Rural Perthshire’s finest set to be rewarded

Jillian Kennedy

Venison enterprises and salmon recovery making the grade

The cream of rural Perthshire will be honoured at the 10th anniversary of a leading national awards programme.

No fewer than 5 leading Perthshire-based individuals and projects have been shortlisted in the Helping It Happen awards, run by rural body Scottish Land and Estates and supported by the government’s nature advisers, NatureScot.

Bridge of Earn-based Atlantic Salmon Trust, Blairgowrie’s Countryside Learning Scotland, Pitlochry’s Fair Feast CIC, Strath Tay forester, Jillian Kennedy, and Lauren Houstoun, co-founder of Glenkilrie Larder near Glenshee are all short-listed.

The landmark ceremony and Dinner will take place on 1st October at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

Lauren Houstoun from Glenkilrie Larder

Countryside champions

Former Young Farmers chair and now a Senior Forest Manager, Jillian Kennedy, from Edradynate, has been short-listed in the Rural Champion Award which carries a £10 000 prize fund donated by the King through the Royal Countryside Fund.

Jillian’s aptitude in bringing communities and young people together in positive collaboration caught the eye of judges and she faces competition from Emma Ruxton of Royal Northern Countryside Initiative and John Scott from Farmstrong Scotland.

Jillian faces another Perthshire nomination in the shape of Lauren Houstoun for the Rural Rising Star prize.

Lauren, originally from Aberdeenshire, and husband Andrew lead up the family farming business, Glenkilrie Larder, and have innovated by introducing a deer farm to the cattle operations.

Lauren successfully fronted a petition to Scottish Government over fresh products in school meals and also runs a successful cookery school from Glenkilrie.

The Fair Feast team outside their new Pitlochry butchery

Venison innovations

Another Perthshire business innovating with venison is Fair Feast CIC, which has already featured in PBN’s pages.

Fair Feast is listed in the Enhancing our Environment through Land Management Award for transforming areas heavily populated by deer; using the venison to provide food parcels to those facing disadvantage.

The community company has also recently opened a butcher shop on Pitlochry High Street which is proving popular with locals and visitors alike.

Rural testimony

Countryside Learning Scotland’s Pathways to Rural Work programme equips young people with the skills to enter land-based sectors and is short-listed in the Education Award whilst the Atlantic Salmon Trust’s Watershed Connections Project makes the grade for the Conservation Award.

Sarah-Jane Laing, CEO of Scottish Land and Estates described the finalists as exemplifying what’s best in rural Scotland.

“From individuals quietly giving their time to support their neighbours to businesses and organisations delivering ambitious projects, every finalist is making a tangible difference to rural Scotland.”

NatureScot’s Deputy Director of Green Economy, Claudia Rowse, said: “This year’s nominees reflect the positive and sustainable work that so many individuals, estates, farms and rural businesses are doing to support their communities and nature.”