SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS

AUCTIONEER BILL IS TOP OF THE 2009 CLASS!

Part time auctioneer and part time farmer, Bill Nelson has come out top of the class in the first year of a four year auctioneering foundation degree course, receiving the Dick Harrison Trust Award.

Left to right, Dick Harrison Trust chairman Nick Utting, Bill Nelson with his award and Andrew Wright, secretary of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers Scotland with last year's first year students.

Bill, who at 52, is probably the oldest student to win the award made by the Dick Harrison Trust which was set up to help budding auctioneers in memory of the late auctioneer and managing director of Harrison & Hetherington, Dick Harrison who founded Borderway Mart, Carlisle.

Bill farms 200 acres at Low Sorbies, Bewcastle, north of Carlisle, running pedigree British Blues and sheep. He started working part-time for Carlisle-based Harrison & Hetherington in 2000 as a fieldsman as well as working in the pedigree office in an administrative role.

An ambition he has held since childhood to be an auctioneer was fulfilled five years ago when he began conducting tree and shrub sales at Borderway. Since then he has also auctioned implements and taken over as the main vehicle auctioneer at Borderway Motor Auctions. He sells sheep at the annual NSA Builth Wells ram sales.

“Ever since I was small I wanted to be an auctioneer but it never occurred to me that I would get the chance,” said Bill. “I enjoy all aspects of my work and my ultimate ambition is to regularly conduct livestock auctions.”

Bill received his award from from Dick Harrison Trust chairman Nick Utting at the start of a week’s tuition at the University of Cumbria’s Newton Rigg Campus on Monday (January 25).

The remainder of study for the four year degree course run with the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association and the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers Scotland is carried out remotely throughout the year.

Bill’s first-year course last year (2009) involved 20 students from across England, Wales and Scotland. Numbers have been increasing year on year.

As well as making the annual top student award, the Dick Harrison Trust provides modest grants to aspiring auctioneers from Cumbria, Northumberland and Scotland towards their costs, including books, computers and travel.

LYNNE IS TOP OF THE CLASS!

Lynne Grieve, a member of Harrison & Hetherington's field staff, has been presented with the Dick Harrison award for the top student in the first year of a four year livestock auctioneering foundation degree course.

Lynne Grieve with her gavel, her award for top student in her year, with Dick Harrison Trust secretary and auctioneer Robert Addison.

The course is run by the Livestock Auctioneers Association and the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers Scotland.

Lynne, who started working at Borderway in 2002, was presented with the award at the course's residential week at Newton Rigg, Penrith, by Dick Harrison Trust chairman Nick Utting.

"All I have known is farming and this job was a fantastic opportunity for me. I love what I'm doing - the variation of the work from booking cattle for Monday and Wednesday sales to canvassing," said Lynne, whose parents Gordon and Anne and brother David run 1,500 breeding ewes, including Hexham Blackfaces and Mules alongside 100 suckler cows on 1200 acres at Whiteside Farm, Birtley, Hexham.

Lynne has her own pedigree flock of 40 Texels and she is assistant secretary of the Solway and Tyne Texel Breeders' Club.

She has just given up her role of competitions secretary for Northumberland Young Farmers' Clubs of which she has been an enthusiastic member since she was 13. She is a keen stock judge.

DOREEN FELL

Carlisle NFU group secretary Nick Utting from Watermillock dropped in at the university of Cumbria’s Newton Rigg Campus, near Penrith, to present a prize to the best first year student on a course being run for trainee auctioneers.

Mr Utting was acting in his role as chairman of the Dick Harrison Trust, which provides grants to young people wishing to enter a career in auctioneering or rural land agency. The trust was set up in memory of the late Dick Harrison, who was the well known manager of Borderway Mart, Rosehill, Carlisle, and did much to encourage youngsters to enter this rural sector.

The trust considers applications from young people living Scotland, Cumbria and Northumberland. Those wishing to apply for support should contact trust secretary Robert Addison at Borderway Mart, Rosehill, Carlisle.

Doreen Fell receives her Top Student Award 2007 from Nick Utting

This recipients of this year’s prize was Doreen Fell who is employed at Ulverston Mart in South Cumbria, where she is involved with all aspects of the livestock business.

The course at Newton Rigg is run by Livestock Auctioneers Association, which, in association with the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers of Scotland, has developed a foundation degree (FdSc) through the University of Cumbria for livestock auctioneers and valuers based throughout England, Wales and Scotland.

Chris Dodds, executive secretary of Livestock Auctioneers Association, said: “The course is now in its third year, with 28 students attending from throughout Britain – from the very south of England and Wales to the islands off Scotland.

“ Students who successfully complete and pass the four – year distance learning course will be eligible to apply to the two associations for a fellowship, as well as being awarded a foundation degree in livestock auctioneering and valuations (rural) by the University of Cumbria”.

The course covers all aspects of livestock market operations and associated duties, with modulesincluded on auction mart operations, animal health and welfare, study skills with IT, taxation and law, commodities marketing, land economy and business skills, agricultural policies finance, health and safety and human resource procedures.

Mr Dodds added: “The LAA is pleased by the recognition that the degree course has already achieved from representitives from throughout the UK livestock industry, and is delighted that Dick Harrison Trust wishes to be associated with it by making an annual award”.

CLAIRE METCALFE

Claire Metcalfe

I first heard about The Dick Harrison Trust when a lecturer at the Royal Agricultural College informed me of its existence and how individuals such as myself and others from Cumbria, could apply to the Trust for financial assistance to support me with my chosen degree in Rural Land Management.

Throughout my University degree at Cirencester, I was fortunate enough to receive a bursary each year which assisted me with my costs for studying such as accommodation, study trips and of course all of those books that students require.

Additionally, the Trust supported me further when I chose to study Herdwick Sheep as the topic for my dissertation. The financial support that I received from the Trustees made a valuable contribution to the costs of the extensive research I had to undertake, not least of all the many miles travelled to visit remote hill farmers throughout Cumbria.

I enjoyed considerable academic success throughout my degree, achieving the Highest Achieving Student Award on the Rural Land Management Course in each year of my degree. Having graduated from the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester in 2006 with a First class honours degree in BSc (Hons) Rural land Management; I am now employed as an Assistant Rural Surveyor with Smiths Gore in their Preston office and enjoying my role considerably.

I am very grateful to the Trustees for all of the Trust’s support and would encourage anybody who is eligible to apply to enjoy the benefits of The Dick Harrison Trust.

CHARLES RAINE MRICS FAAV

Charles Raine

Following a spell of work experience with Harrison & Hetherington at Borderway Mart in 1998, I was lucky enough to receive an award from The Dick Harrison Trust, which was given to help with the purchase of equipment and books relevant to my study. I enrolled on a course in rural estate management at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, where I studied for a Graduate Diploma in Rural Estate Management.

I graduated in 1992 and took up employment with Penrith Farmers & Kidd’s Plc. Where I worked in the livestock auction and developed a quota brokerage agency in the early years of IACS, sheep and beef quota. I became a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on 1994 and I spent two years working for Fisher Hogarth in Kendal, where I developed my experience of management of rural estates in and around the Lake District.

Following that spell, I decided to expand my experience and further develop my time working as a Land Agent on rural estates and to the North East, where I spent two years assisting on the Allendale Estate, and following that moved to John Clark at the Haltwhistle office of Clark Scott-Harden, becoming an Association Director of the company in the year 2000.

Recently I have joined the practice of Young’s Chartered Surveyors in Hexham, where I am employed as an Associate Partner, carrying out a wide variety of private client work and some rural estate management; I plan to develop my skills and continue to practise in this area.

I became a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers in 1997 and I now return some of my knowledge to the profession by sitting as an APC assessor for the Rural Practice Division of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

MATTHEW WILSON
Eden farmer's son Matthew Wilson is studying for a degree in rural enterprise and land agency, thanks to help from the Dick Harrison Trust. more>>

ROBERT TAYLOR

Robert Taylor

I received my award from the Trust during the early 1990’s and at that time I was a trainee auctioneer at Lanark The award was a great surprise and most appreciated at the time. I passed the Institute of auctioneer’s exams over a 2 year period and was the winner of the Matthew J Thomson Memorial Prize for the best student.

The award helped me to pay for travelling to tutorials, extra course paperwork and greatly assisted with my costs towards the College of Estate Management in Surveying, which I embarked upon shortly after the IAAS exams. This expensive course was funded entirely by myself and the only form of grant/award I received during my time as a working student was from the Dick Harrison Trust.

I have worked for various organisations within the auctioneering and surveying profession. I am a fellow of the IAAS, Member of the RICS, Council member of the Scottish Agricultural Arbiters Association and on the panel of the Rural Arbitration & Valuation Nomination Committee.