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Explore the big Biosphere ideas in this edition of Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere news!

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Happy New Year - 2018 Year of Young People

Ayrshire College Biosphere Awareness Events

Ayrshire College HND Tourism and Events students will be hosting 3 events in March across Ayrshire campuses to showcase the Biosphere and all it has to offer in the region to both its students and lecturers. Planning and hosting the events will be 'live briefs' for the students, helping to gain real life experience towards their HND qualification. The events will not only raise awareness of what a Biosphere is but will also be an opportunity for any business who wants to showcase what they can offer students and lecturers visiting the region. Whether you are a tourism business, activity provider, food producer or restaurant, the college has hundreds of staff and thousands of students to tell what great things are available in this region. The tourism students will also be working with the hospitality dept and chefs to host a Ready Steady Cook type cooking challenge using local produce from the region.
If you would like your business information available on the days, have a food product that you would like to suggest for the cooking challenge or would like to know more contact marie@gsabiosphere.org.uk

From Girvan to Italy - Social Enterprise ACE attends Business Network event in Appenninno

Chris Saunders CEO at Adventure Centre for Education (ACE) in Girvan, and new board member at the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere attended an event in Appennino Tosco Emiliano Biosphere Reserve, Italy. The event in October co-hosted by Assist Social Capital brought together businesses and social enterprises from BRs in Italy, Sweden, Scotland and Wales exploring the benefits of UNESCO BR designation for business and the potential networks and markets which can be opened up from registration on the OASIIS Platform.
Chris felt the trip to the “Appennino Tosco Emiliano” Biosphere Reserve was a fantastic opportunity. “As a social entrepreneur it is important to share our experience of how we became a successful social enterprise. Being situated in and operating our business within the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere reserve we feel it is important to share how the symbiosis of the two works together. This event was an opportunity to foster discussion about what it means to be a social enterprise within a European Biosphere Reserve and what role do social enterprises play”.
The event was an opportunity to meet with other businesses that operate in a similar field. That being outdoor activity provision in an education and commercial sector. Chris was able to share his experience of being a ‘Proud Supporter’ of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere and how best ACE and its tourism arm Adventure Carrick could build on the Biosphere UNESCO status. The event gave Chris a chance to tentatively explore the prospect of either working in partnership with similar organisations or creating adventure tourism packages as a bolt on to the work ACE already do.
“ACE plan to forge future links to develop these initial ideas and to see where we can take our Biosphere connections in creating prosperity through our respective organisations. I believe this would not have been possible without ACE operating in the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere and part of the OASIIS network”.

OASIIS -
Opportunities for Business in Biosphere Reserves.

OASIIS is an online platform where businesses can access both local and international opportunities including; events, networks, knowledge, social investment, markets, recruitment, exchanges, and partnerships, as well as measure and promote their social and economic impact within a local and global context.

OASIIS is host to businesses within UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and recognises the key role which business takes in sustainable rural development contributing to global sustainable development. There are currently 15 UNESCO BRs registered on OASIIS, within these sites businesses are providing over 450 employment and training opportunities and are circulating $3.5 million into the local economies. This only scratches the surface of what local businesses are doing to drive sustainable development. OASIIS aim to see UNESCO Biosphere Reserves as hubs of social investment, employment, social enterprise support, and collaboration, towards a more sustainable planet.

A recent visit organised to an Italian Biosphere Reserve saw 50 local businesses including twelve registered on OASIIS gather to exchange the benefits, and their experiences of being part of a UNESCO designated area. Through this experience businesses from Scotland, Sweden, Wales and Italy were able to connect, widen their markets, exchange products, services and ideas as well as showcasing their social and economic impact. Read about local business Adventure Centre for Education's experience at this event in this newsletter It's ACE in Appeninno

For further information and registration support get in touch with tabi@social-capital.net

A Changing Landscape - Making the Most of Our Natural Assets

St John's Town of Dalry Town Hall
Friday 26th January
Light lunch from 12 noon
Event starts 12.30 pm - 5 pm

A key reason for reason for much of South West Scotland having been designated as the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere is its long history of agriculture and forestry which has shaped our landscapes, our biodiversity, our local economy and our local communities.

With changes on the horizon leading to;

Increased pressures for afforestation, particularly of commercial monoculture
The intensification of livestock farming in our lowlands
A threat to the sustainability of hill and upland farming from BREXIT

… the makeup of our region is going to change.
Join us for a networking lunch followed by an afternoon exploring how we can address the issues and opportunities that key industry representatives see influencing the future of land based industries in South West Scotland

Anne Gray Senior Policy Officer Scottish Land and Estate
Johnnie Hall Director of Policy NFUS
Colin Kennedy Director Scottish Woodlands and CONFOR representative
Sir Patrick Hunter Blair Blairquhan Estate

The afternoon will follow a ‘Question Time’ format exploring the sectoral interests of agriculture and forestry, the scope for integration and opportunities for reconciling these interests.

Last few places remaining - BOOK HERE

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