The first people to receive a new grant from Kramp have been announced. The Cultivate a Generation grant scheme provides £30,000 annually for essential workshop equipment from the Kramp range.
Claire Gammin from Devon and Jack Sowerby from Cumbria were awarded the first family support and young farmer grants.
Presented by Kaleb Cooper, six students at the Royal Agricultural University secured funding as part of the special launch grant. They have been set up with a Kramp account with dealer Carpenter Goodwin and given £500 credit to spend at www.kramp.com.
Cameron Merryfield was awarded the first agricultural engineer grant. He joined the John Deere dealership Mason Kings in 2012 and stated that he experienced the struggle of acquiring workshop equipment as a young engineer.
However, he noted that there is more support than ever available now. “Acquiring tools is a slow burner. It is something you have to keep ticking away at every month when you can spare the money; it’s what you have to do to get started. You might go out on a job early on (in your career) and have to get by with a socket set, a spanner and a hammer.”
“I was about five years in before I could say I had everything I needed to keep me going, and by then, you are talking of £15,000 worth of equipment.”
Promoting safety
Cameron plans to spend his grant on axle stands to help with safer working when out on a breakdown. He’s passionate about promoting safety for other agricultural engineers.
“There is only so much equipment we can hold in the vans, and an axle stand isn’t always one of them unless you know it is needed. If you go out to a job that requires it and don’t have it, you are still expected to get the job done.
“You can always say no, but there can be pressure from the customer, especially at busy times, to get by without everything you need,” he said.
He added that it’s more accepted for those working in the construction industry to leave a job and return with the necessary equipment, and he hopes that agriculture gets to a similar point in the future.
Applications for the Cultivate a Generation grant are still available, and those who want to apply can do so through the Kramp website.