Staffordshire and Birmingham Agricultural Society Scholarship: Sarah-Louise Jolliffe

Sarah-Louise Jolliffe, a final year Harper Adams University FdSc Agri-Business student, has been awarded a Staffordshire and Birmingham Agricultural Society (SBAS) Scholarship.

The 23-year-old from Eccleshall, Staffordshire, said: “I applied for the SBAS Scholarship as a former member of Staffordshire Young Farmers. I was therefore aware of the society and the opportunities they offer to their members. “Receiving the letter to congratulate me on my scholarship gave me further encouragement and enthusiasm for my studies and has given me motivation to work towards my ambitions in the agriculture sector.

“I feel that my hard work has been recognised and it is great for young individuals to be supported by societies like the SBAS.

“The funding has been used towards my final year studies to take away financial pressure.

“I’ve always had a ‘can do’ attitude and the ability to give anything a go, no matter how hard the job might be. For example, I’ve always worked part-time during my studies. This has included putting adverts in the local livestock market report. I also gained various experience on a variety of farming enterprises; from conducting part-time roles egg packing, milking and working as a general farm worker on a robotic dairy farm.

“Since joining my local young farmers’ club at the age of 17, I became an active member completing roles such as; minutes secretary, club secretary and rally secretary. Young Farmers gave me the confidence and the opportunity to travel as part of the ambassador scheme to Austria as part of a homestay travel where I got to experience farming on a smaller scale focusing on the quality of production.

“While studying at Harper Adams, I’ve gained a real interest in the poultry sector, completing my placement year for a large egg producer in Shropshire. This gave me the opportunity to experience farming on a large scale but also gain an insight into the different types of production systems currently operating in the UK.

“My final year studies have soon come round and I’ve started my professional research project where I’m researching into the effects that airborne pollutants produced from conventional laying units have on the birds’ health, environment and the workforce.”