Three pupils from St. Killian’s College Carnlough are the overall winners of the 2023 ABP Angus Youth Challenge. Emma Mitchell, Alex McAlister, and Peter Agnew all come from farming families. They impressed the judges with their sense of pride and responsibility in carrying on the agriculture traditions of the Glens of Antrim.

ABP Angus Youth is an employer-education partnership which enhances what is taught in the classroom by offering a ‘learning by doing’ approach in conjunction with Certified Irish Angus. The winners demonstrated real leadership by bringing a year-long assignment on ‘A Health Approach to Agriculture’ to life with the help of their CAFRE mentor Sineád Mathers. This included promoting sustainable agriculture through the establishment of an ECO Club in their school. The trio also shared useful information and advice about soil health; mental health and animal health with their wider community through participation in the “Heart of the Glens Festival.”

The pupils received their trophy and a £1,000 cheque from Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland, George Mullan and the General Manager of the Certified Irish Angus Producer Group, Charles Smith.

This year’s Runners-up were Down High School, Downpatrick whose theme was ‘Utilising Science to Capture Carbon’. The Outstanding Individual Achievement Award went to Orlagh Donaghy of St. Louis Grammar School, Ballymena.

Congratulating the award winners Mr Mullan said, “As a leading employer and business partner within Northern Ireland’s farming and food sector and a ‘Youth Friendly Employer,’ ABP is committed to supporting ambitious young people make the transition from education to working in our industry. We are delighted with the impact ABP Angus Youth Challenge is having on raising aspirations and attainment.”