Henry has been involved in land management all his life. A farmer himself, he was also an advisor to the Scottish Agricultural College before becoming a senior figure in agricultural banking and then holding non-executive positions with SRUC, Forestry & Land Scotland and Lantra as Chairman for Scotland. As one of the Agricultural Champions advising on the future agricultural strategy for Scotland, Henry led on education. His passion for education and training has seen him involved in initiatives to encourage new entrants to farming through his leadership of the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants group.
Henry has had a laser focus on the future of land management, farming and the wider rural economy. This has been particularly evident in driving forward the agenda to help young people and new entrants gain the skills and experience needed for a successful career. Building on his background as a farmer and SAC adviser, his understanding of the practical elements of rural business and his empathy meant he was a truly trusted adviser when he moved into banking, working with family businesses to give them the support they needed to succeed. More recently, Henry has been a diplomatic and respected voice on a wide range of rural issues including agriculture, forestry, training, education and skills. A key skill of Henry's has been his ability to bring people from different backgrounds together to discuss problems and find solutions. His style of challenging in a positive way and seeking solutions, rather than simply pointing out problems, has meant that the follow-up has always been positive. Many of the projects and organisations Henry has been involved with have resulted in real change and success for the industry.
Henry has long recognised the need to nurture the next generations of people who will form the bedrock of rural Scotland's future by ensuring they have the best education and training opportunities available, regardless of ability or background. His championing of this cause throughout his career as a consultant, banker and most recently through his work as Chair of Lantra in Scotland, Chair of the Implementation Steering Group for the Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland and Chair of the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants group has seen countless young people encouraged and given opportunities for careers in the wider rural sector across Scotland. At a time of change when rural Scotland is facing new and different challenges, Henry has put in place a solid foundation to ensure that young people are encouraged and equipped with the right skills to meet these future challenges for the continued benefit of rural Scotland and wider society.
The Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group was set up with a specific remit to identify opportunities for new entrants and developing farmers and crofters on publicly owned land. Henry, as chair of the group, has led the initiative with drive and creativity, challenging organisations responsible for the management of public land to think and act positively to provide opportunities for new entrants. He has been the real driving force behind the creation of nine 'starter farms' on ten-year Short Limited Duration tenancies on land managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. Since its inception, the FONE group has helped over 80 new entrants by providing 124 opportunities on almost 8,000 hectares of public land. This would not have happened without Henry challenging and encouraging organisations to see the benefits to rural Scotland of providing new opportunities. Recognising that more could be done to create opportunities for new entrants, Henry led the initiative to establish the Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS) under the auspices of the FONE Group. SLMS is a free service which brings together those in farming and crofting who are thinking about joint venture opportunities. As Chair of LANTRA in Scotland, Henry has been a major driving force in supporting and securing funding for rural apprenticeship initiatives, including the development of the pre-apprenticeship programme which does so much for those of school age wishing to follow a more vocational learning path.
Find out more about the finalists for the Helping it Happen Awards 2023