Olivia Powling

As a Volunteer Student Ambassador for the Farming Community Network (FCN), I help raise awareness of the support available to farmers, farming families, and rural communities. I promote the Farm Wellbeing platform, encouraging people to access support whenever they need it and helping to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and wellbeing in agriculture. Through this role, I hope to become involved in FCN casework in the future, supporting individuals and families facing difficult circumstances and making a positive difference within the farming community.

Following my successful application for the University Ambassador role at Hartpury University, I have had the pleasure of building strong relationships with prospective students, faculty, and alumni to foster community, and drive university initiatives. I have led campus tours, organised impactful events, and delivered presentations. I bring enthusiasm and a collaborative spirit to promote institutional values, and support university growth.

During my time at Jess's Ladies Organic Farm, I have undertaken weekend relief milking alongside my university studies, maintaining high standards of hygiene, milk quality, and animal welfare. I have also supported a range of farm duties, including routine TB testing, on-farm inspections, hoof trimming, and general livestock management. This role has strengthened my practical skills, confidence in handling cattle, and understanding of sustainable, welfare-focused organic dairy farming.

I consistently demonstrated enthusiasm and adaptability in my daily responsibilities on the farm. I effectively managed milking operations and carried out calf disbudding procedures with precision and care. My role also involved a variety of essential yard tasks, implementing initiatives to ensure animal safety, and overseeing feeding schedules for both cattle and pigs.

Throughout my time on the farm, I proved to be a reliable and committed team member, contributing positively to the overall workflow. This experience has deepened my understanding of Organic Dairy Systems and strengthened my practical skills in sustainable livestock management.

During my time at Ewenny Garden Centre I helped customers find what they needed and gave advice, where possible, on how to care for the products they purchased. My role was to provide an excellent standard of customer service and build a rapport with regular customers, whilst working within a team to ensure all daily tasks were completed. I followed very strict health and safety rules and always wore staff uniform. Reflecting back on my time with the Ewenny Group, I believe I have gained valuable social skills and confidence, as well as an improved of knowledge surrounding horticulture.

I assisted the Manager of the Poultry Section at the Penllyn Estate during a summer paid position. My role and responsibilities were to support bird development process, maintaining bird accommodation and preparing, monitoring livestock production and hatchery. Although Poultry was not an area I was looking to explore, I was every grateful for the paid summer job opportunity and learning experience.

I had the pleasure of assisting in the daily milking operations, adhering to strict hygiene standards for quality milk production. I fed herding groups and monitored rearing and growth to establish healthy animals, whilst supporting calving and rearing processes, bedding and feeding animals, and assisting with herd integration.

During my time with the Police Youth Volunteers (Cardiff), I gained an understanding of police procedures, relevant legislation, and crime prevention. I supported the local community by volunteering at events, assisting with supervised bag searches, and providing crime prevention advice. Although I was unable to continue the practical aspects of the programme due to personal circumstances, I remained committed by attending weekly online sessions, further developing my communication, teamwork, and reliability.