People across Renfrewshire and beyond are being urged to share their stories of the work done by local estates and land-based businesses to help their surrounding communities flourish, as nominations for the 2019 Helping It Happen Awards get underway.
Following two successful years, organiser Scottish Land & Estates has declared the Helping It Happen Awards 2019 open for business. The national Awards, which aim to recognise the role of estates, farms and rural businesses in enabling and supporting success in rural areas helping rural Scotland thrive, will once again be sponsored by The MacRobert Trust.
In 2018, South West businesses Mossgiel Farm near Mauchline and Annandale Estate near Lockerbie were victorious in the Innovation in Farming Award and Rural Housing Award respectively, both working hard to increase sustainability and environmental benefit within their businesses.
Photo, from Left to Right: Michael Strang Steel, Estate Manager, Philiphaugh Estate, David Johnstone, Chairman of Scottish Land and Estates and Rachel Coyle, representing Tweed Forum
To celebrate the launch of the 2019 awards, David Johnstone, Chairman of Scottish Land & Estates, visited another of the 2018 winners, Philiphaugh Estate near Selkirk. Philiphaugh Estate won the 2018 Enhancing Our Environment Award for a project which linked upland peatland restoration with the salmon fishing on the River Tweed.
David Johnstone, said: “I am delighted to launch the 2019 Helping it Happen Awards. Last year we saw two of our nine winners coming from the South West of Scotland, both showcasing very strong environmental credentials as well as business acumen.
“We want to highlight and celebrate the significant positive contribution land-based businesses make in rural areas throughout rural Scotland – in particular, the ways in which they add value to support the local economy and the environment for the wider benefit of they provide environmental benefits for the wider community. We’re were incredibly pleased proud with the success of 2017 and 2018 awards of the success of the awards over the past 2 years, and look forward to recognising and rewarding even more worthy businesses this year.
“We urge people up and down the country to submit their entries for this year’s awards – the quality of entries last year was exceptional, and we are looking forward to receiving this year’s crop of stories. I am sure the judges will have a tough task in narrowing down the shortlist once entries close in July this year.”
A spokesperson for Annandale Estate, said: “We undertook a project to convert a traditional stone barn into four energy-efficient affordable homes. The Raehills Home Farm development turned disused agricultural buildings into warm modern homes which allow for tenants to gain the benefits of consistently comfortable temperatures achieved at a low cost. The homes are all occupied at affordable rents and help to meet the local demand.
“Winning the Helping It Happen Award for Rural Housing last year meant that we were buoyed by recognition for all our hard work and efforts to work with the local community to create something delivering truly local benefit.”
More Information:
- To nominate, people are being asked to share how their local estate, farm or rural business has made a positive contribution to their area. Entries can be submitted via Scottish Land & Estates’ website – www.scottishlandandestates.co.
uk/helping-it-happen – before the closing date of 8th July 2019. - Entries are once again being considered in the following nine categories:
- Rural Business Award
- Tourism Award
- Rural Housing Award
- Education Award
- MacRobert Trust Award for Working with Communities
- Conservation Award
- The Iver Salvesen Green Business Award
- Innovation in Farming Award
- Enhancing Our Environment Award
- Entries for the Helping it Happen Awards 2019 will be reviewed by an independent judging panel with three finalists selected in each category. The members of our judging panel for the 2019 Awards are:
Lucy Beattie, owner of Leckmelm Estate
Alan Laidlaw, Chief Executive of RHASS
Nina Clancy, Chief Executive of RSABI
David Whiteford, Chair of the North Highland Initiative
Simon Power, Estate Manager for the MacRobert Trust
Julia Latto, Project Manager in the Rural Operations Team at Scottish Enterprise
- The winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony which will take place at The Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh on 2nd October 2019.