The future land managers supported by CLA Charitable Trust scholarships

Building on its first year of success, the CLA Charitable Trust (CLACT) has awarded two more Aberystwyth University scholarships. Lewis Beavan, from the Radnorshire-Shropshire border, and Leah Crabbe, from Dorset, will be supported throughout their degrees thanks to the Trust’s scholarship programme, funded almost entirely by CLA member contributions.

The CLACT also provides grants to charities and similar organisations. In 2023, it provided six grants totalling £21,390 to organisations in Wales.

Wales-based CLACT Trustee Caroline Wilson says: “We launched the scholarship in the 2022-2023 academic year to invest in the future of agriculture in Wales. It strengthens our relationship with the university as a centre of excellence in agriculture and land management. Our scholars are already providing an insight into the next generation of leaders in the sector and opening a window into young adults’ mindset about diet and how we care for the environment.”

The inaugural scholar, Hattie Bryett, is reading agriculture with animal science. She plans to study for an integrated masters in agriculture and pursue a career in hi-tech bovine artificial insemination. With a final year of scholarship support ahead, Hattie has engaged with various CLA events, including a discussion about the next generation at the Royal Welsh Show, as well as sitting on a panel at our 2023 Rural Business Conference.

The scholarship helps students who might find entering the agricultural sector challenging. Hattie, who grew up inner-city Birmingham, had her first sniff of country air after winning riding lessons in a raffle. “My dad’s a plumber and my mum’s petrified of any animal bigger than a dog, let alone a cow,” she says. “Before I came here, I gained experience on a dairy farm producing for Waitrose.

“Those who share my background possess a close understanding of what many city people understand about farming and where their food comes from, and they are the majority, so there is an education job to be done there. I often hear fellow students talking about the lack of public understanding. Then I think, how could they know any of that when they’re standing at the meat counter in Tesco?”

Hattie’s generation is grappling with feeding the nation, increasing focus on animal welfare and tackling climate change.

“We need to do a better job of improving consumers’ understanding and listening to them too,” she says.

Caroline Wilson says: “Lewis and Leah, have the benefit of moral support from Hattie as a trailblazer for the scholarship initiative – and we hope they will enjoy being part of the CLA family.”