SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Student trio secure significant Rochester Bridge Scholarships

Posted 10 June

James Miller, Education Officer (Bursaries & Scholarships) of the Rochester Bridge Trust, second left, with Archie Harrison, Rebecca Goulding and Connor Jackson.

Three students at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ have become Scholars on a programme run by a charitable trust linked to one of Kent’s most historic bridges.

The three Agriculture students are the first at the University to secure the significant Scholarships, which are awarded by the Rochester Bridge Trust – and applications are now open for prospective students who wish to follow in their footsteps.

The scholarship was launched to encourage the study of agriculture and related subjects at university. Named in recognition of the work of John Spence, a former Senior Warden of the Trust, the fund reflects the educational aims of the charity to support agricultural education in addition to its long-standing work within civil engineering education.

Students who live in qualifying areas for the Trust’s Scholarships – and who are studying relevant subjects – can apply for scholarships and grants to boost their studies, and this year three students from Harper Adams proved successful in their bids for the first time.

The trio - Archie Harrison, studying BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Crop Production Science, Rebecca Goulding, studying BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Livestock Production Science and Connor Jackson, studying BSc (Hons) Agriculture – were invited to meet with Rochester Bridge Trust Education Officer (Bursaries & Scholarships) James Miller to discuss their studies and their plans and how the Trust’s support will help.

James Miller said: “It was a pleasure to meet Archie, Rebecca and Connor and to welcome them as Spence Agricultural Scholars. They are clearly very conscientious students, with a promising future in agriculture ahead of them.”

Each student will receive a Scholarship of £5,000 for each year of their four- year long courses - from the Rochester Bridge Trust thanks to the Spence Agricultural Scholarship.

Applications are now open for 2025/26 for prospective students who live in Medway, Kent, the London Boroughs of Bexley and Bromley, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire or West Yorkshire.

Students applying to study for a BSc Hons in Agriculture, Agribusiness Management or Agricultural Engineering at Harper Adams are eligible for the funding.

SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s Director of Development and Alumni Relations Doris Taylor said: “Well done to Archie, Rebecca and Connor for being the first Harper Adams students to secure a Spence Agricultural Scholarship – and our profound thanks to the Rochester Bridge Trust for supporting our students in this way.

“Scholarships like these really do make a difference – not only for the students who receive them and whose studies they will support, but also in marking the people and places they are linked with, such as Mr Spence.

“We were delighted to welcome James Miller from the Rochester Bridge Trust to the University to mark the success of this year’s Scholars – and, with applications open for next year, there’s a chance for prospective students to secure their own Scholarship, too!”