Show organisers launch funds bid

Scotland’s largest agricultural organisation, which organises the Royal Highland Show, has launched a campaign to raise funds.

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) says the eight-week campaign, which launches this week, will target fans of food, farming and rural life.

It says the campaign, which will run across social media and digital channels, will shine a light on the organisation’s core charitable aims including innovation, future farmers, mental wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion.

RHASS says it hopes the campaign will raise awareness of the organisation and generate funds to enable it to further its charitable activities.

“For many, lockdown has heightened their connection with the countryside and with the

farmers who worked tirelessly to feed the nation during the pandemic,” said RHASS chairman Bill Gray.

“RHASS directors feel now is a good time to reach out to those who do not work in our sector, but value our way of life, and ask for support so we can continue our charitable work.”

He said as a charity, RHASS has a duty to

maximise the impact of its activities in rural Scotland and the organisation would continue to look at innovative ways to achieve this.

“This is the first time we have reached out to a nonagricultural audience and we will be interested to see the outcome,” added Mr Gray.

The fundraising campaign follows a similar initiative run last year – the Save Your Show campaign which targeted the farming sector and raised more than £500,000 to enable the Royal Highland Show to go ahead as planned in 2022.

It followed the cancellation of the show in 2020 due to the pandemic – a move which resulted in a £4 million drop in RHASS income in the year to November 2020.

RHASS held a live-streamed event in place of the Royal Highland Show this year – the sevenday Royal Highland Showcase backed by £750,000 funding from the Scottish Government – and it hopes to host a normal, full-scale event in 2022 if Covid-19 restrictions allow.

The 2022 show will take place at the Royal Highland Showground at Ingliston, near Edinburgh, on June 23-26.

CONTEST: Events were streamed online this year, and it is hoped the 2022 show will take place as usual at Ingliston.

RHASS chairman Bill Gray is looking for support.