Vanessa Halhead Email & Phone Number

Inverness, GB

International

Development and co-ordination of the European Rural Community Alliance (ERCA) - the network for the national and regional rural and village movements of Europe. www.ruralcommunities.eu

Europe

The European Rural Parliament ERP is an initiative of 3 European rural networks: European Rural Community Alliance ERCA, PREPARE Partnership for Rural Europe, European LEADER Association for Rural Development ELARD. The partnership comprises national civil society rural development organisations in 40 European countries and 5 European networks. It's.

Scottish Rural Action was established to implement the first Scottish Rural Parliament, resulting from the developmental work carried out with the Scottish Government since January 2012. This initiative is inspired by and linked with the rural movements of Europe, and aims to establish a rural community movement in Scotland..

Scotland And International

Western Balkans

International rapporteur for the Multi Country Travelling Workshop on Empowering Rural Stakeholders. Involving representatives from National Governments, European Commission, NGOs and local communities.

Advice and practical support for the development of a Rural Parliament for Scotland. Work involves: providing links and expertise from existing European Rural Parliaments; developing stakeholder involvement; organisation of the first consultative conference and workshops; and follow up work to enable decision making on structure and process for the.

Inverness, United Kingdom

Scottish Natural Heritage is the Government body responsible for the care of Scotland’s natural heritage. The focus of my work was on the developing understanding of the socio-economic value of the natural heritage, and on raising awareness of this internally and externally to government, partners and communities. The work involved commissioning and.

A strategic partnership between the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and the West of Norway, focussed on rural development in peripheral rural areas. Responsible for: developing the strategic partnership between the participating agencies in Scotland and Norway; organising partners meetings, seminars and study visits, supporting 4 community-based LEADER+.

Inverness, United Kingdom

Responsible for the management of the Moray Firth Partnership, an independent charitable limited company and partnership of 23 statutory bodies and key interests, with 600 members, focussed on integrated coastal management and development. The MFP undertakes a wide range of strategic planning and implementation functions.

Leikanger, Norway And Inverness, Scotland

Providing input into rural development planning and developing links between Western Norway and the Scottish Highlands and Islands, resulting in the development of a long-term bi-lateral strategic partnership. Outcome of bi-lateral partnership work since 1996.

Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Manager of the ‘Rural Transfer Network’, an EU Northern Peripheries Programme funded project, with 4 participating countries and 8 participating universities in Scandinavia and Scotland. Comparative research, documentation and dissemination of knowledge on rural development policy and practice within the Northern Peripheries region.

Inverness, United Kingdom

Manager for EU LIFE Environment funded ‘Dùthchas’ Project, focussed on developing process and framework for addressing sustainable development in peripheral rural areas. Responsible to a multi-agency Partnership (22 Partners) for the development, management, implementation and evaluation of the project.

Inverness, United Kingdom

Responsible for policy development of Natural Heritage Areas in NW Scotland. Subsequently responsible for the development of Area Sustainability Strategies, and the Duthchas pilot initiative to test approaches to sustainable development in peripheral areas. Development of a multi-agency partnership of 22 organisations, trans-national partners, fund-raising.

Responsible for the establishment, management and implementation of the work of this pioneering NGO. Providing networking, support services, training, projects and advocacy for rural communities throughout the Highlands and Islands, with a focus on sustainable local development.

Advice and promotion of woodland planting and management to farmers across Central Scotland. Researcher and author of Countryside Commission for Scotland report and film on Farm Woodlands

M.Phil, Regional Planning

Including 18 months research in Mexico for thesis on The Forests of Mexico the Resource and Politics of Utilisation

Dip., Landscape Architecture

Ba Hons Sociology