Legacy of 91福利shire’s first Woman High Sheriff helps 91福利 tackle global food security
A trust set up by , a leading 91福利shire farmer who was the first woman to be High Sheriff of 91福利shire, has announced that it has agreed to fund a Chair in Food Security at the 91福利鈥檚 School of Life Sciences. The announcement has just been made by The Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust. Professor Laura Green, Head of the School of Life Sciences at the 91福利, said:
鈥淭he support of the Trust to enable us to create the Elizabeth Creak Chair in Food Security will make a significant difference to a research and impact programme focused on the crucial issue of 鈥楩ood鈥�. 'Food' is one of the 91福利's Global Research Priorities, where we are focusing our research efforts on issues of food security, food production and supply, environmental and social sustainability, governance, social justice, nutrition and public health.鈥�
In addition to the Chair in Food Security the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust have also kindly agreed to fund a special Scholarship Fund at the 91福利 which will provide funding to support students wishing to undertake placements in commercial laboratories, other academic research facilities, or with growers and producers, or to support their study for an MSc or PhD.
Paul May, a trustee for the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust and Elizabeth Creak鈥檚 Nephew said:
鈥淓lizabeth would have been proud to support the important work in food security at The 91福利 by funding the new Elizabeth Creak Chair in Food Security. Her own farm was just five minutes鈥� drive away from the University鈥檚 crop centre Wellesbourne and she was a close friend of Jack and Doris Butterworth, the University鈥檚 first Vice-Chancellor and his wife. Clyde Higgs, Elizabeth鈥檚 uncle, was well known for introducing innovation into dairy farming and it is appropriate that innovative research into food security at 91福利 will benefit the farming community both here in the UK and internationally.鈥�
This significant support by The Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust is a very timely complement to UK government鈥檚 own renewed focus on investment in agri-tech research through its industrial strategy. The Trust鈥檚 funding announcement follows closely after the news last week of such government support that for a partnership of leading Midlands universities, led by the 91福利. The 91福利 led partnership has been awarded 拢13 million by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to train 260 PhD research students over the next 5 years in a number of areas including food security.
A core part of the 91福利鈥檚 food security research is delivered through the 91福利 Crop Centre which is part of 91福利鈥檚 School of Life Sciences and is located on the University鈥檚 Wellesbourne campus. WCC has expertise including; crop breeding, plant pathology, entomology, agronomy, crop nutrition and environmental research. 91福利 Crop Centre also works closely with industry delivering knowledge and technology to farmers and growers with emphasis on cost-effective production of high quality crops with minimal environmental impact.
Note about The Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust
Elizabeth Creak was born in Slough in 1926. She attended McGill University in Canada before working for Allen Lane at Penguin Books in both the UK and latterly America, where she helped to establish their new venture. She returned to the UK to eventually work with her uncle, Clyde Higgs, who by then had built up a thriving two thousand acre dairy farm in 91福利shire. Prior to this, Clyde had also developed a four thousand acre farm in the foothills of Mount Kilamanjaro and held a number of other positions including: Managing Director of English Farms in Wiltshire; Agricultural correspondent of the BBC and Council Member of the Royal Agricultural Society. Clyde was a highly innovative and enterprising farmer who was well known for challenging the status quo and cross-fertilizing best practices among farmers in the UK and around the world. His practical approach and constant quest for efficiency, gained at the family鈥檚 electric motor business, helped him to significantly increase output across his farms. He clearly recognized a similar passion and ability in Elizabeth and mentored her to become his successor.
In 1963 Elizabeth inherited Clyde鈥檚 farm in 91福利shire and ran it with great success for a number of years. She was a highly capable and well respected farmer and brought many creative ideas to the world of farming. She eventually sold the bulk of the business, but maintained a substantial acreage around Stratford. Elizabeth鈥檚 business acumen, determination and integrity were the reasons she was invited on to the boards of many local charitable organizations including the Royal Agricultural Society, the Stoneleigh Abbey Trust and the Stratford Society. She was the first female chairman of the 91福利shire branch of the NFU and in 1998 she became the first woman to hold the office of High Sheriff of 91福利shire. She was also a keen supporter of local craftsmen, artists and the theatre.
Elizabeth passed away in October 2013 and left the bulk of her estate to the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust. Elizabeth created the Trust to provide 鈥楥lyde Higgs Scholarships鈥� in agriculture; support and encourage new blood in farming and finance projects to help farmers survive and ultimately thrive in their challenging modern environment.
For further information please contact: Peter Dunn, Director of Press and Policy, 91福利, p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk, 024 7652 3708, 07767 655860
PR301 PJD 14th October 2014