The five winners of the 2019 The Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF) and Jordans Sustainable Agriculture Bursary have each been paired up with an inspiring mentor.
The PCF and Jordans are delighted to be able to offer this fantastic opportunity to the winners as part of the three year bursary scheme. Alongside the mentoring opportunity, the bursary supports the winners’ academic studies at either the Royal Agricultural University or the University of Reading, helping them to pursue their interest in, and knowledge of, sustainable farming and agricultural practices by providing them with a £3000 cash award in their first year, and a further £1000 cash award (provided by their university) in both their second and third years of study.
Each student has been matched with a mentor based on their interests, giving them the opportunity to gain exclusive insights into modern British agriculture from leaders in the industry. The mentors include Joe Scarratt, partner and head of farm business consultancy at The Andersons Centre, Hannah Mccormick, operational support manager at Jordans Dorset Ryvita, Nick Bragg from Frogmary Green Farm, Patrick Yates, senior national account manager at Jordans Dorset Ryvita and Nick Rowsell who farms in Hampshire.
The first mentor session took place last week and 2019 winner Elliot Cole said: ‘The opportunity to have a mentor at this stage in my education is brilliant, Jordans and The PCF have paired me with exactly the type of mentor I was hoping for and I am sure that Patrick's knowledge and experience will help me greatly in the future.’
Patrick said, ‘I think it is fantastic that Jordans and the PCF have been able to give students the opportunity to partner with a mentor in the workplace. To be able to help guide and support Elliot in the direction he wishes to take his studies and future career is really rewarding. Hopefully, I will be able to share experiences with Elliot from my career that will be beneficial to the big career decisions he will have to make over the next few years.’
Ellie Jesson, senior manager, external affairs at The Prince’s Countryside Fund, said: ‘The Fund is working to encourage agriculture that works in harmony with nature and it is fantastic that we are able to offer this wonderful opportunity to support the winners towards a more sustainable future for farming. Both the Fund and Jordans would like to thank all of the mentors for giving up their time to support this exciting bursary.’
Mia Hartwell, sustainability manager at Jordans Cereals, said: ‘The Jordans Farm Partnership is all about driving forward sustainable agriculture and so we are proud to work with the PCF to support the Sustainable Agriculture Bursary. It is brilliant that experience from leading figures in agriculture and food can be passed on to help the next generation be at the forefront of this critical area.’