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1. Countryside Alliance Award winners of 2009
2. Casting for Recovery’s 2010 programme
3. Call now for your free copy of Country Life
4. Ascot Raceday winner
5. POWER2010
1. Countryside Alliance Award winners of 2009
The Countryside Alliance Awards reception was held at Parliament yesterday and as ever it was an inspiring and happy occasion. Over 350 people – Parliamentarians, Countryside Alliance Awards regional winners and media packed the terrace at the House of Lords and I got the impression from the winners’ reactions that, five years in, our Rural Oscars have become firmly established as a valued and coveted celebration of our countryside.
The Awards reception is one of our biggest events of the year, and gives rural businessmen and women from all over Britain an enjoyable opportunity to meet like-minded people and talk to Parliamentarians about the ups and downs of rural enterprise. In this General Election year this celebration also had a serious edge: we have our own Rural Manifesto in place, and everyone involved in the Awards represents a part of it, whether food and farming, country sports or rural services. It is vital that we miss no opportunity to put our Manifesto priorities in front of Parliamentarians, and yesterday’s celebration did that in impressive style.
All of 2009’s regional winners came to the event to celebrate their regional title and to hear if they were to add a British title to their regional one and I had the happy task of announcing the winners. Three of the four British titles went to community-run initiatives, meaning 2009 was clearly the year of the tenacious fight back; a pub in Cumbria, a village shop in Worcestershire and a cinema in Dumfries are all run by their communities for everyone’s benefit. The fourth title, Local Food, was claimed by family-run Beadlam Grange farm shop in Yorkshire which is a standard bearer for local produce and promotes it with entrepreneurial flair. You can read more about all winners on the Awards website www.countrysideallianceawards.co.uk
I was also pleased to honour politicians, handing over the Grassroots Award to Sir Alan Beith MP and the Westminster Award to Philip Dunne MP for their work championing the countryside. Finally, the Rural Hero of 2009 Award went to Lincolnshire’s Agricultural Chaplain, Rev Canon Alan Robson who, amongst many other practical initiatives, set up a confidential helpline to support isolated farmers.
So the 2009 roll of honour is complete and each winner provides a reason to be cheerful. Many congratulations to them all, and if your favourite enterprise was overlooked this time, the 2010 Awards open to nominations in September.
Simon Hart
Chief Executive
2. Casting for Recovery’s 2010 programme
Casting for Recovery, the unique fly fishing programme for women who have, or have had, breast cancer, has revealed its 2010 retreat programme and is inviting applications. Retreats will be held in Devon, Hampshire, Co. Antrim and Angus.
Casting for Recovery provides fly fishing programmes at idyllic retreats around the UK and Ireland. Any woman who has experienced breast cancer is eligible to apply to attend a retreat (with medical clearance from their doctor). Retreats take place over two-and-a-half days and all accommodation, meals, counselling, and professional instruction are provided at no cost to participants. Trained female medical and counselling staff and fly fishing instructors are on hand at all times, the fishing tackle and appropriate clothing is provided by Orvis UK and financial backing is given by the Countryside Alliance.
Fly fishing is a gentle exercise which requires no strength and is exactly the sort of exercise in which recovering breast cancer patients can participate safely. Fly fishing also offers those on retreat a chance to reflect and escape in tranquil surroundings. Casting for Recovery was founded in the United States in 1996 and has since helped over 3,500 breast cancer survivors. In the UK and Ireland it began in 2006 and over 150 women have now been through the programme over twelve retreats.
2010’s retreats will be held at:
26-28 March - Arundell Arms, Lifton, Devon, England (applications are to be in by 15th February)
16-18 July - Kimbridge-on-the-Test, Romsey, Hampshire, England
17-19 September – Brookhall Trout Fishery, Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
24-26 September - Kingennie, Broughty Ferry, Angus, Scotland
The UK and Ireland Programme Co-ordinator is Sue Hunter, who recovered from breast cancer to become an international gold medallist fly fisher. Sue said “Casting for Recovery retreats are unforgettable and it is a huge privilege to be able to provide these brave women with such a special experience. We have held retreats at each of these venues before; all are stunning and have staff who are keen to help participants get the most out of their retreat. We have a great team who all share a passionate enthusiasm for what we do; all you have to do is apply to attend and we will take care of the rest.” Apply to attend a retreat: http://www.castingforrecovery.org.uk/philaform/2010-participant-application-form/
3. Call now for your free copy of Country Life
This month, Country Life has a special offer for members of the Countryside Alliance - a free copy of Country Life magazine, the essential weekly guide to countryside living. As the voice of the countryside each week Country Life celebrates the best in British country living including country news, the arts, architecture and gardening. This special offer has no obligations - we even pay for delivery.
To receive your free copy just call 0808 168 5200 and quote code 112E
Lines open 7 days a week, 8am - 9pm. Offer only open to UK residents and closes 31st March 2010. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery of your free issue. Offer is limited to one magazine per caller. Calls are free from a BT landline
4. Ascot Raceday winner
Congratulations to grass e-route reader Catherine Watts who has won four premier admission tickets to the Ascot Countryside Race Day which will be held on 18th April 2010. Catherine gave the correct answer to our prize draw question – what was the name of the horse that won the 2009 Grand National? The answer was Mon Mome. We will set another prize draw question shortly.
5. Power 2010
A message from democracy group POWER2010: We've only got till the 22nd February for the vote so though it's a lot in a short time it's the only way that Stronger Local Government will come out at the centre of the pledge.
POWER2010</link> is a campaign to take back control - of our government, of our politics, and of our democracy. In this coming general election, they'll be asking all Parliamentary candidates to sign the POWER2010 pledge, a promise of reform to which they will hold them accountable after they enter office - and the contents of that pledge are up to us.
There are twenty-nine ideas for reform for you to consider consideration, but only the top five will go on to form the backbone of this major nationwide campaign. Click here to vote:http://www.power2010.org.uk/vote and click here to vote for the Countryside Alliance’s submission for stronger local government: http://www.power2010.org.uk/votes/entry/empower-local-government/
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