Dairy consultant and Nuffield Trehane scholar Diana Allen has taken over the chair of the Trehane Trustees from Wynne Jones, former principal of Harper Adams University, who held the post for 12 years.
The Trehane Trust was launched in 1977 when Sir Richard Trehane retired as Chairman of the Milk Marketing Board to mark his tremendous contribution to the Board and to the dairy industry worldwide. Its principal aim is to offer study scholarships on any aspect of the dairy industry. Up to three Trehane awards are made each year through the Nuffield Farming Trust.
After graduating from the University of Nottingham in 1983, Diana Allen started her career as a lecturer in California while completing an MSc. After a brief spell as a research nutritionist for a national feed company, she joined Genus as a farm consultant in Dorset in 1986.
In 2005 Diana was awarded a Trehane-sponsored Nuffield Farming Scholarship to study ‘Improving cow comfort, nutrition and health to increase profit’ and travelled to Denmark, Sweden, USA and Canada.
As a result of her scholarship she established her own dairy consultancy business in 2005, based in the south west, but working with herds throughout the UK and in Europe.
“My award opened many doors, in the UK and overseas,” she says. “It gave me the opportunity to broaden my network of contacts and study an area that particularly interested me.”
As chairman of the Trehane Trustees she is committed to encouraging and supporting more ambitious dairy enthusiasts through the application and award process, and seeing more take up the opportunities on offer through the Trehane awards.
“Applicants do not need any formal qualifications, and while some will have a burning subject that they’d like to study, others will not and we are prepared to help to steer them towards a topic that will be of benefit in their own career or business development and to the wider dairy industry.”
The Trehane Trust also holds dinners and conferences, providing an on-going network for past and current scholars, who can also take part in the Nuffield dairy study tours, usually held annually.
Trehane Trust awards have been made annually since 1979 and there are now more than 70 scholars.
The deadline for online applications for an award is July 31 each year. Details and application forms can be found at: http://www.nuffieldscholar.org
Or, for more information, contact Trehane Trust Chairman Diana Allen on diana@qnm.ltd.uk
