College Shortlisted for Helping It Happen award

Forth Valley College have been shortlisted for an award in the Scottish Land & Estates’ Helping It Happen Awards 2025.

FVC have made the final three in the Education category (sponsored by Terra Magna) for developing their Rural Skills course for young people with Additional Support Needs and will find out if they have been successful on Wednesday 1 October, at a special ceremony in the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh.

The awards – sponsored by NatureScot - recognise the people and projects driving positive change in rural Scotland. With 11 diverse categories – spanning education, conservation, farming, tourism, and rural enterprise – the awards celebrate the remarkable work that underpins the vibrancy and resilience of the countryside.

This year’s finalists represent the very best of rural innovation and community commitment. From pioneering climate-friendly land management to projects enhancing local economies and opportunities, each nominee showcases how Scotland’s rural areas continue to adapt, thrive, and inspire.

FVC’s Rural Skills Workstart course has proved to be very successful over the past year and has partnered with local organisations and estates to provide training and work experience for students, leading to paid countryside traineeships.

Kenny MacInnes, Principal of Forth Valley College, said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for this award and well done to everyone involved. The Helping It Happen Awards showcases examples of best practise across rural Scotland and for us to be selected for our work with our new Workstart Rural Skills course, which is just in its first year, is great recognition of the work we do.”

Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates and chair of the judging panel, said: “This year’s entries highlight just how much creativity, commitment and passion there is across rural Scotland.

“The breadth of projects – from small community initiatives to large-scale enterprises – shows the vital role people play in keeping our countryside vibrant and sustainable. The standard has been incredibly high, and we are looking forward to celebrating the achievements of our finalists and winners when we come together for the awards this October.”

Claudia Rowse, NatureScot's Deputy Director of Green Economy and judge on the Helping it Happen panel, said: “It’s truly inspiring to hear from this year’s nominees about the positive work that so many people are doing to boost the resilience of rural businesses and communities, with protecting and restoring nature so often a key part of that work. I hope that these examples can act as a motivation for others, encouraging more action to improve nature and climate alongside rural business resilience.”