RSABI Board Welcomes Two New Trainee Trustees

RSABI, the organisation supporting people in Scottish agriculture, has announced the appointment of two new trainee trustees to its board.

The charity, which provides emotional, financial and practical support, introduced the trainee positions to encourage more younger people to get involved with the charity at board level.

Beth MacKinnon and Karen Stewart have joined the year-long programme during which they will shadow the charity’s trustees and participate in board, committee and staff meetings, receiving support and mentoring from the charity’s senior staff and board.

Passionate about supporting the agriculture industry, Perthshire beef and sheep farmer Beth MacKinnon has over five years’ experience working with Quality Meat Scotland, most recently in her current role as Monitor Farm Programme Manager. Beth has an Agribusiness Management Honours degree from Newcastle University, where she graduated in 2019.

An experienced Ruminant Nutritionist working for SAC Consulting, Karen Stewart is a partner in a Perthshire family farm where she also runs a self-catering let. She has a BSc Hons in Agriculture and Animal Science from the University of Aberdeen and a Postgraduate Certificate in Farm Business Management from Robert Gordon University. With a keen interest in farming business, Karen is looking forward to expanding her knowledge of the industry during her stint on the RSABI board.

RSABI’s trustees play a vital role in the running of the charity, using their experience and insight to help it best support people in Scottish agriculture. Beth and Karen have taken up their positions following two successful previous trainee trustees who have now completed their time with RSABI.

“Through our trainee trustee programme, we have found that having younger people volunteering with the charity at board level has a hugely positive impact on the work we do. Beth and Karen are both enthusiastic young people who have already got stuck in. While they are here to experience what it's like to sit on a charity’s board and learn from our more experienced board members, we are certain we will also learn plenty from them,” said Jimmy McLean, Chair of RSABI.

Beth and Karen will complete a 12-month programme designed to increase confidence, skills and insight about what it’s like to be on a charity board. They will not have voting rights but will participate in board and committee meetings, meet with staff teams and have the opportunity to contribute to the running of RSABI.

RSABI offers free practical, financial, and emotional support including counselling services, delivered quickly after receiving the initial enquiry. Its free confidential support service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, by calling 0808 1234 555 (calls won’t show up on phone bills) or through a confidential webchat service, available on RSABI’s website www.rsabi.org.uk.

You can find further information on the RSABI website www.rsabi.org.uk.

Pictured: Beth MacKinnon, RSABI Chair Jimmy McLean, Karen Stewart