Enterprise

The Anders Wall Award for private individuals who have made a special contribution to the rural environment in the European Union is open for applications.

Anders Wall Foundation from Stockholm in association with the European Commission, Directorate General for the Environment, Brussels, the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry and the "Friends of the Countryside", has introduced the award.

Only private enterprises can enter the competition.

Their achievements should preferably include the following elements:

Lorraine Macrae from the Scottish Rural Network Support Unit reports on the West Lothian LEADER Farm Diversification and Rural Enterprise Event.

Robert Arkley, owner of the highly successful Kingsfield Golf course and Driving Range in Linlithgow, welcomed over 50 people to an event hosted by West Lothian LEADER on 26 September 2016.

In the first scheme of its kind in Scotland, a Scottish Borders pub is working with Pub is the Hub to diversify their services to support the local community.

As part of this, the Allan Ramsay Hotel in Carlops is holding a two-day festival to celebrate the Scottish poet Allan Ramsay, marking the launch of a new cultural heritage resource centre dedicated to the life and works of the poet.

The Plunkett Foundation's Community Ownership Awards 2016 are open for entries.

Community-owned businesses in the UK and Ireland are being encouraged to enter the awards run by the national charity Plunkett Foundation.

The awards have nine geographic categories and are open to all forms of trading activity from shops and pubs to farms, woodlands and broadband projects.

Launching the Awards, Plunkett’s Head of Frontline James Alcock said:

Rural enterprise projects across the UK can apply for funding from the Prince's Countryside Fund.

The charity aims to improve the prospects of family farm businesses and the quality of life in rural areas. It has announced a grant funding pot of over £600,000 to suport rural initiatives.

Three projects have been awarded funding from the South Aberdeenshire LEADER programme.

In the programme's first funding rounds, the South Aberdeenshire LEADER Local Action Group has awarded £225,475 to the following projects:

• Strathorn Riding School Development
• Finzean Farm Shop Development
• Ringlink Internship Programme

South Aberdeenshire LAG Chair Liam Smyth from Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce said:

Scottish Rural Action have revealed the winners of the national Rural Innovators Award 2015-16.

The awards recognise people, projects and organisations who are working to improve live in rural communities across Scotland. The winners have been invited to attend and present their projects to delegates attending the Scottish Rural Parliament, organised by Scottish Rural Action, in Brechin, Angus from 6 to 8 October 2016. 
 
The winners in each category are:

In this event report, Don Morrison from the Scottish Rural Network Support Unit reports on the recent cooperation event in Estonia, and Kim Ritchie from Angus LEADER tells us about the Local Action Group tour she took part in as part of the event.

The recent Transnational Cooperation (TNC) Fair held in Estonia was attended by a number of Scottish representatives including delegates from Angus and Cairngorms LEADER as well as Don Morrison and Alistair Prior from the Scottish Rural Network.

Help decide the winners of the Scottish Rural Parliament's Rural Innovator Awards by voting online.

People, projects and organisations from across rural Scotland have been shortlisted for awards in seven categories - and it is now down to you to help decide the winners.

The deadline for applications for the current funding round of the Food Processing, Marketing and Cooperation scheme is 25 September 2016.