Applications are open for the Bishop of Norwich Sustainable Environment Young Employee of the Year Award 2026
A £1,000 cash prize will be awarded to the winner of this prestigious accolade, recognising employees and apprentices under the age of 30 who are working in Norfolk’s land-based sector. The award aims to highlight career opportunities within the land-based environment and to strengthen the winner’s CV and future career prospects.
The £1000 cash prize will be awarded to an individual to help fund training and professional development, as well as two tickets to the Royal Norfolk Show where the winner will be presented with their prize and certificate by the Bishop of Norwich on Thursday 25th June 2026.
Applicants must work within the land-based sector and their employment or apprenticeship should be focused on one or more of the following areas:
• Land management
• Conservation
• Countryside management
• Ecology
• Climate change management
• Forestry management
• Horticulture
The Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich said:
“I am delighted to be working again in partnership with the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association and the Food and Farming Discovery Trust to offer this prize to encourage and recognize those setting out on a career in land and nature. The nominees always give me great hope for the future, not least because I am passionate about the care of God’s creation and supporting those who appreciate the natural world as much as I have in my life.”
Mark Nicholas, Managing Director of the RNAA said:
“The RNAA is delighted to partner again with the Bishop of Norwich to deliver this important initiative. The award is central to the RNAA’s wider role of promoting food production, farming, and the countryside, and it seeks to recognise the inspirational efforts by young people to enhance our biodiversity and how we manage our natural capital.”
This exciting award was launched in 2022 and in 2025 saw Tom Ewin, who was working on placement with Norfolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (Norfolk FWAG).
His “outstanding” application outlined projects he had undertaken at Norfolk FWAG, including new deer management initiatives. This included organising and co-ordinating events to bring the deer stalking and farming community together to understand the scale of the challenge, and what they can do to solve it. It also involved Tom supporting the Broads Authority to conduct the UK’s largest deer drone survey, giving them the data they needed to start this important work.
Judges called Tom “A passionate communicator for the environment, a young man with both practical and theoretical skills and, perhaps the most important of all, an ability to communicate his passion to a wide range of people.
“It is clear to see his love of the environment, but he is also able to see the bigger picture, balancing the needs of landowners, wildlife conservationists and environmentalists as well as agriculture and the challenges of preserving space for nature.”
The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, the Church of England’s lead bishop for the environment, said: “Tom is a worthy winner. He focuses on finding ways to balance the needs of wildlife with our need for agriculture, crops and food security. His understanding of the importance of making space for the wonders of the natural world, alongside the vital work of growing food, is a reason to hope that every harvest can be a celebration of crops, conservation and the God-given glory of creation.”
The award is in partnership with The Bishop of Norwich, Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, and the Food & Farming Discovery Trust.
HOW TO APPLY
The Food & Farming Discovery Trust, which is the education vehicle of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, will be undertaking the shortlisting and judging of the competition.
To enter, applicants are asked to submit a letter of recommendation from their employer along with a homemade video (e.g. made on a smartphone) not exceeding five minutes in duration, which covers the following:
• A brief introduction about themselves
• Why they selected their current employment/apprenticeship
• How the employment/apprenticeship is helping to prepare them for career development
• Why they are interested in environmental issues, what they have done about this already within their employment/apprenticeship, and how they hope to make a difference in this area, particularly during their current employment/apprenticeship, but also in their future careers
Applications should be submitted to The Food & Farming Discovery no later than 17:00 on Friday, 15th May 2026.
Applications are to be submitted by email to info@ffdt.co.uk (videos should be submitted using WeTransfer).