Farming award will celebrate those who go extra mile

The Farming Community Contribution Award has been set up to recognise a person or group in the agricultural community that has given their time or skills to contribute to the farming world, over and above their normal work.

Recently Michael Gove set out a major post-Brexit policy to invest in the environment and take back control for farmers after almost 50 years under EU rules (subject to the outcome of Brexit).

The Agriculture Bill drafted in September 2018 may represent the biggest overhaul of UK farming policy since the end of the Second World War, meaning significant change for the industry. However, we have found that although the industry faces many challenges it continues to prosper through the work of so many exceptionally skilled individuals within the community.

From those who innovate, who support and who raise awareness of topical issues, to those with a more local focus on their immediate community, they all deserve to be celebrated.

All of our clients are exceptionally important to us and creating close working relationships with our clients has always been a focus for our team.

This has given us the insight into fantastic and diverse projects with great outcomes for many stakeholders and all of our clients have a unique story to tell.

We have had the pleasure of working with a number of clients that have proactively promoted and worked with the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution enabling the charity to raise funds for farming families facing hardship in challenging financial and personal circumstances.

We also see the hard work of the members of the Shropshire Chamber of Agriculture organising and hosting farm visits and events across the county to focus on the activities of other businesses to provide inspiration to farming families and businesses.

We are trusted to help and offer advice to over 400 farming businesses and over 1,000 farming clients in the Midlands and North West of England.

The sponsorship of this award is important to us as it allows us to recognise some of the many inspirational individuals and families within the industry.

The farming community is diligent and often undervalued. We want to show all the hardworking farming businesses that we support them and recognise their skills and hard work.

We are searching for the outstanding and selfless individuals and groups across the region.

If you want to nominate someone for this award or any of the others, please visit: www.starthankyou.shropshirestar.co.uk/nomination-form

Roy Jackson is a member of Whittingham Riddell's specialist Rural Services team