WORLD JERSEY CATTLE BUREAU

YOUTH TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

REPORT FOR THE 2007 COUNCIL MEETING IN BRAZIL

 by Anne Corner (UK)

The WJCB Youth Travel Scholarship Programme is for young people from around the World to visit a country of their choice and learn more knowledge about Jersey Cattle in that particular country.  The Programme is a hosted programme and  participants live as family and stays are normally for up to six months.  Some young people prefer to stay a few weeks on one particular farm while others like to move around with shorter stays in one place. 

At the moment all participants are given four hundred pounds sterling grant from the Lord Jersey Research Trust which now incorporates monies received from the Sir James Knott Trust Fund provided they take part for a minimum of three months.  This grant is towards their travel to a country and insurance for travel and staying on farms,  and all participants must be fully insured.  Young people live as part of the family and in return they help out with farm responsibilities.  There must be give and take in this relationship and it is a learning experience for the young person to live with another family.

Since reporting at the Council Meeting in Switzerland last year, there have been three participants taking part.  James Wallace from England went to New Zealand last October but rather sadly aborted the Programme after only being a part of it for a short time causing many complications with the organising and threw away a great opportunity to get experience on different farms in this country.  Don Shaw had worked so very hard to sort out an interesting programme for James on arrival in liaison with the farm hosts concerned.  Thanks to Don and all concerned.

Andreas Larson and Sten Christensen from Denmark also visited New Zealand for just over three months and returned home at the end of March 2007.  I have just received an interesting report from Andreas and Sten who also after visiting New Zealand spent one month in Australia on their way back to Denmark.  Their writing makes interesting reading and endorses what the learning Programme is all about.

Plans are now in hand for David Brealey and Sebastian Arrieta from Costa Rica to visit New Zealand in August until December this year.  New Zealand always appears to be very popular with young people from Costa Rica.

We do try to get all young people who apply to be able to visit the country of their choice,  but after world disasters such as September 11 it is now harder to arrange visits to some countries and epecially to visit the USA.   Although at the moment young people from Costa Rica do not appear to run into the same problems with their visitors’ visas generally as some other South American countries and seem to be able to extend their stay once in the Country (New Zealand).

New Zealand have now drawn up a draft document for young people to read and agree to before visiting their country,  and with a little modification  this could be used universally.  This to be approved at the Conference/ Council Meeting in Jersey Island next year.

Certificates showing that a young person has been on the Programme are going to be produced and will be processed for the Conference/Council Meeting in Jersey Island.

We welcome Gitte and Vagn l. Petersen from Denmark who have taken over as Country Co-ordinators for Denmark,   and also Etienne and Liegie Rousseau for South Africa..

The Youth Programme despite some difficulties this year still remains a wonderful and exciting opportunity for young people to partake in what the Programme offers:-   More Knowledge of the Jersey Breed -  Learning experience,  worth a lot -  Friendships Life Long - Possibility of learning another Language -  Seeing a Country and its culture.

We are sorry that we shall not be able to attend the Council Meeting in Brazil to present this Report,  but the Youth Programme is a stimulating and enjoyable part of the Bureau’s work to be involved with.

Respectfully submitted

Anne Corner (WJCB Youth Scholarship Programme Co-ordinator)                                June 2007