Shareholders' magazine makes audio debut

ANM Group Ltd shareholders will be able to access the company magazine in audio format from next month, thanks to a unique partnership.

In a bid to bring the magazine to blind and visually impaired people, the ANM Group Ltd has teamed up with Inverurie & District Talking Newspaper to produce an audio cassette version of the summer 2005 edition of The Journal, and it will be available from Monday, August 1st.

The tape will feature a wide selection of excerpts from the twice-yearly publication which is circulated to almost 8,000 shareholders and about 4,500 other people with an interest in the organisation, and aims to update them to the activities of the Group and its member companies in the preceding six months. Included on the audio Journal will be reports from the general managers of Group companies, news updates and reviews of some of the major events which have taken place at Thainstone Centre during the last six months.

Inverurie & District Talking Newspaper - which is known as "Garioch Gossip" - was established more than a decade ago to provide a weekly news service to blind and visually impaired people in the area.

Each Friday, a team of eight volunteers meets at the Harlaw Centre in Inverurie to record excerpts from local newspapers on to cassettes which are then posted to subscribers.

In total, a band of more than 30 volunteers are involved in the production of the weekly cassette on a rota basis, and the organisation is in the unusual situation of having a waiting list of people keen to get involved.

Commenting on the audio version of The Journal, Inverurie & District Talking Newspaper chairperson Ethel Kinghorn said: "This is the first time we have been involved in a venture like this, and our volunteers are very enthusiastic about it.

"We are delighted to be involved in a project with the ANM Group Ltd which, we hope, will enable The Journal to be enjoyed by even more people."

ANM Group Ltd chief executive Brian Pack added: "Inverurie & District Talking Newspaper has considerable experience in productions for the blind and visually impaired, and we are pleased to be able to engage such knowledge to help make the Journal accessible to even more people."

For further information or to request an audio copy of The Journal, contact Lesley Eaton on (01467) 623786, email lesley.eaton@goanm.co.uk or write to Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, AB51 5XZ.

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Rural eAccess Centre gets thumbs up from visitors

A recent evaluation of the Rural eAccess Centre at Thainstone has confirmed that the resource has been well received by the public in its first two years.

The postal survey was done as part of an ongoing evaluation for the Centre's partners - Scottish Enterprise Grampian (SEG), the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and the ANM Group Ltd.

The project falls in line with the partners' objectives - encouraging uptake of and access to ICT, promoting lifelong learning and providing easy access to courses relevant to agriculture and rural business. A number of courses are free and many others are reduced in cost having gained funding from the European Social Fund and SEG.

The survey aimed to find out what kind of people use the Centre, the type of activities they do, how visits have benefited them and any changes they would like to see.

It is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 people have visited the Centre since it opened, and over 240 have registered for courses. The survey showed that the most popular activities are the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) and introductory courses in computing, the internet and PCs.

Access to CTS Online is also in demand among farmers who can access cattle records to update births, deaths and movements. Advice and guidance is at hand thanks to specially-trained coaches, and funding from the Scottish Executive allows CTS records to be accessed and printed free of charge.

Most of those who responded to the survey discovered the Rural eAccess Centre during a visit to Thainstone Centre. Staff were described as "helpful and friendly" and the quality of advice available was pinpointed as one reason for choosing the Centre, which was also praised for its facilities, convenience and accessibility.

Eighteen per cent of business users reported a positive effect on the turnover levels of the businesses, with nine per cent noting a "major positive effect" and around half of all respondents to the survey reported it had a "major positive effect" on their knowledge and confidence of computers and IT skills.

ANM Group Ltd chief executive Brian Pack commented: "We are delighted that there has been such a positive response to the Rural eAccess Centre in its first two years, and we hope that we can build on this reputation to enhance the services on offer.

The Rural eAccess Centre is open 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday, 11am to 4pm on Thursday and 10am to 4pm on Friday, and anyone interested in finding out more is invited to pay a visit and speak to the staff. Alternatively, course information can be obtained by telephoning Jenny Cowie of SAC on (01467) 623838 during these hours, or (01224) 711102 at all other times.

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Trust awards three scholarships

Three young agriculturalists have been given the chance to hone their skills, thanks to the John Fotheringham Memorial Trust.

The Trust was established in 1991 in memory of the late John Fotheringham OBE, a former managing director of North Eastern Farmers and the first president of the trade association UKASTA. Following his retirement in 1986, he remained active in various business and voluntary capacities including being chairman of the Scottish Seed Potato Development Council and a member of the Court of Aberdeen University.

Up to £2,000 may be awarded by the trustees each year and scholarships are available to young people under the age of 35, employed in agriculture and its ancillary industries and who would benefit from the opportunity to broaden their knowledge through a short study tour in the UK or overseas.

BSc Agriculture and Business Management graduate James Presly from Methlick is currently in New Zealand to study the sheep sector, comparing and contrasting it to the Scottish industry and examining how New Zealand's farmers reacted when production-based subsidies ended in 1984.

Anson MacAuslan, a SAC consultant based on the Isle of Skye, will also travel to New Zealand at the end of the year to look at: "Benchmarking Beef & Sheep Enterprises." Commenting on his scholarship, Mr MacAuslan said: "I was delighted to receive an award from the John Fotheringham Memorial Trust for my study trip to New Zealand. Without the award I would not have been able to afford to travel to New Zealand."

Also receiving a scholarship from the Trust in the latest round of awards is MSc Sustainable Rural Development student Sonia Stephen from Bridge of Marnoch near Huntly. She is currently in Shetland studying the environmental, economic and social effects of the recent ending of the Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme, visiting farms and crofts on the islands during a six-week study tour.

"As the pace of my year-long course is very fast, I am already using the award given to me by the John Fotheringham Memorial Trust. It has meant that I have been able to stay a bit longer in Shetland and speak to more organisations, crofters and farmers. Also, I will be able to return to Shetland to present my findings to the Shetland agricultural community and hopefully be able to make suggestions for future agri-environmental policy in Shetland."

For further information on the John Fotheringham Memorial Trust, contact secretary Lesley Eaton at lesley.eaton@goanm.co.uk or on (01467) 623786.