2022 ‘Helping It Happen’ Rural Awards Launched

Rural people across Scotland and beyond are being urged to share stories of work done by local estates and land-based businesses to help their surrounding communities and landscapes flourish, as nominations for the Helping It Happen Awards 2022 get underway.

The Awards, run by Scottish Land & Estates, are now in their sixth year, again focusing on the key aim of recognising the role of estates, farms and rural businesses in enabling and supporting success in rural areas and helping rural Scotland to thrive.

The Helping it Happen Awards 2022 will be supported by headline sponsors NatureScot and entrants can enter, or be nominated for, any of nine categories:

· Conservation Award –sponsored by Anderson Strathern

· Education –sponsored by Bell Ingram

· Enhancing our Environment through Land Management – sponsored by NatureScot

· Innovation in Farming – sponsored by Douglas Home & Co

· Iver Salveson Award for Combatting Climate Change – sponsored by Murray Beith Murray

· Rural Business –sponsored by Shepherd & Wedderburn

· Rural Housing –sponsored by Velux

· Tourism & Visitor Management – sponsored by GLM

· Working with Communities – sponsored by The MacRobert Trust

Scottish Land &Estates Chairman, Mark Tennant, said:

“I am delighted to see the Helping It Happen Awards launch once again.

“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 wider benefit. We have been incredibly pleased with the success of the previous awards and look forward to recognising and rewarding even more worthy businesses and initiatives this year.

“We urge people up and down the country to submit their entries for this year’s awards and I look forward to reading 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.”

NatureScot’s Director of Sustainable Growth, Robbie Kernahan said:

“There are so many rural businesses across Scotland doing fantastic work for their local communities and for nature right now and we encourage them to get involved in the Helping it Happen Awards. We’re particularly interested to hear from those who are managing their land in a way that enhances the environment, which is so important in helping to tackle the nature loss and climate change crises.”

Helen Houston, from the Scourie Community Development Company, winner of the Working with Communities Award 2021 said:

“Scourie Community Development Company is a small anchor organisation in one of the most remote parts of Scotland. Unlike many communities we have no access to windfarm, common good or BID types of funding so having our work acknowledged by SLE very much helps support our credibility when competing for funding to sustain the vital services we provide for those most in need in the community.”

Notes to editors

· To nominate, people are being asked to share how their local estate, farm or rural business has made a positive contribution to their area in any of the categories highlighted. Entries can be submitted via the Scottish Land & Estates’ website – https://www.scottishlandandestates.co.uk/helping-it-happen - before the closing date of 5th July.

· Entries for the Helping it Happen Awards 2022 will be reviewed by an independent judging panel with three finalists selected in each category.

· The winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony which will take place on 5th October at The Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh

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