Calling all farmers and the wider agri sector! Can you help get behind the new school campaign?

Rural education charity, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) is delighted to launch 'The Journey of Food: Sheep and Wool'. 

From this September through to the end of June next year, working in partnership with RNCI, QMS, NSA, and British Wool, RHET will provide a variety of free educational opportunities and experiences for school pupils throughout Scotland. The resources and events will focus on the important role sheep, lamb, and the uses of wool play in our economy, communities, and creative Scotland. From the rugged hills of the Highlands and Islands, across the central belt and into the Borders, lamb production is woven into our culture and history, from the drovers of years ago to modern-day mixed farming.  

This campaign has developed a range of free accessible resources for use in schools. Teachers have been signing up for two in-person training days, over 70 teachers will attend the first session at Ingliston this weekend and the next in Inverness on 23rd September.  These sessions are also open to volunteers where the resources will be demonstrated and tips on classroom speaker topics to cover. 

The highlight of the calendar is RHET's popular week-long, online Talk to Farmer event, taking place  in March 2024 where over 5,000 children are expected to join live and have a chance to chat with some wonderful volunteers about their work, their animals, and their passion for farming. 

RHET is delighted to work closely with partners from the sheep industry on this exciting campaign to help bring the Scottish sheep sector to life for pupils all linked to their learning. With help from the wider industry, whether it's financial support, volunteering, or spreading the word, the campaign needs your help.  

All resources produced and people's time are FREE for schools to access, and the RHET Team will do all they can to get as many schools as possible on board. 

What can YOU do to help?! 

 MAKE A DONATION - If are able to support us, please contact the project leads, Sheila or Fran at rhetinfo@rhass.org.uk  

• Become a supporter | Royal Highland Education Trust (rhet.org.uk) 
• Follow and share RHET social media posts, this will help us to spread the word! 
• If you can help by volunteering your time to speak with school children (and teachers) about sheep farming and or wool that would be GRHET!  
• Maybe help by making a short video, sharing photos or stories – any help at all would be appreciated. 
• We need our sector to be energised and doing everything to be talking about this campaign positively. 
  
   Fran Matheson, RHET Highland Project Coordinator, and one of the leads on the project, comments:– 
  
   'The passion and dedication of Scottish farmers helps produce some of the best quality lamb in the world in accordance with the highest welfare standards that we are all extremely proud of.' She continues 'This campaign is an opportunity to teach children across Scotland about lamb and the role of sheep farming in our communities, the season-by-season work on sheep farms, education about the animals on farm, including its biodiversity, and the traditions handed down through the generations. We will also focus on how wool can be used sustainably in so many products with the hope of encouraging more of us to embrace this remarkable material. RHET has, with the help of some very passionate volunteers, created lots of wool crafting activities for school pupils to enjoy and learn in the classroom. We are very excited to be sharing this campaign with you all and hope you will help us.' 
  
   If you would like to know more about what is coming up during the year or how you could get involved locally, please visit the RHET website (rhet.org.uk) or contact rhetinfo@rhass.org.uk/ 0131 335 6627 where someone on the team will be more than happy to help.