Oakbank Game & Conservation
Oakbank Game & Conservation is an independent environmental consultancy and seed business, helping farmers, landowners, shoots and rural estates create productive, resilient and wildlife-rich landscapes.
Established in 2004, Oakbank combines practical experience with expert advice across conservation, agri-environment schemes, habitat creation and management for game and wildlife, woodland management and regenerative agriculture. Its work is rooted in finding practical ways to balance food production with nature recovery.
Today, as a part of the Velcourt Group, Oakbank continues to champion responsible land management and a more sustainable future for the British countryside.
“As a company that prides itself on helping farms and estates deliver outstanding conservation in the British countryside, Oakbank is delighted to sponsor the Nature-Friendly Farm/Estate category in the Schöffel Countryside Awards. These awards are a recognition and celebration of people and rural businesses who are demonstrating that profitable farming and nature recovery can both be delivered, whether that’s through innovation, habitat creation, conservation agriculture or collaborative working across a landscape. Personally, it is a great privilege to be involved with the awards as a judge, as I get to visit some amazing projects and meet inspiring people working across the wonderful British countryside.” – Tim Furbank – Director, Oakbank Game & Conservation
Pressendye
As the founder of the Royal Berkshire Shooting School, a respected instructor and the driving force behind Pressendye, Dylan Williams has combined commercial success with a lifelong commitment to supporting the countryside and the organisations working to protect it.
Alongside his shooting career, Dylan’s commitment to the countryside is reflected in his involvement with a number of leading organisations. He is a trustee of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, supporting its work to restore wild Atlantic salmon and the rivers and environments on which they depend. He is also a consultant to the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and a founding director of Eat Wild, supporting the responsible use of wild game and the wider countryside economy.
Whether through shooting, conservation, rural enterprise, fundraising or supporting emerging talent, Dylan’s approach remains consistent: using his experience, contacts and enthusiasm to help people and organisations make a lasting difference. Through Pressendye, he has created a unique role at the intersection of business, countryside, conservation and philanthropy—while continuing to teach, mentor and give back to the community that has shaped his career.
“The Rising Star Award recognises an individual making an outstanding contribution to conservation in the British countryside. For me, supporting emerging talent is particularly meaningful. Having spent much of my career developing people and promoting agriculture, wildlife management, conservation, and the rural economy, I understand that the future of the countryside depends on encouraging the next generation.” – Dylan Williams, Founder, Pressendye
B-hive Innovations
B-hive Innovations is an agri-tech company that uses science to make food production more sustainable. Through the development of pioneering technologies, it is empowering farmers, packers and food processors to increase yields and produce quality while reducing waste and environmental impact.
Starting with the real problems the industry faces and building solutions around them, B-hive works with partners across the supply chain – from field to consumers. Supported by machine learning, its work covers a diverse range of areas, from crop monitoring and disease detection to gene editing and protein extraction, all in the name of improved sustainability and efficiency.
“Resilient farming and thriving wildlife go hand in hand. Healthy soils, clean water, and rich biodiversity can strengthen productivity, helping farms cope with drought, flooding and pest pressure in an increasingly unpredictable climate. That's why B-hive is proud to support the Schöffel Countryside Awards for a second year, and the Innovation in Conservation category in particular.
Innovation comes from new thinking as much as new technology. Often it's farmers and land managers who see a problem first, try a different approach and keep refining it. Those ideas build resilience on individual farms and across the food supply chain that depends on them. This category celebrates that ingenuity and helps others learn from it. We're delighted to help recognise the people making it happen.” – Vidyanath Gururajan, CEO, B-hive Innovations
The Atlantic Salmon Trust
The Atlantic Salmon Trust is the UK’s foremost evidence-led wild salmon conservation charity, with a decades-long reputation for delivering cutting-edge research and restoration projects on land, in rivers, around our coasts and at sea. Its mission is to halt and reverse the decline in wild Atlantic salmon by 2050 – a species now endangered in Great Britain.
Through its pioneering Core Rivers exemplar projects, to its Watershed Connections restoration network, and wider work with the UK-wide Missing Salmon Alliance and international collaborations across the Atlantic and Pacific, the Trust is committed to working in partnership with others to give wild salmon a thriving, sustainable future.
Mea Opus
As a specialist recruitment business serving the rural economy, Mea Opus understands that the success of the countryside depends on having the right people in the right roles. With a remit that spans the wider rural sector, Mea Opus helps employees find their ideal jobs while supporting employers in finding the perfect candidate for their organisation.
With an understanding of the distinct challenges and opportunities facing rural employers and employees, Mea Opus is committed to building connections that benefit both sides of the employment relationship — matching skills, experience and ambition with the organisations and roles where they can make the greatest impact.
The decision to sponsor the Working Conservationist category reflects Mea Opus’s belief that conservation is an increasingly important and integral part of modern rural life, and that those working in conservation play a crucial role in managing landscapes, protecting habitats and biodiversity, and ensuring that the countryside remains productive, sustainable and resilient for future generations.
“Tim Bowie, Richard Leach and I, as directors of Mea Opus, are delighted to sponsor the Working Conservationist category of the Schöffel Countryside Awards. Conservation is such an important part of the rural sector, and we wanted to support a category that celebrates the people working every day to protect and enhance the countryside.
“At Mea Opus, our purpose is fundamentally about people – helping individuals find roles where they can thrive and helping rural businesses find the people they need to succeed. Sponsoring this award is a natural extension of that commitment. The breadth of talent across the rural sector is remarkable, and we are proud to play a part in connecting the right people with the right opportunities.” – Dylan Williams, Director, Mea Opus