diary’. You can find out more about the National Food Policy for Scotland on the Scottish Government website. You might also be interested in NFU Scotland’s What’s on Your Plate campaign.

What do you think?
Do you try to eat Scottish and local produce? Why do you think it’s important? Do you have a favourite producer or local produce? Let us know by adding a comment to this article.

Sprucing up Scottish food!

A new shop recently opened in Moffat is sprucing up Scotland’s food and drink. Zacharry’s, in Wells Street, will be mainly selling products made from spruce tips from the family forest – including spruce burgers and spruce and lemon ice cream!

The shop is run by couple Jim and Elly Hurren who are delighted they can now share their family’s “secret ingredient”. Zacharry’s will also have a website, so you can buy their products online. Products will include a spruce quencher, spruce jelly, spruce chocolates, spruce burgers as well as spruce teas. A range of bath and beauty products, and a further range of confectionary is also being developed.

The idea for the range came from Elly’s mother, Elizabeth Roberts, who owns local business Crookedstane Kindling. Elizabeth planted the family’s Sitka Spruce forest in 1973 and has since carried out extensive research on the trees, including various culinary and medicinal uses for the tips around the world.

Link to Zacharry's website.

Young Rural Entrepreneur of the Year – apply now!

Countryside insurance broker Lycetts, in partnership with The Field magazine, has launched its search to find the Young Rural Entrepreneur of the Year 2008. A cash prize of £10,000 is up for grabs.

The winner must demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit by running a company that is either based in the countryside or is making a sustainable contribution to the rural economy.

In 2007, brother and sister, Ben and Charlotte Hollins of Fordhall Communty Land Initiative and Family Farm took the top prize with their conversion of a struggling farm tenancy into a flourishing community owned business venture.

Charlotte said, "The cash boost did help with the refurbishment of the farm, but the award helped in so many other ways. We met a lot of people in the competition who have since been up to the farm, and we’ve created partnerships with some of them. One, the countryside dating service Muddy Matches is even arranging a volunteers ‘dating; weekend on the farm later this summer!"

You can enter the awards until 4th August 2008. You’ll find more information on The Field website.

Growing Up in Rural Scotland documents

In our Off the Shelf April 2008, we highlighted a report from Growing Up in Rural Scotland’s Sarah Gillen on her research into community planning and children and families in rural areas.

The Growing Up in Rural Scotland project was part of Children in Scotland. They have been in touch to let us know about other documents that Sarah Gillen wrote during her time with the project that might be of interest to rural communities, childcare partnerships, community planning and children’s services.

You can see what’s available and download the reports on the Children in Scotland website.

• Privacy
• Help
• Contact Us
• Disclaimer