NFU Scotland has awarded a final donation from its Centenary Trust of £1,050 to the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET).
The trust, which was set up to mark the union’s centenary in 2013, has awarded £217,000 to 73 projects across Scotland in the past four years.
The latest donation to RHET marked the closing of the trust, which was established with funds raised from donations by union members, as well as the highly successful Banff Centenary Whisky and a Centenary Book to mark the occasion.
The objectives of the trust were: to encourage as many children as possible to learn more about where their food and drink comes from and to visit a farm; to educate farmers, their employees and their children on health and safety in the countryside, with a special emphasis on children’s safety; and to assist in bringing forward a meaningful apprenticeship programme for the farm sector.
Of the £217,000 awarded by the trust, £145,000 was given to educational activities, £43,000 for rural training, and £29,000 was given to health and safety projects.
The largest award of £17,500 was given to the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative to build a classroom on wheels. The charity, which operates across Moray, Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire, aims to provide support to schools and teachers with projects on food and farming.
Ringlink’s land-based internship programme received an award of £15,516, while the Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs (SAYFC) was given £10,000 for health and safety projects.
Trustee and Fife farmer, George Lawrie, said: “What has been achieved has been fantastic in a short time frame and we thank all those who have been involved in raising money, giving donations, or submitting applications since the inception of the trust.
“We are bringing the trust to a close but it will be great to see projects that have benefited from funding continue to educate and inform in the coming years. That is a fitting legacy to mark the centenary of the Union in 2013.”