Rural leaders celebrate a decade of boosting Scotland’s rural economy

Independent evaluation of the Rural Leadership Programme has shown that the programme was having a direct and positive impact on the rural economy. This includes:

• 40% agreed that the programme has positively affected the creation or safeguarding of employment
• Over a quarter (26%) have set up a new business
• Over a third (38%) have launched a new product
• 90% of alumni said the RLP had increased their confidence in their ability to lead
• 83% said their ability to motivate had improved

The Rural Leadership Programme is delivered on behalf of Scottish Enterprise by SAC Consulting and is aimed at business managers and employees from rural businesses who have a desire to develop their leadership skills and grow their business. These include farmers, vets, estate managers, tourism managers, and managers from processing and supply businesses.

The 10^th Anniversary Conference for the Rural Leadership Programme, which this year has the theme ‘Leading with Purpose’, will welcome a variety of speakers, who will share their leadership journey. The Conference will also look ahead to the next 10 years.

One of the speakers will be Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity. He said:

“I am delighted to celebrate 10 years of the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme. A very successful 10 years, which has seen almost 450 people take part, and I would like to express my thanks to everybody who has been involved in delivering the Programme. I am a passionate advocate for our rural businesses and for those individuals who are driving our rural economy forward.”

Julian Pace, Rural Director at Scottish Enterprise, said:

”Over the last 10 years I’ve seen alumni of the Rural Leadership Programme go on to achieve levels of success they never thought possible. The rural economy is key in Scotland. It represents around 95 per cent of the land covered by Scottish Enterprise and is home to 75 per cent of Scotland’s rural population.

“The rural economy needs leaders with ambition, who are also equipped with the skills to help them realise their ambitions. This programme provides these skills so they can overcome barriers and challenge the status quo through continuous innovation.”

~Ends~

Notes to Editors

The following case studies can be used to highlight the success of the Rural Leadership Programme:

Andrew Stirling - Stirfresh

“I came away from the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme in 2013/14 realising that my wife and I had a good diverse farming business-washing, packing and processing our freshly grown produce - but that we could take our 430 acre farm based at Lunan Bay a lot further.”

In order to grow they decided to invest £150k in equipment to allow them to supply into retail. They soon began to supply Aldi with fresh soup packs and, within 6 months, Maris Piper potatoes. They are now the sole supplier of Maris Piper in Aldi’s Scottish stores.

At the same time they started to supply over 850 schools with potatoes, fruit and vegetables in Tayside, Fife, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

In recent months they started supplying pre-cooked baked potatoes into Aldi along with four new prep veg lines and five new lines into Lidl. So growth in the last two years has been tremendous. Their turnover has increased from £2.8m to over £5m and they have plans to undergo a £1m expansion of their premises over the next two years.

They were nominated for the Entrepreneur and Innovation Award at the Scottish Food and Drinks Awards and Andrew was also put forward for the EY Scottish Entrepreneur of the year.

“The Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme helped me to realise the importance of having a good team around my wife and I allowing us to spread the workload and also the value in rewarding our work force financially with bonuses.”

Tracey Roan – Roan’s Dairy

“My life has certainly changed since I completed the RLP. In 2014 I was juggling working part time as a Senior Housing Officer, working on the family dairy farm and running after two young kids and a husband. Come 2015, even before I had completed the RLP course I had handed in my notice and started working on our own family business  - Roan`s Dairy which we launched in September 2015.

“With the milk price hitting an all time low, having to make some tough decisions regarding the running of the farm and having to learn how to be in business with family, it’s not been a smooth ride - but with the skills and confidence gained from the RLP I saw this was the right time to push our new family venture forward by taking on more ownership, responsibility and showing leadership. 

 “We now deliver to over 200 doorsteps, supply milk to over 80 outlets within Dumfries & Galloway, employ two full time members of staff and are continually growing.

 “I have so much to thank the RLP for - never would I have thought I would have had the courage and confidence to leave my secure job and work full time on the farm and be involved with family in starting up a new business venture.”

Tom Durham – Collective Trax

Tom completed the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme in 2012. This led to his first commercial mountain bike track building project in partnership with Martin Steedman at Mains Farm Wigwams. “The RLP gave me the confidence to incorporate my trail building business Collective Trax as a stand alone entity and since then it has built in strength and reputation.”

Four years on, he has a progressively growing portfolio. 2016 has already seen completion of a large bike park at one of the 7 Stanes trail centres in Newcastleton, and a feasibility study for a bike park in Forfar.  As well as that, he’s working on a project developing MTB provision across three local authorities in the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. He is also about to start construction on a trail network at Lochore Meadows Country Park in Fife.

 Being awarded the contract for the feasibility and macro design project for the North East Trail Centre Organisation – an estimated £1.6M project to develop a national scale trail centre in Aberdeenshire due to start this winter - has been his biggest achievement to date.

Wendy Crawford – House of Bluebell

“Since my time at the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme, my greatest achievement has been the development of a new clothing design and manufacturing business. I set up the business to make ladies tartan and tweed clothing using 100% wool, and I have designed the fabric to produce our own brand plaid and linings.

“We officially launched House of Bluebell in September this year and for the first six months we are focusing on our British market, and will be building and developing contacts to export to Canada and North America in the near future.

“During this adventure I have had the opportunity to meet women from all over rural Scotland. Without the confidence I gained during the Rural Leadership course I would not have been able to engage in discussions and gain the same level of feedback on sizing and styling that has been so significant to our first collection.

“At the start of the year I was employing two members of staff but have been able to double the workforce, employing another two machinists to help with production. A team of expert consultants are helping me develop the business further, and I have also been developing my own skills to become an Assessor for the Glasgow Clyde College MA in Manufacturing of Textiles.”