Beekeepers, or want-to-be-beekeepers, aged between 17 and 22 years-of-age are being encouraged to put their name forward for the annual Ron Mossop Youth Scholarship this month.
Applications for the scholarship, set up three years ago by Mossop’s Honey and industry body Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ), opened in September. Those interested have until October 29 to submit their application.
The scholarship aims to give young people the best possible start in the apiculture industry. It includes $2000 to be put towards best practice training and/or set up costs, membership to ApiNZ for a year and attendance at their national conference in the year of the award.
Last year Bay of Plenty 18-year-old Angus Brenton-Rule benefitted from the scholarship while spending his first year in the industry working for Whakatane-based Golden Grove Apiaries. Scholarship funds allowed him to purchase resources to kick start his career and attend the national conference.
“Conference was a really great opportunity to meet other beekeepers and hear about what’s happening in other parts of the country. I learnt lots,” Brenton-Rule said.
The scholarship is named after industry pioneer, Ron Mossop, who started his family beekeeping businesses in the 1940s. His business was built on values of quality and integrity, which remain at the heart of Mossop’s Honey today.
Neil Mossop said his family were thrilled to continue to support the next generation of beekeepers through the scholarship.
“Mossop’s Honey is committed to best practice beekeeping and the highest levels of integrity throughout our business. It is a privilege to be able to pass on those values to young beekeepers. We see the scholarship as a wonderful tribute to my father, who instilled those values in his family and business.”
Brenton-Rule has experienced the benefits of the scholarship first hand and thus encourages others to put their application in.
“It’s so worth it and you’ll never know unless you try,” the Bay of plenty teenager says.
“If you win, you’ll be glad you applied,”
For more information and how to apply, go to https://apinz.org.nz/scholarship-in-beekeeping/
