Lochview Rural training launched in July 2021, situated in Sutherland. As a social enterprise and Scottish Charity with the key aim to promote, organise and deliver rural learning, training, and career opportunities, providing a viable and sustainable future for Scotland’s land-based industries. They started the enterprise to address the shortage of skills in the rural sector through improving the awareness, knowledge of, and access to our rural areas and to promote an informed understanding of the value of rural life to lifelong health, quality of life and social wellbeing for all.
The founder of Lochview Rural Training is a local croft assessor for the crofting commission, and they have been working in partnership with the Scottish Crofting Federation and Lairg & District Learning Centre to develop a mixture of adult and youth courses.
Based in the heart of a crofting township, Lochview rural training is trying to balance the skills shortage and help address the problem with youth retention in small rural communities. Lochview is offering a range of education packages including a young crofter’s group which is aimed at 11–17-year-olds. The group is being supported and provided informal learning of day-to-day crofting activities, from grass land management to animal husbandry, as well as a variety of STEM based learning. The young crofters are then involved in community crofting activities including scanning at February time, lambing, shearing, and dipping. They are supported by the older members of the crofting townships, to gain knowledge and understanding of the crofting activities and some have even achieved Saltire volunteer awards and Dynamic youth awards.
This area of Sutherland has limited opportunities due to geographical barriers and lack of transport links, however each week they are working with around 60-70 people, and this is growing as they expand their delivery. They are committed to this project because they work with youths daily and communities and see that they are keen for alternative ways to get outdoors, learn about caring for our environment and be alongside animals to help reduce the pressures of mental health.