I’ve just come back from the Future Countryside conference at the beautiful Raby Castle in County Durham. And one of my biggest takeaways is just how important it is for those of us who live and work in a rural environment to be able to take control of the things we want to do.
Speaker after speaker at the event, which I attended with our chief executive Ed Ikin and Chair of Trustees Mary Riall, talked of the importance of taking an autonomous approach to bringing about positive change in the countryside.
We all have the power to change the conversation.
Mary Ann Ochota, President of CPRE
We heard at the conference from Alexia Robinson, founder of Love British Food, who described how, after the Foot and Mouth crisis, she was determined to encourage more people to eat local produce and support British farmers and food producers.
TV personality and host of Location, Location, Location Kirsty Allsopp, spoke about the horrors of fly-tipping and littering and how she takes the initiative to do what she can to clean up the countryside, going on litter picks with her children.
On a different scale, but on the same theme, the Mayor for York & North Yorkshire, David Skaith, told us about how his authority had set up – with partners – a Natural Health Service to harness the power of the natural landscape to help people live healthier, more active, more connected lives.
This theme of independent action for a shared cause is so relevant to the work of The Ernest Cook Trust and one that we apply across our very different estates and land holdings. We know that one size definitely does not fit all and always try to give our tenants and staff the freedom to operate in the way that suits their communities and businesses. It’s at the heart of a place-based approach, which we are starting to explore in our new strategy.
But autonomy at grassroots level only comes about as a result of genuine trust – and that was another strong theme of the conference. It’s evident at Raby Castle where I spoke to one of Lord Barnard’s tenants. He told me that trust and transparency between the estate and its tenants was so important in allowing him to manage his business in the best way.
Major speakers at this year’s conference included the journalist and author Simon Jenkins. He set the scene in the morning by arguing that expecting Central Government to provide solutions to all the rural challenges was not the answer – freedom within an established framework was what is needed, he and others argued. And we need shared interest and engagement to create this momentum and find these solutions.
As a land-based education charity, the Ernest Cook Trust is heavily engaged in encouraging more people – especially young people – to visit the countryside, engage with it and learn from it. That challenge remains – but we are clearly pushing at an open door.
Statistics discussed at the conference show more than 90% of the public views the countryside as very important. That gives us cause for hope. The challenge is to convert that enthusiasm into action and support for all that the countryside can offer.
We don’t tell nature’s story well enough. Clean water, fresh air, good soil. That’s all nature.
Natalie Prosser, Chief Executive Officer at the Office for Environmental Protection
Finally, it was an eye-opener to be able to tour the grounds of Raby Castle with Ed – and his great horticultural knowledge! I could see that the landscaping is beautiful and impactful – but Ed was able to explain how it came about through careful planting and management. And the theme of trust and freedom is mirrored in how designer and landowner have both honoured the thoughtful planting of that space. So as well as being a beautiful venue to spend the day at, Raby Castle brought to life so much of what we discussed throughout the day.
