Pentland Science Park company awards two honorary fellowships

From left to right: Willie Stewart, Prof Julie Fitzpatrick (Chief Executive of the Moredun Foundation, Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute, and Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland), Gareth Baird (Chairman of the Moredun Foundation) and Gareth Jones. They are standing in front of Moredun's brand new mobile laboratory and outreach bus, built in honour of their Centenary year.

The awards were awarded in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Moredun Group.

Willie Stewart graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of veterinary Studies in Edinburgh in 1973 and gained the Certificate in Sheep Health and Production in 1987.

He worked in large animal vet practice in Easter Ross and Orkney before joining the State Veterinary Service, now AHVLA, in 1990, working in Stranraer, then Orkney.

As well as being a member of the main Moredun Foundation Board, Willie is also the chairman of Moredun Foundation's North of Scotland Regional Board, and he chaired the audit group at Moredun for several years.

Willie was instrumental in making the connections between the Moredun Foundation and Orkney Livestock Association and in helping to facilitate sampling on livestock farms in Orkney to progress scientific projects involving the transmission of zoonotic pathogens between farm livestock, wildlife and the environment.

Gareth Jones was born in Caernarfen, North Wales and gained a HND in Agriculture from Aberystwyth in 1982.

He then managed farms in mid Wales and Hereford before spending two years as beef specialist with the Meat and Livestock Commission.

As well as being a member of the main Moredun Foundation Board, Gareth is also the chairman of Moredun Foundation's Welsh regional board and has been chair of the regional chairs group for a number of years.

At the AGM, Gareth Baird, chairman of the Moredun Foundation said: “It is a huge honour to be able to recognise the contribution of people who really have made a difference.

"This year’s recipients have done just that in promoting the work of the Moredun Foundation in the north of Scotland and in Wales and helping to promote the connectivity between the livestock industry in its widest sense to the scientific research conducted at Moredun.

"We are delighted to recognize the outstanding contribution of both Willie Stewart and Gareth Jones.”

Willie is a past chairman of the Orkney Agricultural Discussion Society and a past president of the local Rotary club and coach children to play rugby.

He has been involved in Scrapie eradication in Orkney and Shetland, and on long distance sea transportation of sheep and cattle from the islands to Aberdeen.

Gareth is a Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) Scholar and past chairman of HCC Scholar’s Association as well as a current member of CARAS Wales Panel.

Gareth is currently the farm manager at Rhug, a large organic estate in North Wales which has developed its own retail business over the past 10 years. Gareth is the current chairman of BroGeyndwr Male Voice Choir and is a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies (FRAgS).