Award-winning social enterprise at Struy near Beauly looks to expand in the wake of coronavirus pandemic
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The Shieling Project, an off-grid learning centre at Struy, is seeking new sites to increase its activities and reach.
The venture – named Scotland’s best environmental social enterprise last year – works with children, schools, families and organisations to teach them practical skills for sustainable rural community.
This involves looking back to the heritage and culture of the Highland landscape as well as to the future.
Activities involve traditional and innovative crofting skills from milking cows and growing barley, to installing renewables and creating low carbon buildings, plus local songs and stories.
Project founder Sam Harrison is now in talks with owners of potential new sites in the Black Isle area and Helmsdale but is also keen to hear from other owners of sites, ideally covering about 10 acres.
“Having worked with all ages for the last five years, raising livestock and growing and cooking the fruits of our labours, I can see how important it is for all children to know where their food comes from,” he said.
“I think this is even more important now, coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic and going into Brexit, for children to get the skills and knowledge of what they can grow, and how to be part of local food production.”
With more ground, the project plans to increase livestock numbers and begin to sell to communities.
It will set up vending machine style facilities where people can buy produce simply and quickly while visitors will get involved in crofting and developing the new sites with the help of the project which will provide equipment and training.
“It is important for children to feel they are contributing to a solution to the crisis,” Mr Harrison said.
“Growing food is a really lovely way to help themselves and their communities.
“Watching and taking time to grow, nurture and see life-cycles – lambs to sheep, seedlings to fruit – is essential for recovery and resilience.”
The project has secured funding for two years from the Scottish Government and the European Social Fund to support two part-time posts – himself and his wife Karen, who is the nursery manager – to develop the expansion.
But it still needs to raise funds and enlist volunteers.
“Sadly, coronavirus has stopped all our services this year, but has also allowed us to step back and see what is important about what we do,” Mrs Harrison said.
“We feel that children especially will need dedicated time to recover.
“Our ground-up approach to food growing provides extended learning time for children outdoors, linking to wider themes.
“We want to work with organisations to help them re-build children’s relationships with the landscapes around them, recreating feelings of safety and confidence.”
Anyone wanting more information should email sam@theshielingproject.org