APRS is Scotland’s countryside charity.
We campaign to protect, enhance and promote Scotland’s countryside and rural landscapes for everyone’s benefit, and we support others to do the same.
Background
Action to Protect Rural Scotland, APRS, is Scotland’s longest established environmental charity being founded in 1926 to protect Scotland’s world renowned landscapes and the amenity of the countryside.
We are a voluntary organisation which relies upon a part-time Director, a part-time Administrator, project staff and volunteers to do its work. With a small office in Edinburgh we have members throughout Scotland and beyond. We are funded by membership subscriptions, donations and grants from charitable foundations.
We changed our name from The Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland in 2023.
Why We Exist
We campaign with communities, on behalf of all landscapes, from the countryside surrounding the places where most people live, to the wilder more remote ones.
The quality of people’s surroundings is central to their well-being, and the quality of Scotland’s countryside is of fundamental importance even to those who spend most of their time in towns and cities. We support communities and individuals to look after and make the most of their local landscapes and we believe that Scotland’s countryside has a key role to play in tackling the climate emergency, addressing the nature crisis and supporting rural recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
About Our Objectives:
- protect and enhance Scotland’s rural landscapes for future generations
- promote effective planning and landscape protection systems
- encourage genuinely sustainable development
- raise awareness of the importance of Scotland’s landscapes to its people and economy
- promote the activity of land managers who care for Scotland’s landscapes
We do this by:
- working in partnership with individuals, other charities, local authority, government and public bodies
- active involvement in national policy development and advocacy
- advising members of the public on how to respond to proposals which affect their local landscapes
- publicising our work to our members and beyond through our website, our newsletter Rural Scotland and email bulletins
Our Values
Knowledgeable
We are respected for the knowledge held by our staff and volunteers and are sought out to provide balanced guidance and advice. Our online publications are seen as a source of authority.
Empowering
We offer help, advice and support to individuals and communities, empowering them to campaign for their local countryside and landscapes.
Collaborative
We work with others and form partnerships so we can make the greatest difference and work to our strengths. Our small size makes us flexible and fleet of foot and we can move swiftly.
Approachable
We are a place where everyone feels included and welcome– those with years of experience and knowledge, and those coming to our work for the first time, whatever their background.
Persistent
Sometimes campaigns take time, but we are persistent and unflappable. We have a century of history and experience behind us, we see the long-view and set out to change things that need stickability and determination. We get things done.
Governance Documents
DRAFT Report and Financial Statements 2022
The directors are pleased to present their annual directors’ report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ending 31 December 2022, which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a trustees’ report and accounts for Charity Law purposes.
AGM Minutes 2022
Minutes from the APRS AGM held on zoom on Thursday 26 May 2022 at 10.30am
APRS Privacy Notice
This document explains the data we hold for APRS members and supporters and how we use the data. APRS is committed to processing data in accordance with its responsibilities under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018. The privacy of our members, supporters and others whose data we hold is important to APRS.
APRS is a Living Wage employer