Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) and University Centre Somerset (UCS) are delighted to share that Poppy Cook and Eloise Hickey are this year’s recipients of the Cornish Mutual Young Farmer bursaries!
Poppy, UCS Agricultural Management student, received the £750 Cornish Mutual Higher Education Young Farmer Bursary, whilst Eloise, BTC Agriculture student, received the £500 Cornish Mutual Further Education Young Farmer Bursary!
Cornish Mutual is a farming insurance company based in the South West. Each year, they offer bursaries to students studying agriculture at Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) level. The student bursaries are part of their commitment to support the training and development of young people entering the agricultural industry.
In order to apply for the HE bursary, applicants must submit an entry on the subject, ‘How do you see the future of agriculture, and what role do you hope to play?’
Entries can be submitted as a 500-word written essay; or a 20-image photo essay with brief introduction and captions; or a 2-minute video or audio podcast.
Despite a record level of entries this year, Poppy and Eloise won the judges over with her excellent application and commitment to the Agricultural industry!
Alongside her studies, Poppy is also an active member of Young Farmers, Devon Women in Dairy, and Holstein Young Breeders. She believes in the role of technology in the future of farming and wants to support the diversification of her family farm. Poppy commented,
I want to be a role model for young farmers and show that with the right skills and a bit of creativity, it is possible to contribute positively to the future of agriculture. I want to inspire many other young individuals to consider a career in farming as there are so many opportunities in this industry if you get out there.
Peter Beaumont, Cornish Mutual Chief Executive Officer, said,
Supporting the next generation of farmers is crucial to the future of agriculture in the South West and our bursaries form just part of this support. Both Poppy and Eloise have already taken steps to build a career in farming and we hope the bursary will unlock further opportunities for them.
The Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursaries are part of the Future Farming Programme, which supports the future of agriculture in the region. To find out more, click here.
For more information on BTC’s multitude of educational offerings, please visit www.btc.ac.uk or get in touch with the Information & Advice team by emailing info@btc.ac.uk. You can find out more about UCS by visiting www.somerset.ac.uk.
