Young farmers enjoy skills fest

Fifty young farmers from across the region learned vital leadership skills at the second Rural Youth Project Ideas Festival.

Held at Winston Lodge, the three-day event for grassroots organisations combined inspirational speakers with practical workshops.

Delegates from nine countries – Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, Australia, The Netherlands, Russia and Sweden – helped teach enterprise and activism skills.

Young farmer Ian Cullens said he was unsure what to expect from the weekend, but walked away with “renewed vigour”for his business and the future of rural Scotland.

He said:“The festival provided a fantastic opportunity to reflect on my personal circumstances, while gaining perspective from other young people and the challenges they face living remotely.”

The Rural Youth Project is funded as a cooperation project by five LEADER Local Action Groups, including Lanarkshire.

Rural Youth project director Rebecca Dawes said it is important to give young people a platform to stand up and be heard.

She said:“One of the main aims is to champion the rich and diverse stories of rural young people to bring attention to the unique issues they face and provide an environment for them to connect over shared experiences.

“Our work is designed to specifically help young people stand up for their needs in rural places and to think differently about resolving rural challenges, while providing important skills to help them create change.”

The Rural Youth Project will be hosting a series of Big Rural Ideas Workshops across Scotland in 2020. Young people can register their interest to attend via the Rural Youth Project website.