Scottish Rural Awards guests raise over £4,000 for breast cancer charity Casting For Recovery

A fundraising effort by guests at the 2017 Scottish Rural Awards has raised more than £4,000 for breast cancer recovery charity Casting For Recovery UK & Ireland. Over 400 guests at the Scottish Rural Awards event, which took place on Thursday 16^th March, took part in a whisky raffle to raise a total of £4,763.70 for Casting For Recovery, a charitable fly fishing therapy programme for ladies recovering from breast cancer.

Casting for Recovery has been in operation in the UK and Ireland for 10 years, and is run by The Countryside Alliance Foundation. The charity originated in the United States 20 years ago with a founding mission that is true the world over: to provide free-of-charge residential retreats for ladies who have, or have had, breast cancer.

Retreats are held at idyllic venues in the countryside and provide ladies with a unique form of therapy, combining counselling, medical support and fly fishing, with a focus on moving forward in both body and mind. Staff on retreats include highly qualified counsellors, medics and casting instructors.

The money raised by guests at the 2017 Scottish Rural Awards will be used to fund a whole retreat at Forbes of Kingennie, by Dundee, in September.

The Scottish Rural Awards are the ultimate benchmark of success in Scotland's countryside, highlighting the enterprise, skill and innovation of those who live and work in rural areas.

March's event, held at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, was the culmination of a third year of partnership between Scottish Field and the Scottish Countryside Alliance to host the awards, in association with the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS).

Casting for Recovery UK and Ireland Director Jill Grieve commented: 'The whole team is delighted with this donation and we extend huge thanks to the Scottish Rural Awards and their business participants. This impressive amount of money will fund the whole of our Scottish retreat, to be held at Forbes of Kingennie near Dundee in September.

'Fourteen ladies with breast cancer will benefit directly from this free weekend experience by enjoying the unique therapy afforded by the beautiful sport of fly fishing. It's good to be able to say that the Scottish Rural Awards are helping this breast cancer programme directly in Scotland - the old adage that charity begins at home is certainly true here.'

Scottish Countryside Alliance Director Jamie Stewart said: 'I am always humbled by the generosity of our nominees and guests in their support of our chosen charitable partner. The Scottish Rural Awards are all about people, and the recognition of the many challenges faced when operating businesses in the modern world. The work of the Casting for Recovery team echoes that commitment through their compassion in the support of those whose lives have been profoundly affected by breast cancer. Truly an initiative worthy of our support.'

Scottish Field editor Richard Bath said: 'It's difficult to imagine a charity which is more in tune with the aims of the Scottish Rural Awards, or indeed the values of Scottish Field, than Casting for Recovery. I'd like to say a profound thank you to our nominees and guests for their unstinting generosity.'