Applications are now open for The Bishop of Norwich Sustainable Environment Young Employee of the Year Award. This prestigious award is open to employees and apprentices, under the age of 21, who work for a Norfolk-based employer. Applicants must work within the land-based sector and their employment or apprenticeship should be focused on one or more of the following areas: land management, conservation, countryside management, ecology, climate change management, forestry management and horticulture.
This award aims to raise the profile of land-based environment opportunities within Norfolk, whilst enhancing the CV of the winner and aiding with their future employment prospects. The winner will receive a £1,000 cash prize to help toward training requirements, as well as two tickets to the Royal Norfolk Show where their award and certificate will be presented. The winner will be presented with their prize by the Bishop of Norwich at the Royal Norfolk Show on Thursday 29th June 2023.
Mark Nicholas, Managing Director of the RNAA said:
“The RNAA is delighted to partner again with the Bishop of Norwich to deliver this important initiative. The award is central to the RNAA’s wider role of promoting food production, farming, and the countryside, and it seeks to recognise the inspirational efforts by young people to enhance our biodiversity and how we manage our natural capital.”
This exciting award was launched last year and saw 17-year-old Jamie Hipperson, apprentice at Bentley Farming Ltd claim the prize after demonstrating an in depth understanding of the environmental challenges facing farming and outlining his ideas on how the industry could become more sustainable. You can see Jamie’s winning video here.
Jamie Hipperson said:
“I was delighted to receive the first ever Bishop of Norwich Sustainable Environment Young Employee of the Year Award! It was an amazing opportunity to help with my future career in farming and experiences. I plan on saving the award money to contribute towards working abroad in New Zealand, for six-months over the harvest season. I would encourage any young employee to apply for this award. It has given me invaluable contacts including support from the RNAA and within the agricultural community.”
The award is in partnership with The Bishop of Norwich, Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, and the Food & Farming Discovery Trust.
The Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich said:
“It was a joy to present the inaugural award to Jamie Hipperson last summer. It gives me hope in the future of environmentally-conscious farming that seeks to enhance biodiversity. I am hopeful that we shall be able to find an equally worthy winner this year. I am passionate about the care of God’s creation, and how biodiversity can be enhanced, and I hope that this award will inspire the next generation to appreciate the natural world as much as I have in my life.”
HOW TO APPLY
The Food & Farming Discovery Trust, which is the education vehicle of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, will be undertaking the shortlisting and judging of the competition.
To enter applicants are asked to submit a letter of recommendation from their employer along with a homemade video (e.g. made on a smart phone) not exceeding five minutes in duration, which covers the following:
- A brief introduction about themselves
- Why they selected their current employment/apprenticeship
- How the employment/apprenticeship his helping to prepare them for career development
- Why they are interested in environmental issues, what they have done about this already within their employment/apprenticeship, and how they hope to make a difference to this area particularly during their current employment/apprenticeship but also in their future careers
Applications should be submitted to Dr Shannon Woodhouse no later than 09:00 on Monday 15th May 2023. Applications are to be submitted by email to shannon.woodhouse@rnaa.org.uk (videos should be submitted using WeTransfer).
