A New Year message from the CLA President
CLA President Harry Cotterell said: ’The eyes of the world will be on Britain in the summer of 2012. The Olympic Games in London will bring millions of visitors to our shores, while the rest of the world will be tuning in on the media. I hope that views of our iconic countryside will be extensively used to promote national identity, using powerful images which will endure long after the athletes have departed.
’Land owners and managers do a terrific job keeping the countryside vibrant and attractive. The greatest show on earth happens every single day in the British countryside and it’s available for all to see for a fraction of the price of an Olympic ticket.
’As farmers and rural landowners our message must be: ’Welcome to our countryside, welcome to our workshop’. The fact that the hills, the farms, the woods and forests, the mountains and moorland are all actively managed and are home to many excellent and diverse businesses must not be lost on the millions of visitors we expect to see this year.
’But there’s more to it than that. Those of us who live and work in the countryside are determined to make our businesses thrive. Whether we are farmers, producing excellent British food for the domestic or export markets, or small businesses, often start-ups, with a thirst for success, or even tourism and leisure businesses battling against the tide of recession, there is resilience in the countryside. Our determination to succeed matches that of any Olympic athlete.
’The nation desperately needs economic growth and the CLA is confident rural businesses can lead the way. Farming is enjoying a renaissance, prices have been good in 2011, and the rural economy is full of the small and medium-sized enterprises which will be the engine room of the economic recovery. Regardless of our national success in the Olympics, I believe 2012 can be the Year of the Countryside.
’Whether you’ve secured Olympic tickets or not, there is no better way to enjoy yourself than getting out into the fabulous British countryside. At the CLA Game Fair - at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, from 20-22 July - visitors will get a taste of the best the countryside has to offer: country sports, land management, horses, dogs and much more, all fuelled by great British food and outdoor activities for all the family.’
