AN Ambleside man been awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel the world and research cutting-edge solutions to important topical issues.

Liam McAleese, Head of Strategy and Partnerships at the Lake District National Park Authority, will be travelling to Norway and Sweden to research sustainable upland farming.

“As a resident of the Lake District National Park, I know farming has played a key role in shaping the landscape and making this place special,” said Liam. “Brexit will mean the coming years see a lot of change and, both professionally and personally, I want to make sure that the Lake District remains a living and working landscape and that upland farming here has a sustainable future.”

Liam is among 150 people from all regions of the UK who were selected this year from over 1,000 applicants to win a Churchill Fellowship. The average length of a Fellowship is six weeks and the average grant is around £6,000.