Applications are open for a prestigious £1,000 award for young people working in Norfolk in farming, growing, the countryside or conservation.
The Bishop of Norwich Sustainable Environment Young Employee of the Year Award is open to employees and apprentices under 30 with a role focused on land management, conservation, countryside management, ecology, climate change management, forestry management or horticulture.
Applications must be submitted by 9am on Friday May 15 – full details on the Food and Farming Discovery Trust website (ffdt.co.uk).
The annual award is a partnership between the Bishop of Norwich and the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA), with help from the Food & Farming Discovery Trust.
The Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, the Church of England’s lead bishop for the environment, said:
“I am delighted to be working again in partnership with the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association and the Food and Farming Discovery Trust to offer this prize to encourage and recognise those setting out on a career in land and nature. The nominees always give me great hope for the future, not least because I am passionate about the care of God’s creation and supporting those who appreciate the natural world as much as I have in my life.”
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.”
The award will be presented at the Royal Norfolk Show on Thursday June 25.
It aims to raise the profile of land-based environment opportunities, enhance the winner’s CV and early career, and help fund training and professional development.
The Bishop of Norwich Sustainable Environment Young Employee of the Year Award was launched in 2022. Last year’s winner was Tom Ewin, who was working on placement with Norfolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (Norfolk FWAG). His “outstanding” application outlined projects he had undertaken at Norfolk FWAG including new deer management initiatives. Tom had co-ordinated events to bring deer stalking and farming communities together and supported the Broads Authority to gather vital data with the UK’s largest deer drone survey.
Judges called Tom “A passionate communicator for the environment, a young man with both practical and theoretical skills and, perhaps the most important of all, an ability to communicate his passion to a wide range of people.”
How to enter:
Applicants should send a letter of recommendation from their employer plus a short, homemade video (filmed on a smartphone is fine) of no more than five minutes. For details of what to include visit the Food & Farming Discovery Trust website (ffdt.co.uk).
The Food & Farming Discovery Trust, which works closely with the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, will be undertaking the shortlisting and judging.
Applications must be submitted (by email to info@ffdt.co.uk with videos by WeTransfer) to The Food & Farming Discovery Trust by 9am on Friday 15 May.
Picture: 2025 winner Tom Ewin receives his award from the Bishop of Norwich