For the fourth year running, Land Rover has teamed up with The Prince’s Countryside Fund to award five entrepreneurial young people with a year’s loan of a Land Rover Discovery, to help them develop their rural careers.

The winners, selected for their stand-out business plans, passion and dedication to making a difference in their local community, include Falmouth-based, Jenny Dunstan, founder of Jenny’s Beef Ltd which specialises in high quality Piemontese beef, and Lucy and Chris Williams, who are setting up a Scottish tea company, Tulloch Tea, in addition to creating a range of tea-infused beauty products.

Other recipients for 2017 are organic dairy farmer, Claire Howlett, from Bromyard who with her brother has just taken over the running of their family business, Wicton Farm, and suckler cow farmer James Speers, who is also working to raise awareness about the issues surrounding mental health and safety in the community as part of his role as president of the Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster. The fifth and final recipient is Lindale-based David Corrie-Close who, with his wife Bekka, has recently established the Horned Beef Company.

At a special event at Loseley Park in Surrey, the winners were each awarded their Discovery Sport, and also received off-road and towing training from Land Rover Experience to prepare them for all terrains and weather conditions.

Claire Howlett said: "I am delighted to have been chosen as one of the recipients for The Prince’s Countryside Fund Land Rover bursary this year. Farming can be a very isolating industry to work in so I feel it’s vital to have a capable and reliable vehicle. It will provide flexibility, independence and confidence not only to easily gain access to remote parts of the farm with challenging terrain but also to attend events further afield, increasing the ability to network and gain new skills."

Scott Dicken, marketing director for Jaguar Land Rover UK, said: “These young people are great advocates of the farming industry and their passion and dedication is a pleasure to see. Their entrepreneurial spirit is also showing the diverse options within farming and just how exciting and multi-dimensional a career in agriculture can be.”

Claire Saunders, director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund, added: “Over the past few years we’ve seen what a difference access to a reliable and capable vehicle can make and we’re delighted to be able to once again work in partnership with Land Rover UK to support five ambitious young people who are making not only huge strides in their respective careers, but also a major difference in their rural communities. The Fund is looking forward to following the journey of these exceptional young people over the next 12 months.”