I see that NAEE had an article the other day about the merger of LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) and FACE (Farming and Countryside Education), and the combined charity is looking for a Director, Education & Public Engagement who will …
“lead and execute an Education and Public Engagement strategy that enables schools to enrich their curriculum and increase public understanding of and demand for sustainable food, farming and environment.”
LEAF Chief Executive, Caroline Drummond, said:
“We are really excited at this opportunity which comes at a time when it has never been more important to demonstrate and state the case for British agriculture. The potential merger offers a real opportunity for our two organisations to work together even more effectively and efficiently to deliver multiple benefits to our partners and stakeholders. The proposed merger will enable LEAF to further deepen our public engagement activity and allow the FACE team to scale up their work, nationally and regionally as the interface between agriculture and schools. Such a combination will undoubtedly strengthen the impact of both organisations and improve the public’s understanding of farming, food and the environment.”
FACE Chief Executive, Dan Corlett, said:
“This is a very exciting moment for FACE. I am very proud of all that the FACE team has achieved and the place we hold as a leader in taking agriculture into schools. The exploration of this new phase, would allow us to maximise FACE’s expertise in creating systemic change in education and the potential for this newly expanded organisation to offer stakeholders and partners improved efficiencies, enhanced engagement and create even greater opportunities for educating and engaging the public.”
These mergers never seem to be a coming together of equals, and it looks to me as if LEAF has swallowed up FACE. However, it's quite possible that this will prove to be a positive move. A key question for me is this: will the education work they do enable and encourage a critical consideration of the intersection of UK farming, wider countryside practice, and nature and environmental protection – or will the emphasis be on promoting farming industry interests to young people?
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