THE Scottish Farmer is delighted to be part of the new Rural Youth Project’s Scottish media partner. This is the first in a series of features focusing on the work of the project in its first year.

IN THE UK, almost a fifth of our population live in rural areas and according to the latest results from the rural population annual growth percentage, it is in decline.

In Scotland, rural life is integral to our culture and so much is changing. On the one hand, urbanisation has created an ageing population in rural areas, on the other technology and digitisation is bridging the gap and making living and working in the country more feasible and rewarding for young people.

But on the brink of technological and political changes, it is how the UK, its government and its rural enterprises can capitalise on opportunities and promote a thriving rural economy filled with young, skilled people.

International research amongst rural young people has been, at best, fragmented, but what we do know is that rural areas have a lower percentage of 16-34 year-olds and evidence suggests that migration of young people away from rural areas hinges on education, employment opportunities, housing and public transport availability.

Agricultural communications specialist, Jane Craigie Marketing (JCM), has launched the Rural Youth Project (RYP), an initiative which included a survey of young people aged 18-28 living in rural areas.

The project is supported by eight industry partners with the aim of filling the knowledge gap and to find out more about what matters to rural young people. This will be used to advise policy makers and the wider industry so that they can enable feasible strategies.

The survey is worldwide, so the results can be compared with other countries and allow all those involved to learn from each other.

“We don’t want a report that sits on the shelf, but a report that will encourage change and improvement in rural communities,” Jane Craigie, managing director of the agri-food communications agency, told The SF. “Rural young people are fundamental to the vibrancy, energy and economic outlook of rural places all over the world.

"We want to better understand what young people perceive their challenges and opportunities to be, as well as gaining a better understanding of how policy can support their future.”

The survey is open to all rural young people whether in farming, education, retail, health or unemployed, and has been running since the end of January, 2018. With responses from Scotland, England, Wales, Australia, Austria, Canada, Sweden and the USA, the focus countries for 2018, similar themes have already become evident.

As expected, rural broadband, housing and transport have been highlighted, but so has the love of rural life, space and rewarding work, which has come across strongly.

Interestingly, there has been huge response from young women in the industry completing the survey – so young men out there, have your say and complete the online survey!

Banff and Buchan MP, David Duguid, recently offered his support to the initiative and commented: “The survey provides a wonderful opportunity for young people themselves to contribute to our understanding of what is required to stimulate change and improve their prospects in rural communities.”

Due to the positive response, both from industry partners, government and the engagement from young people from all over the world, the deadline for the survey has been extended to May 31, 2018.

“The more results we achieve, the more valuable the data will be and the better-informed policy makers will be to implement policies that support rural economic development and thriving rural communities,” added Rebecca Dawes, of Jane Craigie Marketing and co-founder of the project.

The full results will be released in July, 2018, after which the project will be looking to engage with key decision-makers and politicians to ensure the rural youth voice is both heard and acted upon.

Through 'vlogging' (video blogs) and social media, it will provide a forum for discussion and shared ideas.

Over the course of 12 months it will be following the lives, challenges and aspirations of young vloggers living and working in rural areas from across the globe including, Scotland, England, Wales, Canada and Australia.

The project has signed three new partners since launching in January – the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, Rural Youth Europe and The Scottish Farmer as Scottish media partner. Presentations will also be made to the European Network of Rural Development (Brussels), Rural Perth and Kinross’ Leader and to the BBC Rural Affairs committee.

This year’s survey will culminate in a Rural Youth Festival on a farm in central Scotland in July, 2018, with food, music and inspiring speakers.

The survey will be repeated annually until 2022, the 'year of storytelling', to drive positive change in Scotland’s rural economy.

The survey:

Rural Youth Project is offering 18-28 year olds the chance to win;

• One pair of tickets to TRNSMT 2018

or

• One pair of tickets to ButeFest 2018

Log in to www.ruralyouthproject.com, complete the survey and provide your e-mail address at the end. The survey's findings will help the partners and the wider industry better support you in your life, community and career.

The 'vlogger' experience:

Two of the Rural Youth Project's young vloggers have given us their biographies as they prepare to share their rural lives through the camera lens.

Jakob Eunson – Shetland, Scotland

Age – 20

Employer/career – livestock farmer and butcher

'Born and bred in the most northerly point of the British Isles, I work on the family farm and have my own butchery business.

Our family enterprise consists of 75 native cattle and around 600 native sheep, all run organically. Before coming home to farm full time, I studied for two years at Scotland’s Rural College, Barony, just outside Dumfries.

I rent space at our local Shetland abattoir to carry out my butchery and sell beef and lamb from our farm to a local shop. In time, I hope to set up the butchery at home.

In 2017, I was lucky enough to win Agricultural Learner of the Year with Lantra Scotland which has allowed me to get more recognition in the wider community outwith Shetland. This helped build my confidence greatly.

When I do get a bit of spare time, I am a keen player for the Scallow senior football team. Unfortunately, there is no Young Farmers organisation in Shetland, so I have not been lucky enough to be able to join a club and hope in time the SAYFC can get a club set up on the island.

Shetland is a spacious and beautiful part of the world, with many old traditions still at the forefront of the community. I think this plays a big part in the relationship between the younger and older generations on the island, which I feel is very strong.

I wouldn’t really change anything or want to see many changes to the way of life here in the future. Surprisingly, we have excellent WiFi and internet connection, which I know can be a huge problem in other areas of the country.

The main downside would be the distance from the mainland. We endure a seven-hour boat journey on the North Sea to get to our closest city Aberdeen. Alternatively, we can take a one-hour plane journey to the same location or further south, however this can be quite costly and is dependent on unreliable Scottish weather.'

Name – Sarah Allison, Angus, Scotland

Age – 26

Employer/career – Soil Association Scotland, where she is responsible for managing a knowledge transfer project ‘Farming with Nature’

'Rural life has been the way of life for me.

I was brought up on the family hill farm and went on to work for an organic meat plant business when leaving my local high school at the age of 16. I also attended SAC Auchincruive and studied Green Technology, before furthering my career in the agricultural sector, working for Soil Association Scotland.

Outwith that, the environment, agriculture and the rural community play a key role for me, with my commitment to the SAYFC stretching over a decade, first joining the organisation when I was 14.

I’ve participated in roles, responsibilities and events from local to national level and in 2013 was part of the relaunched Rural Agri-Affairs Committee and was its chair from 2015-17.

Now married and living with my husband, a farmer from Angus, I am still very much continuing to grow my rural roots. My passion for the rural way of life falls back to its close-knit communities and traditional roots.

However, it can be hard to be part of this way of life, due to unaffordable homes and although such communities are close knit, sometimes this can be challenge rather than a positive when you first enter that community.

Limited jobs in rural areas also create large barriers for young people, with many having to choose urban areas to live due to no opportunities for both living and working in rural areas.

I would like to see this change in the future so young people have the opportunity to work and live in rural areas, at an affordable price.'