Rural Youth Ideas festival IN RECOGNITION of its work inspiring and developing the next generation of rural leaders, the Rural Youth Project has been awarded runner-up in the ‘Best Rural Social Enterprise, Charity or Community Project’ category at this year’s Rural Business Awards. The awards ceremony, which was held virtually, brought together a broad range of businesses, social enterprises and charities operating across the UK to celebrate their successes and the important contribution they make to the nation’s rural economy. Co-founder and director of the Rural Youth Project, Rebecca Dawes, said that the team was thrilled to be recognised: “This year, there were a record number of entries and we were aware that it was a very competitive process, so we were initially thrilled to be shortlisted alongside the other fantastic organisations in our category. To be awarded runner-up at the Rural Business Awards was not only a fantastic achievement for the team and a ma
A former student at Scotland’s Rural College, David Bell, is among three new non-executive directors to be appointed to the college s Board. Mr Bell, who studied for his HND in Agriculture at the King’s Buildings in Edinburgh in 2001, joins marketing professional Jane Craigie and Chris Sayers, former chair of the board of governors at Northumbria University, in the latest round of appointments. Meanwhile Bruce Wood, already a member of the Board, has been confirmed as the new vice-chair. In addition to running his farm near St Andrews, Mr Bell sits on a machinery ring co-operative board covering the central belt, a sector board for AHDB covering the whole of the UK and is chair of the Voluntary Initiative in Scotland. He is also chair of the local NFU Scotland branch and a member of AHDB’s Research and Knowledge Exchange and Recommended List committees.