All-Ireland Award for ABP Angus Youth Challenge Campaign


The PR & Marketing of the ABP Angus Youth Challenge has been recognised with an award for ‘Best Targeted Campaign’ in the Agri Guild Awards. The biennial programme is organised by the Guild of Agricultural Journalists of Ireland and aims to encourage excellence in the reporting and communication of farming, food and rural life on the island of Ireland.

 There were over 200 submissions in total for this round of awards. The winning campaign was the only Northern Ireland entry to make the shortlist in its category, beating off competition from three other campaigns to win.

 Commenting on the entries chair of the judging panel Johnny O’Hanlon, Director of Local Ireland said:

 “While this has been an extraordinarily difficult year, it certainly didn’t deter the enthusiasm of journalists and industry communicators, judging by the volume of entries received across all categories and that the judges were struck by the high calibre of entries across the categories.”

 The award ceremony took place online due to Covid-19 restrictions and featured an address by the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.

 He commented:

 “To be recognised by your peers as being the best in any field is something that professionals strive for their entire career but only a few can achieve. To win an award of this nature is a tremendous achievement.”

“I am heartened by the state of the agricultural media at present – storytelling is needed more than ever and to have such a depth of talent in the sector can only be good for us as consumers of media. I congratulate all involved in the Guild of Agricultural Journalists Awards and I extend a special word of note to all the winners.”

The ABP Angus Youth Challenge was introduced in Northern Ireland by ABP and its partner the Northern Irish Angus Producer Group in 2017 to help bridge the gap between education and employment for young people interested in working in the agri-food sector here. Its sister arm in the Republic of Ireland, Certified Irish Angus has been running a successful schools competition for several years there which ABP also co-sponsor.

CAFRE Mentors to Support ABP Angus Youth in Challenging Times

We’re excited to announce a new mentorship initiative with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) for ABP Angus Youth Challenge finalists. Each team that reaches the final stage will now benefit from a dedicated mentor selected from CAFRE’s beef and sheep advisory team. The mentors will work with their teams over 18 months, encouraging them to reach their full potential and inspiring them to apply best practice in the rearing of their Angus cross calves.

They will be able to tap in to CAFRE’s expertise relevant to their assignments by exploring and applying modern techniques and technologies for example in reducing the environmental impact of agriculture and the use of animal health plans.

Explaining the rationale for the initiative, Liam McCarthy who is Head of Supply Chain Development for ABP in Northern Ireland said, “ABP is delighted that CAFRE is providing this valuable resource to our ABP Angus Youth Challenge participants. Covid-19 restrictions have created a challenging environment for the learning and development of our young people. The mentors will help bring an exciting and motivating dimension to the finalist programme. We believe this additional interaction will be extremely beneficial to the participants during these difficult times.”

CAFRE’s Head of Beef & Sheep Branch, Paul McHenry added, “Our advisors are looking forward to working with their mentees and to bringing out the best in the ABP Angus Youth Challenge participants.”

The five finalist teams and their mentors are:  Ballymena Academy, Co. Antrim - Assignment theme: Future-proofing beef farming through agri-technology; Mentor: Stephen Flanagan

 

Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle - Assignment theme: Exploring the benefits of a holistic approach to animal performance;  Mentor: Natasha Ferguson

 

Castle Tower School, Co. Antrim - Assignment theme: The Positive Impact of Farming & Agriculture on our Lives; Mentor: Hannah McNelis

 

Magherafelt High School, Co. Londonderry - Assignment theme: Meeting expectations of consumers for a quality eating experience; Mentor: Jack Friar

 

Omagh Academy, Co. Tyrone - Assignment theme: Explore the opportunities for a low carbon Angus beef brand for Northern Ireland Mentor: Gareth Beacom

 

The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is an agri-skills development competition for 14-16 year olds. It operates in conjunction with the Northern Irish Angus Producer Group. Teams from Aughnacloy College, Fivemiletown College, the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Wallace High School will their finalist programme this month (December). They will then take part in a panel interview in January 2021 after which the overall winning team from this group will be announced.

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Hannah McNelis

Castle Tower School Team Mentor

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Gareth Beacom

Omagh Academy Team Mentor

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Jack Friar

Magherafelt High School Team Mentor

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Natasha

Ferguson

Cross and Passion College Team Mentor

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Stephen Flanagan

Ballymena Academy Team Mentor