Organisers of Lamb Bank 2024 are calling on Scottish sheep farmers to donate to the charitable initiative ran by the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS), which aims to deliver tonnes of Scottish lamb meat to schools across the country.
Since its inception in 2020, the Lamb Bank has delivered over 2.75t of lamb to secondary schools across Scotland as part of the wider ‘Lamb for St Andrew’s Day’ initiative, which promotes the merits of Scottish lamb to UK consumers.
The IAAS is asking industry stakeholders and farmers to donate a lamb or the equivalent value of one to the Lamb bank, which the IAAS will subsequently arrange to be butchered, processed and packaged to schools to be prepared as meals for attendees.
The IAAS is the representative body for livestock markets, valuers and auctioneers across Scotland, who have all made additional contributions to the cause.
Speaking of the initiative, executive director of IAAS, Neil Wilson said: “There’s no greater way to market Scottish lamb than give people a chance to cook and taste it for themselves.”
Educational resources accompany the 22,000 portions of lamb delivered every year, which consist of recipes, and interactive activities to showcase the product’s versatility, taste and environmental credentials.
“Every year, the Lamb Bank has gained momentum and we are extremely grateful to all those who donate and spread the word.
“It makes a huge difference to what we can achieve, and the response we get from teachers and school pupils shows the power of a really tangible, hands-on project like this.
“Again, this year, we are asking more farmers and others in the supply chain to generously donate for the overall benefit of the sector.
“The greater the number of young people we can reach, the more we can encourage them to choose lamb from butchers’ chillers and shop shelves, to inspire their families to do the same, and to consider working in the industry, whether as butchers, farmers, auctioneers or chefs,” Wilson said.
Lamb Bank
Last year, the Lamb Bank generated attention for the cause across across social media platforms.
The Ingram family at Logie Durno Sheep sprayed a blue saltire on a sale lamb which was sold by auctioneer Colin Slessor for a sum of £200 which was donated to the Lamb Bank, while the Sheep Game’s Cammy Wilson cooked lamb outdoors to raise it’s profile.
According to the IAAS, the initiative has had a positive impact on the mart price of lambs over the course of the four years it has been in action.
“This clearly demonstrates the impact of a whole industry getting behind a focused campaign and how it can help us all promote our product and support prices, at a critical time of the year,” Wilson added.
Content creator, sheep farmer and Lamb Bank advocate, Nicola Wordie of Livestock_farmher, has recommitted her support to the campaign again this year:
“Since this campaign started, we have supported it, as it allows children to try and taste Scottish lamb, learn about the qualities of red meat and how important local food chains are.
“I would encourage other farmers to support where they can, and to have fun getting creative on social media as well, posting and resharing as much as possible to spread the word and widen the support,” she said.
Lamb Bank donations can be made to the value of store, prime and breeding lambs, cull and breeding ewes, as well as tups online or direct to any Scottish auction market.
