Newport Show organisers awards university scholarship
A Shropshire student has been revealed as the latest recipient of an annual scholarship awarded by the organisers of Newport Show.
Jayne Bennett, who is studying for a BSc (Hons) in Food Nutrition and Well-being at Harper Adams University, won the £1,000 bursary from the Newport and District Agricultural Society in a competitive round of bidding.
The funding will help the development of a new milk based product to add value to the cow’s milk industry as part of her Honours Research Project. She plans to travel to New Zealand in June for a month to investigate the country’s dairy industry as part of her research.
Jayne will give a talk at the Society’s forthcoming annual general meeting on March 21 about her plans.
The 21-year-old student, who lives on her family’s dairy farm at Sutton near Market Drayton, beat off strong competition to secure the scholarship.
The Society makes the award annually and the bursary scheme is open to all second and final year BSc and final year Foundation degree students at Harper Adams University who live in Shropshire or Staffordshire.
Applicants had to submit a CV along with a statement about their course and details about how the bursary would benefit their future studies. A shortlist of students then faced an interview panel made up of Society members before Jayne was selected.
Jayne, who studied at Sir John Talbot’s School in Whitchurch before attending Thomas Adams in Wem for her A-Levels, said: “I am delighted to have won the scholarship and very grateful for the support from the Society.
“My research is being driven by a desire to improve the outlook for cow’s milk in a market that has been damaged by the rise in popularity of plant-based alternative milks. The scholarship will enable me to carry out extensive research and translate what I learn into a product that could make a real difference in the industry.”
The society’s Chairman of Trustees Robert Watson Jones said: “Jayne’s passion to create a new product to benefit the dairy industry shone through in her application.
“We look forward to hearing about her plans next month and developing a long term relationship with her.”
This year’s Newport Show will be held at the Chetwynd Deer Park on July 8 with headliners including Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
