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Douglas Bomford Trust scholarships 2014

Posted 1 March 2014

Six promising young engineers, from England, Ireland and Wales, have received scholarships from the Douglas Bomford Trust.

The awards were formally presented by trustee Jonathan Bomford at the annual º¬Ðß²ÝÉçÇø Development Trust scholarships presentation, which saw £280,000 worth of scholarships go to 98 students.

The Douglas Bomford Trust scholarships are open to agricultural engineering students and are competitive, with applicants evaluated on the merit of their initial application and, if selected, an interview.  This year’s undergraduate scholars are detailed below. The Trust was also thanked for the significant support it has provided to postgraduate students at º¬Ðß²ÝÉçÇø.

Andrew Dawson, 22, from Sleaford, Lincolnshire. Andrew is a final year BSc Agricultural Engineering student, and former pupil of St Georges College of Technology, Sleaford.  He said: “I would like to thank the Douglas Bomford Trust for their kind generosity. I have a lot of respect for the Trust and the work that it does to ensure that engineering knowledge is continually being improved. I am very pleased to be adding this industry-specific award to my CV.

During his placement year, Andrew was employed by CNH (Case New Holland) UK Ltd. “My main duties included assisting dealers with technical problems from the office and on site, working closely with the CNH diagnostics packages. I was also involved with combine harvester quality control in factories in both Brazil and Belgium producing machines for South America and Europe. After graduation, I would like to return to a large machinery manufacturer and work within the development and field testing department. My further career goal is to manage a territory of dealerships as an area service manager liaising between the dealership and manufacturer.”

Andrew is student member of both IAgrE and IMechE and enjoys attending presentations and events organised by the institutions to develop his knowledge of new subjects. Also in his spare time, he has a keen interest in walking, cycling and motorsports. He also scratch builds 1/32 scale agricultural models, a hobby he has developed since he was 15.

Cormac Flaherty, 21, is a final year BEng Agricultural Engineering student, from Kilmessan, Co. Meath, Ireland.  He previously attended Dunshaughlin Community College, Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath. Cormac received both the Douglas Bomford Trust scholarship and a Harper Adams in Ireland award (funded by the association for Harper Adams alumni throughout Ireland).  

He said: “I would like to thank the Douglas Bomford Trust and Harper Adams in Ireland for the scholarships. It is a great honour and they will be of great help and support in my final year at Harper Adams.” For his placement year, Cormac worked for CNH (Case New Holland) as an Inter Field Test and Development Engineer. “I found it incredibly enjoyable and learnt a lot,” he said. “It reinforced skills and knowledge I had gained at Harper Adams.”

Upon graduation, Cormac, a former chairman of the Harper Ireland student society, hopes to take some time out to travel, before forging ahead with his career in agricultural engineering.

Alex Skittery, 23, from Little Marcle, Herefordshire, is in year five of the Harper Adams Masters Agricultural Engineering. A previous pupil of the John Masefield School, Ledbury, Herefordshire, Alex has received three scholarships this year, from the Douglas Bomford Trust, Kildare Charitable Trust and Harper Adams Club.

“I really do thank my sponsors very much for the generous scholarship awards. Their financial help is much appreciated. I’m in my final year of university, so spend all of my time studying - the scholarships let me focus 100 per cent on studying without having to worry about finding part-time work.”  Alex completed his placement year in New Zealand, where he designed and built a working prototype mower. He has ambitions to “work at the forefront of engineering”.

Jacob Smith, 22, from Leigh Upon Mendip, Radstock, Avon. Jake is a fourth year MEng Agricultural Engineering student who attended Reaseheath College before starting at º¬Ðß²ÝÉçÇø. He said: “This scholarship is a huge help towards me securing my life-long ambition of becoming a professional engineer. It allows me to purchase materials to assist with my learning, and for that I would like to thank both Harper Adams and the Douglas Bomford Trust. This is the third time I have received the Douglas Bomford Trust scholarship, so they must obviously see the importance of bringing new engineers into the industry. I am very grateful.”  

Jake completed a work placement with JCB for his year in industry, as a JCB scholar. “Working with cutting edge technologies, I was able to build upon my experiences from Harper Adams,” he said. “I intend to return to JCB as I have secured a job offer from them. I then intend to help improve the future of agriculture by applying the knowledge I have gained from Harper Adams. If I could put something back into agriculture, I will be a very proud man!”  In his spare time, Jake enjoys sports and fitness, as well as restoring vintage tractors and competing in motorcycle competitions.

Jennifer Williams, 22, from Liverpool, is a fourth year MEng Agricultural Engineering student, and former pupil of Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School. She says: “I feel honoured to have been selected by the Douglas Bomford Trust to receive this scholarship; it will greatly assist me this year and in my future career. My ambition is to make a difference and bring British Engineering to the forefront in its field.”

Jennifer’s year in industry was spent at miTechnology Leyland, Preston.  “I gained valuable experience during the 15 months I was a test engineer and was given several opportunities to increase my skill level and knowledge.  This experience has proved an excellent foundation to build my future career on.”  Jennifer is a student warden at º¬Ðß²ÝÉçÇø, providing pastoral care to first years living in a hall of residence, which she says has been a rewarding experience. She is also a member of the university hockey club and plays squash to keep fit.

Christopher Siddons, 22, from Llanidloes, Powys, is a final year BSc (Hons) agricultural engineering student. A former pupil of Llanidloes High School, he has ambitions to work for a large agricultural machinery company. He said: “I am truly grateful to the Douglas Bomford Trust for awarding me this scholarship. It means a lot to me and will really help me with my studies.”  Christopher worked for agricultural machinery giant John Deere during the sandwich year of his degree programme.