Youngest Female Associate and from Non Farming Background

The Awards are a celebration by recognition of the remarkable personal achievements and contribution of individuals to the many sectors of the food and farming industry.

I was nominated by Fellows of the Council for Awards of the Royal Agricultural Societies; Christine Tacon CBE FRAgS and David Richardson OBE FRAgS and subsequently had to submit evidence of my work which I entitled 'Taking Agriculture and Rural Affairs PR, Marketing, and engagement with the wider public, to the next level’.

The Awards recognise personal achievement in a professional capacity and recipients are frequently individuals of influence within Agriculture. They range from practical farmers to academics, company directors, media practitioners, administrators, advisors and consultants. You are nominated by your peers and undergo a rigorous process and only given to those who can demonstrate the required high level of achievement.

After submitting my work, I had an assessment by two fellows; Roger Mercer FRAgS and Debbie Winstanley FRAgS who came to see me, where I had the opportunity to showcase the breadth of my work, sharing media coverage, my involvement with several charities, how I balance work / home life and what motivates me to make a difference.

For me what makes this award incredibly special is that I'm the youngest female to receive such an accolade, as well as not originally being from a farming background. I've worked hard to forge my career in the sector and now feel like I am making great strides of influence in leadership roles for the betterment of Agriculture. I hope that it will inspire others to achieve similarly and follow my life motto of 'dare to be different'. I like to challenge the norm and this award definitely backs my whole ethos up!

I'll officially collect my award at the House of Lords in October, where the annual awards ceremony is held.

So from now on, I'll carry a very special set of post nominals after my name... ARAgS (Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies)

For more information on the award scheme visit: https://royalagriculturalsocietiesawards.org/