Enterprise

Angus LEADER's first funding award will help transform an old school building into a community hub.

Friockheim Community Hub Ltd will use the funding of £137,930 for their FriockHub project which will convert the old Eastgate School building to a community space providing support, facilities, spaces and services to the community of Friockheim and the surrounding rural areas.

An event report, presentations and papers from a workshop on the development of the new Areas facing Natural Constraint scheme are now available online.

The European Commission require that a new Areas facing Natural Constraint (ANC) land designation and scheme be in place by 2018. This will replace the current Less Favoured Area Support Scheme.

Women in Agriculture

Women in Agriculture has drawn together a collective of organisations - RHASS, Royal Bank of Scotland, SAOS, Scottish Woodlands, SAYFC and NFUS - to support women across Rural Scotland to :

  • Share experiences of land based industries and rural Scotland
  • Seek advice, support and skills based learning
  • Access networking and peer group support

There will be a panel of guests, chaired by Professor Sally Shortall, including Mel Ivine from the TV show This Farming Life.

A new European publication focussing on 'Smart and Competitive Food and Drink Supply Chains' is now available online.

The European Network for Rural Development's (ENRD) EU Rural Review 22 looks at opportunities to improve the competitiveness of primary producers by better integrating them into the agri-food supply chain.

The publication includes examples of initiatives from across Europe including Scotland's Chocolate Trail and accessible public food contracts in East Ayrshire. 

Views are being sought as part of a review of enterprise and skills support in Scotland.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown has issued a call for evidence asking businesses, students and others who use enterprise and skills services for their views on the support on offer.

The end-to-end review aims to ensure the Scottish Government and all public agencies are delivering the joined-up support that young people, universities, colleges and businesses need to increase sustainable economic growth.

Mr Brown said:

Registration is now open for the Scottish Rural Parliament 2016 event.

The Scottish Rural Parliament will bring together 400 people to discuss the issues of greatest importance to rural communities in Scotland.

The event will be held in Brechin, Angus from 6 to 8 October and is free for most people to attend.

Scottish Rural Parliament 2016

The Scottish Rural Parliament brings together 400 people from across rural Scotland to discuss the issues of greatest importance to rural communities.

Participants will be agreeing a Manifesto for rural Scotland and deciding what actions need to be taken and by who, to ensure our rural communities are empowered, connected and sustainable.

The community-led Lanarkshire LEADER Local Development Strategy has been launched.

The strategy sets out the priorities and objectives against which applications for funding will be assessed by the Lanarkshire LEADER Programme until 2020. A new development is the inclusion of part of the North Lanarkshire rural area to the south of Cumbernauld and east of Airdrie and Wishaw.

South Lanarkshire Council Provost, Councillor Eileen Logan unveiled the new strategy at Clydesdale Community Initiatives (CCI) in Lanark recently.

The Scottish Islands Federation (SIF) is pulling together a report on the challenges and opportunities that matter most to Scotland’s island communities and needs as many groups as possible to take part in its survey ‘Meeting the Challenges – Scotland’s Island Communities’.

Have your say on the Horizon 2020 ‘Food Security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy’ Work Programme 2018-2020.

The European Commission is carrying out a public consultation on this work programme and is welcoming contributions from all citizens and organisations.

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