Rural Development Group Scotland launched to support local business

The rural group will launch at the Royal Highland Show
The rural group will launch at the Royal Highland Show

A group to progress rural development in Scotland will launch tomorrow at the Royal Highland Show.

The Prince’s Countryside Fund, set up in 2010 by Prince Charles, will launch the Rural Development Group Scotland to support growth by bringing together rural businesses.

This group will share expertise, support regional centred activity and help generate associated support and funding to ensure sustainable initiatives.

Charities and organisations represented include Business in The Community Scotland, The Prince’s Foundation, The Prince’s Countryside Fund and the North Highland Initiative.

Claire Saunders, Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said today represents a "time of great change" in agriculture.

"It is important to ensure that we all have a joined up approach to the significant challenges ahead," Ms Saunders said.

"With a number of successful organisations already concerned with supporting the rural and agricultural sector so positively in Scotland we wanted to make sure that we optimised and focused the efforts of HRH’s organisations to maximise our impact in key areas."

The Prince’s Countryside Fund will continue to run the Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme in Caithness and Skye this autumn following groups in Dumfries and Arran this year.

The Fund also has an ongoing programme of grants to many rural organisations. Recent beneficiaries of the Fund’s grant programme have included The Scottish Island Abattoirs Association, Café Connect, Falklands Stewardship Trust – Fife, Rural Housing Scotland and Nourish Scotland.