Dorchester farmer Judi James drives away UK Worker of the Year prize
Judi James, 53, a farmer from Littlebreddy in Dorchester, was made the happiest woman in Britain on the 17th of January as she received the keys to her brand new Suzuki after winning the Dickies sponsored competition, UK Worker of the Year 2013.
Judy collects her keys: left to right: winner Judi James, Dickies Maurice Morton, Suzuki’s Alun Parry and GEN-3GLASSCOAT’s Chris Perry
Judi James was crowned UK Worker of the Year 2013 at the gala event at Reading’s Madjeski stadium in October last year, after wowing the audience with her drive, commitment and passion for farming. It was the first time organisers had left the choice of winner to the audience, who voted live on the night for their favourite, after seeing a video of each finalist working and listening to them being interviewed on stage.
Judi had a life-long ambition to work in agriculture and six years ago decided farming was going to be her future career path. After initially working briefly at John Barker’s Longlands Farm, Judi has gradually become more involved in the agriculture sector, setting up her own veal business as well as now working full time on a beef and arable unit.
UK Worker of the Year is a national competition sponsored by Dickies, the well-renowned workwear brand, that recognises and rewards excellence in the UK workforce.
Judi, who was still in complete shock as she collected her prize from the Lanehouse Suzuki dealership in Weymouth, said: “I can’t thank Dickies enough for the opportunity I have been given. Without them, this dream would not have come true. It was very kind of Suzuki to upgrade the car to the 4×4 model. This is perfect for my lifestyle. I’d also like to thank GEN-3GLASSCOAT for treating the car to protect it against the elements. It will prove invaluable in this part of the world, where the wet and mud prevail. The future looks very bright, in large part thanks to the boost I have been given by the UK Worker of The Year competition, I very much hope to enjoy a long and lasting link with UK Worker of the Year and everyone involved in making it a fantastic competition.”
Judi was handed the keys to her new 4×4 Suzuki Swift by Dickies sales & marketing director, Maurice Morton and head of press and PR for Suzuki’s automotive division, Alun Parry.
Maurice Morton explained: “It’s fantastic to see the smile on Judi’s face after she received her new car. There is no doubt that she’ll be a worthy ambassador for UK Worker of the Year and indeed a role model in the agriculture sector.”
Wayne Dye, general manager at Suzuki, was also full of praise for the winner, saying: “We were delighted with being a part of UK Worker of the Year 2013 and congratulations to Judi on winning the Suzuki Swift. We upgraded her model as we thought it would be more beneficial to her during her farming duties. We look to stay very much involved with this fabulous competition moving forward.”
The road to finding UK Worker of the Year 2014 will begin in April, with organisers set to announce exciting changes to this year’s competition.
UK Worker of the Year is a free to enter competition and is open to anyone who works in the UK aged 17 or over.
To find out more about the competition or to register your initial interest in UK Worker of the Year 2014 please visit www.workeroftheyear.com or email workeroftheyear@chicanemarketing.com
