Wednesday August 12th 2026
Border Union Agricultural Society Schools Countryside Day
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Nine outstanding individuals, businesses and organisations from the Scottish Borders have been named as finalists in the Helping It Happen Awards 2026.
Organised by Scottish Land & Estates and supported by headline sponsor NatureScot, the awards celebrate the innovation, determination and community spirit helping rural Scotland thrive.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Helping It Happen Awards, which have attracted almost 1,000 nominations and recognised more than 100 winners since their launch.
To mark the landmark year, a major new Rural Champion Award has also been created – with a £10,000 prize courtesy of The Royal Countryside Fund, which was founded by His Majesty The King, and has supported rural and farming communities across the UK since 2010.
The Scottish Borders finalists are:
Borders Forest Trust – Conservation Award
Borders Forest Trust is restoring native woodlands and wild landscapes across southern Scotland, strengthening biodiversity, connecting habitats and engaging communities in landscape-scale conservation. Its work at Carrifran, Corehead and Talla and Gameshope now encompasses more than 3,000 hectares of connected habitat restoration.
River Tweed Commission – Conservation Award
The River Tweed Commission led a major partnership to restore fish passage at Ettrick Marshes after an estimated 10,000 tonnes of gravel and woody material blocked part of the river’s original channel. The work has reopened access to important spawning habitats while enhancing biodiversity and strengthening the river’s long-term resilience.
Border Union Agricultural Society Schools Countryside Day – Education Award
The annual Schools Countryside Day gives every Primary 5 pupil in the Scottish Borders hands-on learning about farming, food production and rural life. Featuring more than 50 interactive exhibits and supported by over 300 volunteers, the event welcomes approximately 1,200 pupils each year and has reached more than 14,000 children since 2013.
Neidpath Farms Agroforestry – Enhancing our Environment through Land Management Award
Tweed Forum and Neidpath Farms have created one of Scotland’s largest agroforestry projects, planting more than 1,800 native, fruit and landscape trees. The 13.6-hectare project is designed to improve farm productivity, biodiversity, habitat connectivity and resilience to drought and flooding.
Tweed Salmon Festival – Good News Award
The Tweed Salmon Festival celebrates the River Tweed’s cultural, environmental and economic importance. By bringing communities together around one of Scotland’s most iconic rivers, the festival strengthens local connections and attracts national attention to the Scottish Borders.
IndiNature – Iver Salvesen Award for Combatting Climate Change
Scottish Borders-based IndiNature has scaled production of carbon-storing hemp insulation, cutting construction emissions while rebuilding UK supply chains and creating opportunities for farmers and rural diversification. The company secured £2 million of investment and commissioned a second production line in 2025.
Trevor Jackson, Charlesfield – Rural Business Award
Charlesfield Farms combines regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, a distillery, vineyard and industrial estate to create rural employment and support the local economy. The fifth-generation family farming business now provides premises for 70 businesses and is developing the Borders’ first grain distillery.
Bird Gardens Scotland – Tourism & Visitor Management Award
Bird Gardens Scotland at Oxton protects endangered and threatened birds through conservation breeding programmes while inspiring visitors to support wildlife conservation and sustainable living. The seven-acre visitor attraction is home to birds from around the world and operates from an off-grid site where 6,000 trees have been planted.
The Country Food Trust – Working with Communities Award
The Country Food Trust collects and processes game birds from participating shoots, providing nutritious, protein-rich food to foodbanks, community kitchens and homeless shelters. In the Scottish Borders, its work has helped provide meals to Kelso Community Larder and foodbanks in Jedburgh and Coldstream.
Across 12 Helping It Happen categories, this year’s finalists have been recognised for achievements spanning conservation, education, farming, rural enterprise, tourism, community development and environmental land management.
Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates and chair of the judging panel, said: “This year’s finalists embody the imagination, commitment and resilience that have made the Helping It Happen Awards so special over the past decade.
“From individuals quietly giving their time to support their neighbours to businesses and organisations delivering ambitious projects, every finalist is making a tangible difference to rural Scotland.
“The quality of entries made the judges’ task extremely difficult. We are delighted to recognise these achievements and look forward to bringing everyone together for a very special 10th anniversary celebration in October.”
The winners will be announced at the Helping It Happen Awards ceremony and dinner on Thursday 1 October 2026 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
The black-tie event will bring together rural businesses, land managers, community representatives and industry leaders to celebrate the people and projects shaping rural Scotland’s future.
Tweet Share on Facebook
