Awards Scooped up by Young Stars!

21 May 2012

It's that time of year again as the season of awards dinners, conferences and trade shows kicks off! We have always been keen to support such events for our industries, and this year's no different with our continued sponsorship of the Institute of Horticulture's Young Horticulturist of the Year competition and the Young Person of the Year award at Re:fresh 2012.

Held at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on 5th May, it was no surprise that the Grand Final of the YHoY was yet another tough and close run competition. Now In its 23rd year, competitors from across Britain and Ireland took part in local heats and regional finals in recent months to be one of the 8 finalists to battle it out for the £2000 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary. 
 
Our congratulations go to Douglas Mackay from Pershore College (pictured left) who walked away with the top prize, and of course, well done to Katie Croft of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and James English, a Historic and Botanic Gardens Trainee who, in coming a close 2nd and 3rd place, made him work very hard for it!  Douglas plans to travel to Europe to study fruit production and crop protection techniques.

So from Edinburgh to London as MorePeople ventured into the City to the Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane, for our 6th year as sponsors of the Young Person of the Year Award at the Re:fresh Awards dinner on 17th May. As ever, it was an entertaining evening and an event that we are proud to be involved in.
 
Picking up this year's award was Jason Ram from Dole Fresh UK (pictured right). Still only 24, Jason completed a 2 year diploma in business before joining the factory floor team at Dole Fresh in 2006. Having experienced the full range of supply chain activities, he's worked his way up through the business and now holds a trading role in the wholesale markets team. All of us here echo the judges' comments that Jason "is a great role model for young people, showing it is possible to work your way up into positions of responsibility at an early age." 
 
We would also like to congratulate the other nominees Adam Hill (Fresh Inspirations) and Chris Leadon (DG Fruit) for making it through to the final stage.

Finally, our congratulations to all the award winners, the nominees and the companies that encouraged them to enter, and a huge well done to event organisers – the FPC and the FPJ. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2013!