The Trustees of The Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust are now inviting applications for their Agri-leadership programme for consideration at their AGM in May of 2023.
The programme is open to those who have attended various leadership programmes and those in leadership roles within the farming sector.
The Trustees wish to support a project that will progress their current priorities associated with improving the performance of British Agriculture and Horticulture and have a particular interest in the following three themes -
- The development and adoption of new technologies to improve productivity and product quality
- New approaches to improve alignment with health, well-being and reduced environmental impacts
- Building and maintaining a premium brand identity for British Agriculture and Horticulture
Innovative proposals likely to achieve substantial impact in other areas will also be considered.
Recent awards have included –
Alastair Leake and Phil Jarvis to research, review and promote agro-ecological and integrated farming techniques to achieve sustainable intensification
Holly Beckett to introduce ‘Mindfulness’ to British Agriculture
Rob Hodgkins to introduce the Myomax gene to the sheep flock in Great Britain
Anna Jones to develop the ‘Just Farmers’ initiative to improve media communications
Emma Blandford to enhance public engagement with commercial intensive pig farming
Richard Bower to install a public viewing platform on a commercial beef and sheep farm
Suzy Russell to assist the development of Community Supported Agriculture
Stephen Briggs to build a facility on the farm to support farm-based community projects
A bursary of up to £20K is available to progress a project and Trustees may decide to support more than one project within this budget. The Trustees have a broad view of the types of project that might be supported, and any potential applicant is encouraged to contact David Gardner, the Trust’s Agricultural Trustee, for an initial discussion of their project ideas.
David can be contacted at mail@davidgardner.org.uk or by phone on either 07786 272221 or 01664 812224. Applicants are encouraged to copy applications to Chris Bourchier, the Trust’s Chairman, at chris.bourchier@btconnect.com and to the Trust’s Secretary Mike Steel at mike.steelefpat@yahoo.com.
The closing date for 2023 applications is Monday 17th April 2023 for consideration at the 2023 Trustees meeting in May, but potential applicants are encouraged to make initial contact at the earliest opportunity to discuss their proposal.