Future of Farming in Lincolnshire Strengthened Through New Agreement at Riseholme

The future of farming in Lincolnshire has been further strengthened through a landmark new agreement, which secures the provision of high quality land-based further and higher education at the University of Lincoln’s Riseholme Campus for decades to come.

The new agreement between the University of Lincoln and Bishop Burton College, announced today (Friday 3 May 2019) with support from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, ensures practical land-based further and higher education informed by the latest scientific research and industry needs can continue to be delivered at Riseholme into the next Century.

With the signing of a 99-year lease and associated licences, Riseholme College, a part of Bishop Burton College, will continue to enjoy access to the campus, which is owned by the University of Lincoln, to deliver further education for school-leavers in subjects such as agriculture, engineering and equine studies, including at Riseholmeÿs farm and equine centre.

The University will make significant investments to enhance the educational facilities, as well as advancing its own specialisms in cutting-edge scientific research and higher education courses supporting the food and farming industries at Riseholme, which is home to the Universityÿs Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology.

Both the University and the College have confirmed their shared commitment to developing a centre of excellence at Riseholme drawing on the very latest research to ensure students at all levels have the knowledge and skills they need to drive the future of agriculture and its supply chain in Lincolnshire and beyond.

Bill Meredith, Chief Executive and Principal of Riseholme College, said: ´This is wonderful news, not just for the College, its staff and its students, but the whole of Lincolnshire. It means Riseholme College will continue to produce future generations of farmers and other skilled workers.

´These are exciting times and this agreement will also provide opportunities for collaborative working with the University, including in applied research, technology transfer, staff development and student progression. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.’

Professor Mary Stuart, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: ´Lincolnshire is at the heart of the UK’s thriving food and farming industries and we are absolutely committed to meeting the changing skills and research needs of businesses of all shapes and sizes, by working with industry and our educational partners.
´This landmark agreement ensures Lincolnshire can boast the complete range of post-16 educational opportunities, from short courses and apprenticeships through to Master’s and PhD level study, for decades to come.
´All this is underpinned by the world-leading research of our agri-tech specialists and Riseholme’s outstanding natural features and facilities, reinforcing its status as a jewel in the crown for our region’s agri-food sector.’

Bishop Burton is one of the UK’s leading land-based colleges. With its headquarters at Beverley in East Yorkshire, it took over provision of land-based further education courses in Lincolnshire in 2012 and has since invested more than £20million in creating a state-of-the-art new campus for Riseholme College at the Lincolnshire Showground (which does not include a farm or equine centre).

The University of Lincoln is rated 22nd in The Guardian University Guide and through its Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology and National Centre for Food Manufacturing is recognised internationally for its education and research supporting the food and farming industries. It was ranked in the Top 200 Universities in the World for Agriculture and Forestry in the QS World University Rankings 2019 and earlier this year announced it would establish the world’s first doctoral training centre for agri-robotics, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia.