Enthusiasm and drive in the North East
Lord Curry of Kirkharle, an influential speaker on rural matters and Chair of the Prince’s Countryside Fund, President of Community Action Northumberland and Chair of the Rural Design Centre (RDC), chaired the conference.
He said: “I am delighted that the first Rural Catalyst Conference was a huge success. It was brilliant to see so many people at the Alnwick Garden, in-person and virtually, and witness first-hand the enthusiasm and drive that exists in the North East to foster rural innovation.
“The issues facing our rural communities are of deep concern and it is only by working in partnership that we can tackle these. The conference was a celebration of that, and it was fantastic to showcase the many initiatives already taking place which are making a difference to the lives of people living and working in rural areas.
“The event also further demonstrated that the North East is at the forefront of this work and I will continue to take a keen interest in this as it progresses, while helping to promote the region on a national stage.”
Delegates heard from a mix of speakers with wide and varied backgrounds, such as Sarah Dunning, who is the driving force behind the Westmorland family business which run Tebay and Gloucester services, renowned for focusing on local, rural produce. Sarah shared how they have been building on the foundations and concepts her father John started many years ago. For them, embracing change and shifting focus to diversification has enabled their business to go from strength to strength and she explained how the role they play in the local economy benefits the visitors to their sites and those around them.