TV personality Jimmy Doherty is joining forces with Rachel’s Organic founder Rachel Rowlands and the Carnegie UK Trust to recognise unsung rural champions across the country. The champions – or Rural Sparks - will be found through a widespread search for excellence, run by Carnegie. The Rural Sparks mission has been launched to recognise the rural champions who have helped transform the areas where they live. The panel is completed by the deputy editor of Regeneration and Renewal magazine, Ben Walker, Carnegie’s rural director Kate Braithwaite and former director of the Commission for Rural Communities, Margaret Clark.

Nominations for Rural Sparks are invited from anyone who considers themselves or someone they know to have achieved something remarkable within their rural community. The types of initiatives the assessment panel may consider include community-run renewable energy schemes; projects promoting local produce; or residents who set up their own Community Land Trust. Application forms are available from http://rural.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/. Carnegie will select five top Rural Sparks – one each from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as ten runners up. Top Rural Sparks will receive a contribution towards their project and will be included in a new book, Carnegie’s compendium of rural innovation, which will be published in 2009.

Rural Sparks panellist Rachel Rowlands said:

“Some people only think of rural areas as the source of produce they buy in supermarkets, but there is so much more to rural life than production. It’s tough maintaining a good quality of life in rural areas, but within communities people really look out for each other. In fact it was during the snow storms of 1982, when we delivered emergency milk and cream to our community, that Rachel’s Organic Dairy really started. It’s time to celebrate that rural spirit, which is why I’m supporting Carnegie’s Rural Sparks.”

Jimmy Doherty said:

“Through my work on Farming Heroes I’ve encountered many people who have transformed their communities by daring to think they can make a difference. Rural Sparks is a chance to recognise their ingenuity, and I’m excited about being a part of it.”

Carnegie rural director Kate Braithwaite said:

“We know from our extensive work in rural areas that there are hundreds of unsung champions across the country. These are people who achieve extraordinary things for their local communities. Carnegie thought it was about time these people were celebrated, and that’s why we’ve launched our new Rural Sparks search. We want to encourage people in rural areas, and provide practical ways for people to share ideas.

“The sorts of people we’re looking for might have banded together to keep a local service going or harnessed a local heritage spot as source of community revenue. These are the people who are really sustaining local communities, and with Carnegie’s history in rural issues, it is only fitting that we highlight their hard work.”

ENDS

For more information, contact Bridget Hargreave at Linstock Communications, 020 7089 2080.

Notes to editors

Application forms are available from www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk or by contacting the rural team on ruralsparks@carnegieuk.org or 01383 721445. The deadline is Monday 29 December 2008.

Carnegie UK Trust is one of over twenty foundations worldwide set up by Scots American Andrew Carnegie, working to support a more just, democratic, peaceful and sustainable world.

Carnegie supports independent commissions of inquiry into areas of public concern, together with action and research programmes. Carnegie’s rural programme examines and promotes ways in which rural communities across the UK and Ireland can be empowered to shape and influence change and work to ensure that rural priorities are fully recognised by decision makers. For more information on the rural programme go to http://rural.carnegieuktrust.org.uk.