THE new chairman of the Northumbria and Cumbria Branch of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) is Craig Brough, head of land agency at Hopes Auction Company, Wigton.

Craig said he was delighted and added: “The CAAV provides excellent support and advice to rural professionals and it is an honour to chair the branch this year.”

As part of the branch AGM a charity raffle was organised by Craig, which raised £455 for Marie Curie and SANDS, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

The branch spends a lot of time in providing training to aspiring land agents in the region and Craig said it was pleasing again to see six students reaching the fellowship of the association following their exams in November.

Lizzie Hall, a local farmer’s daughter and graduate surveyor at youngsRPS Sedgefield, was been awarded the Alastair Turnbull Award for achieving the highest mark across the Northern region in the exams.

Lizzie, who grew up near Thorpe Thewles, Stockton, graduated from Harper Adams University in 2019 with a Masters in Rural Estate and Land Management whilst working full-time at youngsRPS and helping on the family farm.

She is currently working towards her Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and will sit the exam this year which if successful will make her a Member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Lizzie said: “As well as a nice surprise, I am really proud to have received the Alastair Turnbull Award and bring it back home to YoungsRPS.

“The exams were very challenging; however, my colleagues have been fantastic in tutoring and testing me in the run up.

“Now I have to turn my focus to attaining my RICS qualification, for which the team at youngsRPS continue to provide me with first class training and support.”