Pictured above: East Midlands Farming Ambassadors
(l-r) James Milligan Manby (Thorganby Hall, Nr Grimsby),
Angela Sargent (Ettwall, Derbyshire), Charles Sercombe (Frisby on
the Wreake, Leicestershire), Tessa Morton (Presentation skills
trainer), Richard Thomas (Blidworth, Mansfield, Notts), Julia
Hawley (Brentingby, Nr Melton Mowbray), Charles Anyan
(Springthorpe, Nr Gainsborough)
Six farmers from across the East Midlands have accessed
LandSkills funding to become the region's first farming
ambassadors.
The farmers underwent three days farming ambassador training to
learn how to talk to the media, develop their presentation skills
and understand how to chair meetings, so that they can help raise
awareness of the agricultural industry and the challenges they
face.
Richard Hezlet from the National Farmers' Union (NFU), who
delivered the training with funding from LandSkills East Midlands
as part of the Rural Development Programme for England, said:
"There exists within the farming community a wealth of talent and
it has been a privilege for me to witness after just three days of
training the very obvious improvement in the skills and confidence
of this group. All are keen to do more for their fellow farmers and
I believe the region will benefit from their efforts for many years
to come."
Since becoming farming ambassadors many have already spoken on
behalf of industry on TV and radio whilst others have been elected
as Chairman of the regional NFU livestock board, County Chairman of
Derbyshire and another has taken over as Lincoln and Gainsborough
NFU branch chairman.
Farming ambassador, Angela Sargent, from Etwall, Derbyshire,
said: "I've become county chairman of Derbyshire NFU this spring
and immediately I've been able to put quite a lot of the course
into action, particularly the chairmanship skills and how to
present myself and my views more strongly to an audience. The
three-day course was invaluable and it has given me a lot of new
ideas and was mentally very stretching; I really enjoyed it and
meeting and working with the other course participants provided us
all with stimulating ideas and greater confidence in our own
abilities."
Managed by Lantra Sector Skills Council on behalf of EMDA,
LandSkills East Midlands aims to help businesses improve the skills
and knowledge needed to enhance their efficiency and potential.
Programme Manager at Lantra, Jacqui Bruce, said: "This funding
is all about raising the profile of the agricultural industry and
what a great way of doing this by supporting farmers to speak out
for themselves and talk about issues from their own experience."
Phase two, which will run in early 2011, will provide training
for another six farmers.