The John Platt Travel Scholarship was launched by Cheshire Agricultural Society and Reaseheath College in 2008. It is open to anyone aged between 18 and 35 living or working in Cheshire’s agricultural sector.
Each year, there is one £2,000 travel scholarship available for those who wish to gain further knowledge, through travel, in their chosen career in the agricultural or related sectors.
The Scholarship was created in recognition of the late John Platt, who supported the thriving agricultural community of Cheshire through his many roles within the county. He chaired the Cheshire Agricultural Society for nearly 30 years and co-ordinated the Cheshire County Show. John retained a keen interest in the development of local young farmers and young people in the industry as a whole and, himself a keen traveller, believed that much of his personal and professional success was attributed to having had the opportunity to travel and discover new horizons.
John had taken an active part in the first five years of the Scholarship and said at the time; “I am so pleased about how successful the travel scholarship has been, it is very satisfying that the recipients have enjoyed their travels and it has been of great use to their careers going forward” John Platt, OBE, DL, Hon DSc, FRAgS.
If you’re keen to broaden your knowledge through travel apply now for the John Platt Travel Scholarship.
You need to be
- Aged between 18 and 35 years old
- Working in agriculture or related industries
- Living or working in Cheshire
Your project
The scholarship will be awarded to an applicant who can outline a project they wish to work on which could be focused on exploring topics such as:
- New technology
- New or alternative farming methods
- Diversification
- Utilisation or sustainability of natural resources
- Improved profitability within Cheshire agriculture
Successful applicants will be expected, on their return, to make a formal presentation of their findings to the Cheshire Agricultural Society and nominated groups.
How to apply
Applications for the John Platt Scholarship for 2025 will close on Sunday 18th May.
Shortlisting will take place from Monday 19th May 2025
Presentation Panel will take place on Tuesday 3rd June 2025
The winner will be invited to the President Lunch at The Royal County Cheshire Show to be presented with their award.
The object of the scholarship is to assist those who would be prevented from travelling through lack of financial resources.
If you are interested in the travel scholarship but not ready to apply yet, please click here and leave your details below:
Past recipients
I found the scholarship hugely beneficial and much of what I learned has been put in to practice as we are now running our own heifer rearing unit. We’ve introduced weighing stock to make sure we meet growth targets, vaccination plans for our younger beef calves and we’ve increased consistency for group changes.
I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities that I gained through the John Platt Travel Scholarship and would recommend anyone who is interested in developing their knowledge and experience to apply.
The John Platt Travel Scholarship gave me the knowledge and confidence I needed to focus my career entirely on foot health in dairy cattle. My newly gained skills have enabled me to deliver a more direct and targeted approach on farm and I continue to work directly with dairy farmers as well as with agri-businesses. I’ve recently embarked on an AHDB Dairy funded PhD which will build on the knowledge and connections made during my John Platt Travel Scholarship.
I seriously recommend for any young enthusiastic person to consider applying for this Scholarship. It would be such an achievement as well as meeting lots of very interesting people and their ways of doing things.
This trip has been a great benefit to me personally as well as for my career in farming.
I’d recommend everyone to apply for the Scholarship – it has really broadened my ideas and was the trip of a lifetime!