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University expert on rural development issues appointed to New Opportunities Fund Scottish Land Fund Committee

Date: 4 May 2000
Our ref: 615
 

Professor John Bryden, co-Director of the University of Aberdeen’s Arkleton Centre for Rural Development Research, has become a member of the New Opportunities Fund Scottish Land Fund Committee

The Scottish Land Fund Committee will administer £10.78million of National Lottery money that has been committed to supporting Scotland’s rural communities in buying, managing or developing their local land.    It will award grants to sustainable rural projects to acquire land, to community land management or development project and for local feasibility studies and training.

Principal of the University of Aberdeen, C Duncan Rice, warmly welcomed Professor Bryden’s appointment:  “I am delighted that Professor Bryden’s expertise and extensive knowledge of  rural development issues has been acknowledged by his appointment to the Scottish Land Fund Committee,    I am confident his clear understanding of the fundamental issues and challenges which face rural Scotland will be an enormously valuable asset to the Committee in its deliberations and decision making.”

Joining Professor Bryden on the Committee are:

Councillor Margaret Davidson, Arbriachan Forest Trust and Highland Council
Douglas Graham, Lawyer and National Lottery Charities Board co-opted Scotland Committee Member
John Macaskill, Chairman, Crofters Commission
Murdo MacLennan, Chief Executive, Western Isles Health Board
Councillor Roderick Murray, Vice-convener, Western Isles Council
Julian Pace, Policy, Research and Marketing Manager, Scottish Borders Enterprise
Andy Wightman, Author, “Who Owns Scotland?”

Committee Chairman is David Campbell, New Opportunities Fund Board member for Scotland and Vice Chairman is Dugald Mackie, University of Glasgow.

The New Opportunities Fund distributes National Lottery money to health, education and environment projects across the UK.   The funding is divided between England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the basis of population weighted to reflect levels of deprivation.
 

NOTES TO EDITORS

The University of Aberdeen Arkleton Centre for Rural Development Research

The Centre was established in November 1995 to research the issues of rural change and development in Europe, including developments in rural policy and practice.  It has built strong links with researchers in Europe and North America, and works closely with rural communities, policy makers and practitioners.

The main focus of research is on the human dimensions of rural development covering such issues as the dynamics of economic and social change in rural areas; the causes and consequences of rural migration and mobility patterns; the diversity of rurality and the creation of typologies; sustainable rural development, community involvement in rural development; problems of rural poverty and disadvantage, including those of access to housing, training and transport, and problems and opportunities arising from technological changes, particularly the development of the Information Highway.

New Opportunities Fund
Further information is available from:
Jackie Killeen, Tel:  0141 242 7800/Out of hours – 07760 171435
Web address:  www.nof.org.uk
 

Further information

Tina Kenworthy, University Press Officer, Tel:  01224 273778
University Press Office on telephone +44 (0)1224-273778 or email a.ramsay@admin.abdn.ac.uk.