Applications are open for the Bishop of Norwich Sustainable Environment Young Employee of the Year Award 2025.

A £1,000 cash award will be made to the winner of a prestigious award for employees and apprentices under the age of 30, working in the land-based sector in Norfolk. The aim is to raise the profile of land-based environment opportunities and to enhance winner’s CV and career. 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.

The winner will receive a £1,000 cash prize to help toward training and professional development, as well as two tickets to the Royal Norfolk Show where the winner will be presented with their prize and certificate by the Bishop of Norwich on Thursday 26th June 2025.

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

• Horticulture

The Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich 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 recognize 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.”

This exciting award was launched in 2022 and in 2024 saw Bea White, who was working with Norfolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (Norfolk FWAG) on a 12-month placement, as part of her Harper Adams University degree course in environmental land management, claim the prize.

Her “outstanding” application outlined projects she had undertaken at Norfolk FWAG, including breeding bird surveys, woodland management plans and mapping land using specialist software. Bea also took the initiative to set up a youth membership programme and a partnership with the county’s Young Farmers’ Clubs.

The award is in partnership with The Bishop of Norwich, Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, and the Food & Farming Discovery Trust.

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 Frances Roberson no later than 09:00 on Monday 12th May 2025.

Applications are to be submitted by email to info@ffdt.co.uk (videos should be submitted using WeTransfer).