Nominee Summary
I am the Chairperson of the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative and so very proud of all of the work done by the charity over Aberdeenshire, Morayshire and Aberdeen City. As well as collaborations with other charities such as RHET. The staff and committee work so hard to deliver unforgettable experiences for children educating them about food and farming.
The preservation of skills
The Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) has played a vital role in preserving and promoting rural skills by engaging thousands of children and young people across north-east Scotland with hands-on countryside education. Founded in 1997, RNCI was established to give young people a balanced insight into agriculture, sustainability, and the importance of rural communities. Working in partnership with the Royal Highland Education Trust, the Royal Northern Agricultural Society, and local businesses, RNCI delivers free educational experiences to schools across Moray, Aberdeenshire, and Aberdeen City. Through farm visits, food and farming days, STEM events, and a unique countryside classroom on wheels, RNCI connects pupils with real-life rural skills—from food production to environmental stewardship. Their use of classroom resource boxes, windowsill garden kits, and DIY vegetable growing packs helps children extend their learning in the classroom, building growing and cooking skills while deepening their understanding of where food comes from. RNCI works alongside volunteers and rural professionals to ensure traditional skills are accurately shared and celebrated. With over 25 years of experience and strong links to the rural sector, RNCI continues to inspire the next generation, preserving the knowledge and values that are vital to sustaining Scotland’s countryside.
Increasing awareness
The Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) has significantly increased awareness of rural skills and education by actively engaging schools and communities across Moray, Aberdeenshire, and Aberdeen City. In the 2023–24 school year alone, RNCI reached 18,908 pupils through a wide range of interactive learning experiences, including farm visits, classroom talks, online activities, and visits from their countryside classroom on wheels (CCOW). RNCI is committed to ensuring that distance and accessibility are never barriers to learning. The team works closely with schools in both urban and remote rural areas, delivering free educational experiences that highlight the value of agriculture, sustainability, and traditional countryside skills. To further strengthen community ties and support hands-on learning, RNCI builds partnerships with local businesses. A key example is a collaboration with a local garden centre, which donated seeds and compost for the windowsill garden project—a take-home initiative helping children learn how to grow and care for plants. By making rural education engaging and accessible, RNCI not only fosters awareness but also cultivates curiosity, confidence, and respect for rural life in the next generation.
Ethical/environmental standards
The Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) upholds strong ethical and environmental values in all its educational work, with a focus on sustainability, community collaboration, and responsible use of local resources. Environmental awareness is central to RNCI’s teaching, with activities like farm visits, food and farming days, and windowsill garden projects helping children understand food production, biodiversity, and sustainable living. The windowsill garden kits—containing seeds, compost, and growing instructions—are made possible through partnerships with local businesses, including a local garden centre that donated materials. These projects teach pupils how to grow their own food while reducing packaging waste and promoting low-impact learning. RNCI also works closely with local suppliers, tradespeople, and farmers, not only for educational content but to ensure that all materials used are sourced ethically and locally where possible. Their countryside classroom on wheels further reduces environmental impact by bringing experiences directly to schools, especially in remote areas. Crucially, RNCI is supported by a network of local benefactors and rural businesses who share its values. Their contributions allow RNCI to offer all its services free of charge to schools, removing barriers to access and ensuring rural learning reaches communities of all backgrounds. By embedding sustainability and community collaboration into every level of its work, RNCI demonstrates leadership in ethical, environmentally responsible education.
Noteworthy improvements
The Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) has made significant improvements to its outreach and impact by expanding its involvement in high-profile events and collaborative community projects. These efforts have strengthened RNCI’s role as a key voice for rural education across north-east Scotland. In the past year, RNCI has participated in several specialist events including BeefTech25, TechFest, and the Royal Northern Spring Show—broadening its reach and allowing the team to engage with a wider audience on the importance of rural skills, sustainable farming, and countryside careers. A standout improvement has been RNCI’s partnership with Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, and the Soil Association through the #GivePeasAChance project. This successful initiative introduced locally grown split peas into school meals—promoting sustainable agriculture, supporting local producers, and encouraging healthy eating. It also allowed RNCI to create educational content around legumes, soil health, and Scottish-grown crops. These efforts have diversified RNCI’s programming, enriched its learning materials, and deepened its collaboration with public bodies and the local agricultural sector. Combined with hands-on projects like the windowsill garden kits and the countryside classroom on wheels, RNCI’s work continues to evolve to meet educational needs in meaningful and innovative ways.
Overcoming Challenges
The Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) has faced and successfully overcome a number of significant challenges in continuing its mission to deliver high-quality rural education to children across north-east Scotland. One of the main hurdles has been navigating increased legislation and stricter biosecurity rules, which have made it more difficult to bring live animals onto school grounds, particularly within the countryside classroom on wheels (CCOW). In response, RNCI has carefully adhered to all updated guidance, ensuring safety and compliance while still providing high-quality, hands-on learning. The team continues to visit schools with engaging, farm-based resources that bring the countryside to pupils in a safe, controlled, and interactive way. Another major barrier has been the rising cost of transport, stretching both RNCI’s and schools’ budgets for bus travel to farm visits. To address this, RNCI developed a fundraising strategy to help cover bus costs, making farm visits more affordable. Additionally, RNCI has increased the number of in-school experiences, ensuring pupils receive meaningful, hands-on rural learning without leaving their classrooms. Despite these challenges, RNCI continues to deliver all its programmes free of charge, thanks to strong relationships with local businesses and benefactors. These partnerships help offset costs, support new initiatives, and allow RNCI to remain accessible to all schools, regardless of location or budget. Through adaptability, innovation, and a deep commitment to its mission, RNCI has not only overcome these barriers but emerged stronger—continuing to inspire the next generation with the value of rural life and skills. https://www.rnci.co.uk/
