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EMPOWERING farming communities
At Hutcheon & Pearce, there’s only two things more important to us than powering farms, and that’s empowering farmers and building stronger, more resilient regional communities. So naturally, we’re stoked to offer 10 EMPOWERED Scholarships this year and work alongside Active Farmers’ new CEO, Justin Sampson.
If you’re passionate about health and fitness and helping your community, now’s the time to listen up. Between now and mid-November, you have the chance to apply for one of 10 EMPOWERED Scholarships to become a qualified personal trainer and go on to work in your community and as part of the Active Farmers network.
Active Farmers CEO Justin Sampson said he’s happy to see ten scholarships on offer this year, up from six last year.
“Active Farmers is a grass roots organisation that brings farming communities together and encourages fitness in a fun, supportive and interactive environment. One of our biggest challenges is finding trainers in isolated rural communities, so any organisation that can help an individual with their education and get them started in that field is a cut above the rest.
“We’re very grateful to Hutcheon & Pearce for creating the EMPOWERED Scholarship program to help rural people access Personal Training education so they can start their own business and make a difference in their communities. And we’re happy the program is being supported this year by PCP and AgXtra. We’re delighted because the more trainers we have, the more communities we can serve.”
Justin Sampson- Active Farmers CEO
As Justin sees it, putting your hand up for an EMPOWERED Scholarship is a no brainer for anyone passionate about wellbeing, physical activity and fun but it’s the community connection that’s key.
“We’re looking for people who genuinely want to serve their community. The ideal applicant is probably someone who lives in a small rural community and has either a background in farming or who is in someway connected to the farming community. Above all, we want people with empathy who understand how important it is for people in rural communities to stay connected and want to be of service to their community.
“I encourage anyone with a calling to help others keep healthy and active to apply. Not only do they coach, educate and offer advice, they can also forge real friendships and connections. And it’s a wonderful opportunity to start their own business in a small way, with reduced risk. It’s worth noting that our trainers don’t have to be exclusive to Active Farmers and quite often they have the best of both worlds running Active Farmers training sessions and also their own one-on-ones or their own gym. In that sense, the scholarship really represents a fantastic first step into the industry.”
No stranger to rural life, Justin grew up in a sheep station in Cobar and now lives in Young in NSW’s Central West, taking over as Active Farmers CEO from founder Ginny Stevens in May.
“I stopped off at Young to catch up with some mates at the end of June 2021 on the way to see my daughters near Melbourne for school holidays. The border went up due to COVID lockdowns and I got stuck here on my mate’s farm, helping him and working online for my Sydney-based job. A couple of months later, I was asked to join the Active Farmers board, which I was elected to in November last year and then Ginny was stepping down and the board asked if I’d be CEO, and here we are.
“I’m enjoying getting to learn the ropes and hear from our participants and trainers, including last year’s EMPOWERED Scholarship recipients. They have now almost completed their studies, with some disruption thanks to COVID.. We are keen for them to finish their studies and get training and look forward to seeing the difference they make in their communities.
“And, of course, we just can’t wait to see the new crop of EMPOWERED recipients joining the Active Farmers family and helping to promote better physical health and mental wellbeing in our communities.”
EMPOWERED Scholarships at a glance
- Valued at $7000
- Ten scholarships on offer nationwide
- Receive training, equipment, uniform and support for a community launch event
- Complete Certificate III and IV in Personal Training and become part of the Active Farmers network
- Applications close mid-November 2022
- Scholarships brought to you by H&P in partnership with Active Farmers and FIT College with the support of PCP and AgXtra
The EMPOWERED Scholarship program will officially launch at the Henty Machinery Field Days, September 20-22. For more information or to apply, visit: www.hutcheonandpearce.com.au/empowered
UPDATE: This initiative has now closed.
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