New governance framework passed at RHASS AGM

The changes, which required a 75%-member vote in favour of the new way of working to be established saw 99.55% of members in agreement at the annual meeting on 30th April which took place at the Pavilion at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston.

The governance framework will commence from 16 July 2025 and will see a new structure, with three strands; RHASS council of trustees, RHASS RHS directors and RHASS HCL (Highland Centre Ltd) directors.

RHASS council of trustees: 14 members appointed by the RHASS Members from the RHASS RHS directors, with a minimum of four independent trustees to bring additional expertise and skills. This group will be responsible for the RHASS Group strategy, finances, property and guide the charitable objectives.

RHASS RHS directors: Up to 54 directors will remain focused on the development, delivery, budget and charitable impact of the Royal Highland Show, and will be elected and appointed in the same way as now.

HCL directors: 8 members, four from the RHASS RHS directors and four independent directors, who will be recruited externally. This group will be responsible for the commercial elements of HCL and property. The governance structure of HCL is contained in its own articles of association and a shareholder agreement will be put in place to mandate the board structure, remit and commitment to the Royal Highland Show.

These governance changes are not only beneficial, they are essential to the futureproofing of the RHASS Group. The move supports the five-year strategy which was presented during the RHASS Member engagement tour earlier this year and at this year’s AGM.

The plan has been focused on securing future financial stability, economic sustainability, and enhancing operational efficiency for the group.

The new structure will also provide support and challenge the new RHASS chief executive, Alex Paterson, starting on 14th May.

James Logan, chair of RHASS, said: “2024 has been a year of significant change and decisive action, that has touched every aspect of RHASS. To improve our financial footing and to safeguard our society we will continue to deliver on our charitable objectives for generations to come.

“Having our members strongly vote in favour of our proposed governance changes sits at the heart of our future strategy. It will help to reduce complexity and streamline our decision-making.

“Most importantly, this fresh approach will ensure we can best serve our members and remain committed to our mission of continuing to support and champion Scottish agriculture and rural communities.

“We thank each of our members for their unwavering support and guidance in helping us to reach this decision.”

The AGM highlighted that the 2024 Royal Highland Show saw a record-breaking 220,000 attendees and generated £708,672 in sponsorship for RHASS, cementing the show’s importance not only to RHASS and the agriculture industry but also to the Scottish economy.

Over 100 events, including Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Macbeth, were held at the Royal Highland Centre in 2024, drawing over an additional 600,000 visitors to the venue.

As RHASS’ commercial arm, the group will continue to grow and develop Highland Centre Ltd’s offer with a focus on hosting world-class events, working with music festival promoters and corporate exhibitors.

James continued: “The Royal Highland Show continues to be our flagship fundraising platform and therefore remains central to our charitable delivery and financial model. We are continually looking to build on the success of each show by refining our programme of activity to support both educational impact and commercial return.

“This year, we’re introducing an expanded family offer on the Sunday, and the Royal Highland Hoolie will once again help to broaden audience engagement and enhance income diversification.

“As RHASS’s principal commercial asset, we’ll continue to build on the great success that the Royal Highland Centre (Highland Centre Ltd) has had this year with a packed calendar of events that have attracted world-class artists and seen record attendance numbers.

“This includes maintaining a diverse line-up of live events to attract visitors through our gates, while continuing to support key rural partners by providing non-monetary support.”

Financially, the charity’s total income was £13,593,377 a 15% rise on the previous year. Expenditure was £15,383,641. Following an economically challenging year in 2023, RHASS has worked hard to reduce its deficit from £3.5m in 2023 to £1.7m in 2024 with the aim of achieving a break even operating position for the 2025 financial year.

James said: “We take pride in the financial strides we have made this year. Like many organisations, we have faced mounting challenges in recent years, from rising fixed costs, a sustained increase in the cost of living, and fundamental shifts in the events industry and supply chains.

“We’re very much looking forward to our new chief executive, Alex Paterson, joining us next month. Working collaboratively with our newly formed council, trustees and directors, members and employees, Alex will play a key role in advancing RHASS’ mission to support Scottish agriculture and rural communities, as well as driving growth through Highland Centre Ltd.

“This year has been about more than just financial recovery. It has been about future-proofing RHASS by strengthening governance, securing financial sustainability, and enhancing operational efficiency.

“We are at a pivotal chapter of RHASS’ wonderfully rich history and we’re very much looking forward to continuing to drive forward the ambitions of our great sector together with our members. This year’s show will offer an opportune moment to do this, and we hope to chat to as many people across the sector as possible while at Ingliston in just a few weeks’ time.”