Timothy Colman Prize

15/10/21

The Timothy Colman Prize 2021 is awarded to Dr Belinda Clarke for her outstanding contribution to the development and promotion of food, farming and the countryside.

The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association’s most prestigious award was instituted by Sir Timothy Colman, a former Chairman of the RNAA, as a way of recognising outstanding commitment in the agricultural sector.

Dr Clarke has been the Managing Director of Agri-TechE (formerly Agri-Tech East) since 2014. Agri-TechE is an independent, business-focussed cluster organisation, which seeks to improve the international competitiveness and sustainability of plant-based agriculture and horticulture. It is bringing together farmers and growers with scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs to create a global innovation hub in agri-tech.

During her tenure Belinda has been the driving force behind Agri-TechE’s rapid and successful development into a world-leading network of innovative professionals who share a vision of increasing the productivity, profitability and sustainability of agriculture.

The impact of Dr Clarke’s work is well documented. Member organisations report many benefits from engagement within the cluster including collaborations; access to funding and grants; trials of technology with farmers; technology integration with other members; business growth resulting from profile raising activities.

The success of Agri-TechE has been recognised through a number of awards including the UK’s SME National Networking Group of the Year 2019, European Business Awards One to Watch 2017 and Knowledge Catalyst Award Eastern Daily Press 2016.

Belinda is a Non-Executive Director of Agrimetrics, one of the UK’s Agri-Tech Centres, and was a member of the Council of BBSRC-UKRI (2015-2021) and a Trustee of the RNAA (2014-2021).

Announcing the Prize at the RNAA’s AGM held on 23 September 2021, Robert Alston, Chairman, said that ‘the award of the Timothy Colman Prize to Dr Clarke is recognition of her tireless energy and commitment to harness the collective power of the agri-tech sector. Her support to this sector and more widely, to highlight opportunities and to overcome challenges, has been exceptional’.

It is for Dr Clarke’s outstanding leadership in the agri-tech sector that she is awarded the Timothy Colman Prize.

Recent News Posts

View All

Competitor and exhibitor Derek Spanton’s nine decades of support for the Royal Norfolk Show

Wed 03 January

Heavy horse enthusiast Derek Spanton, who has died aged 83, went to his first Royal Norfolk Show in 1952 aged 11. He was taken by his coal merchant uncle to Raveningham, near Beccles – and over the following nine decades, he returned to the show as a trade exhibitor and competitor in veteran and agricultural…

RNAA Annual Report 2023

Sun 31 March

The RNAA Annual Report can be viewed below:

Technology in action on a progressive family business

Fri 01 December

Robots, precision spraying and investment in automation were key themes seen by around 40 RNAA members on a tour of a progressive farming and vegetable packaging business outside Brandon, Suffolk.

The Late Geoffrey Burrows

Thu 12 October

A self-taught painter Geoffrey Burrows, who has died aged 89, was a successful exhibitor at the Royal Norfolk Show’s art show for four decades.
A figurative painter in oil and watercolour, he was born in St Faith’s, near Norwich, and went to Paston Grammar School, North Walsham. He became a telecommunications engineer and then a BT manager in 1991. He lived in Spixworth and took up painting after attending an art class at Sprowston School.
He began serious painting in the late 1960s and was soon exhibiting in London and further afield.