Rural Champion

Apply for the new Rural Champion prize as part of the Scottish Land and Estates Helping it Happen Awards

A new prize is now available for someone who has made a significant, lasting impact on their rural community in Scotland.

The Royal Countryside Fund is delighted to be collaborating with Scottish Land & Estates in 2026 on the ‘Helping It Happen Awards’, which are now in their tenth year.

Run by Scottish Land & Estates the awards shine a light on the people, businesses and community projects powering rural Scotland.

The awards are open to all – from farms and estates to rural businesses, charities and community groups – with no requirement to be a member of Scottish Land & Estates.

To mark the landmark year, a major new Rural Champion Award has been unveiled – with a £10,000 prize awarded to the Rural Champion’s community organisation, courtesy of The Royal Countryside Fund.

The Rural Champion award will recognise an individual who has gone above and beyond, making a significant, lasting impact on their rural community in Scotland.

To be eligible for this award:

The individual, or their organisation, must be based in Scotland
The individual, or their organisation, needs to have been nominated for one of the other 2026 Scottish Land & Estates ‘Helping it Happen’ award categories. You can apply for the other Helping it Happen awards here.
The nominee must be working with a rural community organisation that meets RCF’s funding criteria (please see this below)

Nominations for the Rural Champion award are now open, using the form below.

Applications close on 30th June. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony this autumn.

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To be eligible for this award, the nominee must be working with a rural community organisation that meets RCF's funding criteria:

Who we can fund: Constituted voluntary or community organisations, charities, SCIOs, CICs, community benefit societies, cooperative societies, not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee (with a not-for-profit asset lock clause).

Who we can't fund: Statutory bodies, schools, sole traders, organisations that look to make a profit and share these profits out privately.

All complete entries must be received by 23:59 on Tuesday 30 June 2026.

1. Who are you nominating? (Please enter the name of the individual you are nominating)

2. Email address of your nominee

3. Telephone number of your nominee

4. Can you confirm that the nominee is over 18 years old?

Yes

5. Which 'Helping it Happen' award have they (or their organisation) been nominated for?

6. What is the name of the individual/organisation nominated for the 'Helping it Happen' award above?

7. What is your name?

8. What is your email address?

Please tell us why you are nominating this person?

9. What significant contribution has the nominee made to their rural community? (100-250 words)

10. What has been the impact on their rural community? (100-250 words)

11. How have they involved their rural community? (100-250 words)

12. Do you have a photograph of the nominee (ideally at work in their community) which you can share? If so, please upload here. Please ensure you have consent from anyone featured in this image.

Tell us about the nominee's rural community organisation

13. What is the legal name of the community organisation?

14. Please indicate the organisation's legal structure. (Please note that we cannot support statutory organisations, schools, sole traders or organisations that look to make profits and share these profits out privately)

If other, please specify.

15. In which rural community/communities is the organisation working?

16. Please confirm that this organisation has a UK based bank or building society account which is in the legal name of the organsiation.

Yes

17. Please confirm that the information provided in this application is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge and that you have the authority to share information from your entry (including text, photos and names of people/organisations)

Yes

RCF Privacy Policy. I have read and agreed to the RCF Privacy Policy

Yes

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