Rural "pre-parliament" in Cairngorms
Residents in Badenoch and Strathspey will have the chance to have their say on the issues facing their own rural communities.
The first ever Scottish Rural Parliament takes place in November but a regional event is happening closer to home later this month.
Anyone can attend the Cairngorms regional event at the Lecht Ski Centre on Tuesday August 26 at 5pm.
The aim of the session is to raise awareness of the full Scottish Rural Parliament meeting taking place in Oban in November, and also feed into the discussions and debates which will take place there.
The event has been organised by the Association of Cairngorms Communities (AoCC) and the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).
It will be an opportunity to discuss the issues of importance to rural communities, gaining an insight into what challenges rural areas are facing and what the solutions might be.
There will be presentations, workshops, discussion sessions and the event is open to anyone living or working in the Cairngorms National Park.
Duncan Bryden, Convener of the CNPA, said: “The Cairngorms Regional Event is a chance for us all to influence what needs to happen at a national level to support communities in the Cairngorms National Park and contribute to the development of a collective vision, not just the Park but for the whole of rural Scotland.”
Roger Clegg, chair of the AoCC, commented: “'The Rural Parliament is an opportunity for the views of people living in rural Scotland to be heard and it will be successful if representatives from rural communities become involved and the policy makers respond positively.”
The first Scottish Rural Parliament in Oban this November will bring together around 400 delegates from across the country with the aim of developing and agreeing a way forward for rural Scotland.
The creation of a Scottish Rural Parliament is inspired by similar initiatives in other countries in Europe.
Organisers have said is not a formal part of government, nor is it a parliament in the sense of a legislative or decision-making body.
Instead it is a ‘bottom-up’ process of involvement and debate between the people of rural Scotland and policy makers to enable better understanding, improved policy and action to address rural issues.
More info on the website: http://www.scottishruralparliament.org.uk/
