Proceeds from The Royal Isle of Wight County Show will be spent on bursaries and grants to support young people who want to gain skills in the agricultural sector.

The Royal Isle of Wight Agricultural Society’s Rural Careers Fund is a scheme which offers financial support to people aged under 25 (and exceptionally, older) to gain relevant qualifications or skills.

There are two categories of award from the fund:

  • Scholarships of up to £3,000 each are awarded annually
  • Bursaries of up to £200 which are considered regularly throughout the year

Eligibility
Successful applicants will be Island residents, or have a strong Island connection, and their award will be in some way bring added value to the Island. Previous applicants are welcome to reapply for an award, whether or not they have been successful in the past.

What will the fund pay for?
The awards are for people who want to develop their skills within agriculture or land-based and related industries. This could include full-time study, short courses, or broader vocational development. Travel costs alone will rarely be the basis of a successful award, although may form an element of it. Awards will not normally be made to support second degrees or other post-graduate study.

  • A scholarship is primarily aimed at individuals looking to take a full-time course leading to a qualification.
  • Bursaries can help pay for a variety of training and personal development costs. For example to pay for a short course to learn a new skill, to buy some equipment to get a qualification, or for accreditation fees and other study costs.

Key dates
Scholarship applications should be received by 31st July every year, and there will be interviews during August.
Bursaries are considered regularly throughout the year and there is no final deadline. Consult the RIWAS to find out when the next applications will be considered.

Please see www.riwas.org.uk if you are interested in finding out more about the RIWAS Rural Careers Fund