The Gregor Award provides grants to support people 30 years and younger to widen their knowledge in agriculture, horticulture or home economics whether through travel or study Ten years later, in 1997, following the 50th Anniversary of East Aberdeenshire District of Young Farmers’ Clubs (October 1996), they set up a local committee to formalise their trust plans and implement their ambitions. Robe
rt F Gregor, MBE, FRAgS (1924 – 2017)
SAYFC National Secretary, Director
Advisor, 1952 – 1984
Ada M Gregor (nee Beaton) (June 2018)
Both past secretaries of Turriff and District JAC
To fully understand the core purpose of the awards we need to reflect a little and go back to 1963, when R F Gregor received an award to realise a lifelong ambition to visit USA and Canada to study Junior Farmers’ of Ontario, 4H and IFYE. Whilst there he was inspired by, and introduced to, forward thinking models of how to keep rural youth engaged at every level. This gave him the long-term vision to influence current practice and encourage new ideas and exchange opportunities. Conditions, attitudes, and aspirations have changed and moved on over the years since the Gregor Award Trust was announced, as have the legal and fiscal responsibilities of charity trustees. In 2019 newly appointed trustees Lorna & Graham Pascall, revisited the Trust’s purposes, aims and objectives to ensure they stay relevant and in tandem with respecting the wishes of the Trust’s founders, Lorna’s parents. Today current recipients of a Gregor Award are offered a similar opportunity to that which had been given to R F Gregor in 1963, to travel, make new friends, be inspired, enriched and help to become better farmers, better countrymen, better citizens. The Gregor Award purposes are:
> to provide bursaries and grants to people up to 30 years old who would benefit from these by learning more in the areas of agriculture or home economics
> to assist with the funding of travel opportunities in the UK and abroad for people who want to widen their knowledge in the study of agriculture, horticulture, arboriculture or the like
The committee continue to represent the trustees in promoting awareness of the Award and encouraging more applications where appropriate. Also to continue to encourage annual attendance at the Oxford Farming Conference by preferably two young farmers. Successful applicants will arrange full insurance cover including sickness and accident and will indemnify The Gregor Award against any claims arising from awards. The Gregor Award committee will have full responsibility for the identification and selection of successful candidates and their decision will be subject to final approval by the Trustees of the Gregor Award Trust, as will the amount of the awards to be given.
