FUW STUDENT BURSARY WINNER TO BE REVEALED AT WINTER FAIR

The winner of the Farmers' Union of Wales £1,000 student bursary scheme will be announced in the presence of the top three candidates on the opening day (Monday November 28) of the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.

The three finalists are 18-year-olds Carys Mair Jones, of Glanbynant, Gwynfe Road, Llandeilo and Ilan Llewelyn Hughes, Erw Fair, Llangwm, Corwen, and 16-year-old Eurof Edwards, Erw Deg, Llangernyw, Abergele, Conwy.

They will find out which of the £700, £200 and £100 bursaries they have won when the judges announce their decision in the FUW Pavilion - alongside the main Royal Welsh Show ring at Llanelwedd - at 11.15am.

All the candidates were asked to outline in no more than 250 words what winning the bursary would mean to them and how it could benefit their future career.

Meanwhile, the FUW stand - alongside the cattle ring in the Livestock Complex Hall 1 - will be a hive of activity.

The winners of an FUW-organised national children's competition to design a Christmas card will be presented with their prizes by union president Emyr Jones at 9.30am on the opening day.

The competition was split into two categories - English and Welsh designs. The criterion for the entries was that they should depict a farming scene with a Christmas theme.

The Welsh category was won by nine-year-old Rhys Williams, a pupil at Ysgol Llanafan, near Aberystwyth. His winning design depicted Santa Claus driving a tractor above a row of sheep.

The winner of the English category is nine-year-old Alex Mary Charman, a pupil at Priory Church in Wales School, Brecon, whose winning picture showed Santa flying into the sky on a tractor pulled by a reindeer.

Both win a £25 Argos voucher plus £100 of Atebol vouchers for their schools.

The judging panel also decided to award five-year-old Gwilym Workman, a pupil at Ysgol Pontsenni, Brecon, with a highly commended prize as they were delighted with his design of a snow man. He will also receive a £25 Argos voucher.

Most of the competition entries will form a colourful centrepiece to the FUW's stand where the public will be able to buy the cards in packs of 10 for £5 with the proceeds going to the FUW President's charity - Cancer Research Wales.

The cards will also be available to purchase from FUW offices around the country or by mail order from the union's head office in Aberystwyth.

FUW members and supporters are also welcome to call at the stand for refreshments where they can enter a draw for a Welsh food hamper, with proceeds going to Cancer Research Wales, and fill in a topical questionnaire to be entered into another draw for a food hamper.

Children will be urged to name a giant Teddy Bear which will take pride of place alongside the stand's traditional Christmas tree.

Free professional advice on issues such as renewable energy, tenancy rights, compulsory purchase and rural property issues will also be available to farmers calling at the stand where chartered surveyors Philip Meade and Eifion Bibby of Davis Meade Property Consultants will be available for a free consultation.