Organisers described this year’s Children’s Countryside Day at Glendale showground, near Wooler, last week as ‘fantastic’.
The award-winning event was attended by 40 schools, 65 exhibitors and 250 volunteers and a new key feature this 10th anniversary year was the dairy area teaching children where their milk, cheese and ice cream comes from and how to make butter.
Speaking after the event, Glendale Agricultural Society Children’s Countryside Day chairman Johnny Renner said: “We have had another fantastic day. The overall aim of the Glendale Agricultural Society is for the Children’s Countryside Day to continue to educate and to evolve, and to highlight the existing changing face of farming, and the countryside. The day is a very important platform for the society’s overall objective of maintaining a high profile for rural life, food production and the countryside.
“We are absolutely delighted that since its inception ten years ago, not only has the Children’s Countryside Day educated thousands of children; but that so many of the schools now incorporate it into their curriculum. Already we have schools signed up for the 2015 event.
“This really is a community event at all levels and for all ages, with one key focus – rural education. On behalf of the Society I would also like to thank everyone who attended, exhibited, sponsored and supported today.
TV favourite John Grundy was tasked with choosing a winner from inspired environmentally-friendly scarecrows including a Cruella De Vil, a sheep, a farmer, nurse Edith Cowell, a footballer, a crow and a tin man. He gave first prize to Stobhillgate First School, with their Pink Lady, second prize went to Coquet Park First School and third to Tweedmouth West First School.
Funders in the past decade have included Defra, private trusts and Leader with large single donations from Cheviot Futures, the Environment Agency, the Northumberland National Park’s Sustainable Development Fund and the Community Foundation.