Construction Plant Maintenance Apprentices celebrate success

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Reaseheath’s Advanced Apprentices in Construction Plant Maintenance received their final awards at a presentation on campus yesterday (Thursday)

Nearly 50 apprentices from all over the country were joined by their employers to celebrate the completion of their Level 3 qualification. The apprentices work as construction plant technicians for leading companies including A-Plant, Scot JCB, Greenshields JCB, Watlings JCB, Banner Plant, Barry Wood Plant Hire, The GAP Group, Pickerings Plant and Clee Hill Plant.

They were congratulated by Programme Leader Simon Keen, who told his audience that the group had a phenominal work ethic and were a credit to their employers. He was sure that they would continue to serve their companies well and would provide the next generation of highly skilled engineers.

Simon also emphasised that he was delighted at the continued support from employers both for the course and for their apprentices.

Special awards went to outstanding apprentices:

  • Reaseheath Apprentice of the Year: Joe Bowers from Barry Wood Plant Hire (presented by Simon Keen)
  • Best A-Plant Apprentice: Daniel Pritchard  (presented by Bob Harper, Head of Customer Solutions A-Plant)
  • Top JCB Apprentice: Chris Elvin of Watlings JCB  (presented by Richard Hough, JCB Training Manager)
  • Dean ‘Dumper’ Mason Award for Best Practical Student: John Barber from Scot JCB (presented by Alun Mason)
  • Banner Plant Award for Endeavour: Alan Cage (A-Plant)

Peers awards (student vote)

  • The Apprentices’ Apprentice: Jake Ridly (A-Plant)

Runners-up: John Barber (Scot JCB); Chris Elvin (Watlings JCB); Brett Parkes (A-Plant)

  • Top Practical Apprentice Oliver Bushnell (Greenshield JCB)
  • The Future High Flyer Award Chris Elvin (Watling JCB)
  • Most Improved Apprentice Brett Parkes (A-Plant)

 

 

Round the clock horse ride raises funds for Lucy’s Mum

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Equine Science undergraduates raised nearly £800 by riding our mechanical horse for 24 hours. The funds will help fellow student Lucy William’s family to pay for specialist cancer treatment for Lucy’s Mum Vicky.

Lucy, 18, who is studying for a Foundation Degree in Equine Science, organised the riding marathon to help raise the £15,000 the family needs to send Vicky to Germany for hyperthermia treatment.

With our students’ help, the fund has reached almost £14,000 and Vicky has already left for the Klinik Marinus in Upper Bavaria. Her family hope that the treatment will give her more time with her four children Christopher (20), Lucy, Billy (14) who suffers from spina bifida, and Charlie who is nearly two.

Vicky was diagnosed with cervical cancer just after Charlie was born and now has bone cancer in her back, ribs and pelvis.

Lucy, who also ran a cake stall during the fundraising event, said: “I was really pleased at the way everyone helped to make this such a success. We raised an amazing amount of money and I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to the students who took part and to the staff who had to stay up to supervise us!”

For further details see Facebook Vicky’s Miracle www.gofundme.com/Vmnmt

Caption: Lucy Williams with rider Natalie-Jade Hadfield on ‘Flicka’ our mechanical horse.

 

Reaseheath student wins award for floodplain orchard

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Reaseheath College undergraduate Daniel Ackerley has won a national award with his flood plain orchard.

Daniel, who is studying for his Foundation Degree in Countryside, Conservation and Recreation at the Nantwich college, was a runner-up in The Conservation Foundation’s ‘Gardening Against the Odds’ Awards.

The annual competition seeks out horticultural projects which are inspirational in their own right, which benefit people who face physical, mental or environmental ’odds’ and which can also offer wider benefits to the community.

Daniel, who lives in Vicars Cross, Chester, successfully grows over 100 fruit trees near the River Dee in Farndon despite the land being flooded with up to six feet of water during the winter.

He has planted the two acre plot with unusual and heritage varieties of fruit trees including apples, pears, plums, quince, mulberries, walnuts and hazelnuts, some dating back to Roman times. He is also growing endangered native black poplar and elm trees which he is monitoring as part of national programmes to grow disease resistant species.

As the plot adjoins a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Daniel manages the orchard to provide diverse habitat for wildlife and hopes that as it matures it could be used to educate young people in conservation methods.

He also hopes to increase his involvement in community activities, as the orchard is near Holt’s medieval castle and is on a popular walking route around Farndon and Holt.

The 46 year-old engineer, who had to retire prematurely from his work on off shore oil rigs due to Crohn’s Disease, has found that the project and his college course has given him an alternative focus.

Passionately interested in conservation and in garden history, Daniel decided to go ahead with his orchard once he realised that a similar scheme nearby had been successful centuries ago despite being regularly flooded.

Daniel receives his certificate from actress Susan Hampshire

Daniel receives his certificate from actress Susan Hampshire

He said: “Having an underwater orchard might seem a bit strange but the knowledge that it’s worked in the past gave me the confidence to go ahead. My college course has enabled me to carry out the project scientifically and in a structured way, using both traditional and modern techniques.

“Basically I’m trying to retain a vestige of medieval field system which is surrounded by modern agriculture. To do this successfully I need a good understanding of science and current legislation as well as practical skills.

“I was surprised and delighted to make the judges’ selection for the ‘Gardening Against the Odds’ award. The whole event was extremely positive. All finalists were selected because their projects were outward looking and went beyond their own boundaries.”

The Conservation Foundation Director David Shreeve said: “Daniel is a great example of what the ‘Gardening Against the Odds’ awards are all about. The judges were really impressed with his story and what he is doing.

“Susan Hampshire, a keen fruit grower herself, described it as an inspired use of space, growing trees and producing fruit.”

The finals of the prestigious competition were held on Wednesday at a gala tea party at Syon House in London. www.gardeningagainstheodds.com

Find out more about the Foundation Degree in Countryside, Conservation and Recreation.

 

Kevin Arbuckle tells toxic tales of venomous animals

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A couple of the Reaseheath Herpetological and Entomological Society (RHES) members attended the monthly SciBar gathering in Liverpool. Held at The Ship and Mitre pub on Tuesday the 3rd of March, this meeting hosted Kevin Arbuckle, evolutionary biologist from the University of Liverpool. Kevin gave a talk on Telling Toxic Tales: Chemical Warfare in Animal Evolution. The talk described many of different varieties of venoms and poisons that are out there in the wild. Also described were the different methods of not only obtaining these toxins, but the various methods of delivery used by a wide range of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates as well as the select few mammal and bird species  which use venoms or poison to their advantage.

Event poster for Kevin’s talkrapidly

He went on to discuss how species that obtain venom in their evolutionary history have never been shown to lose it; in most cases they actually increase their toxicity levels. He presented a method of visualising the effect the venom has on a species population numbers with an highly detailed equation that takes into account many different factors affecting survival. He then finished on the point that the majority of species that have either developed venom are those most prone to being in population decline due to the intense energy output in order to develop these venoms.

 George Collinson

RHES Committee Member

Gary Dickinson discusses the challenges of rehoming reptiles

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Earlier this year Gary Dickinson, the co-founder of North Wales Reptile and  Raptor Sanctuary (RHES’s chosen charity), visited the College to talk to our members and discuss the problems he is facing in trying to rescue and rehome unwanted reptiles and raptors. He often receives phone calls and emails from keepers that no longer want their pets for whatever reason and he is rapidly running out of space to house them in.

During his talk Gary asked RHES members their opinions on several issues, including whether or not larger snake species (reticulated pythons, Python reticulatus, for example) should be kept in captivity. This has recently become a controversial topic as many keepers, despite their best intentions, cannot successfully keep these snakes  due to space and time restrictions.

Gary delivering his talk to RHES members (1)

He also discussed the quality of pet shops around the country that are selling exotics and how many of which should not, in his opinion, be licensed to do so due to poor welfare (etc.) of the animals in these shops. His past experiences in this profession were also discussed during the meeting.

We would like to thank Gary for taking the time out of his already busy schedule to come down and visit us, despite less than favourable weather conditions, which meant many members couldn’t get to the College to attend. We also hope that our fundraising efforts  bring about a lot of well-deserved and greatly  needed funds for his efforts at the sanctuary.

 Ray Reynolds

RHES Committee member

Motor industry links reaps career reward

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Reaseheath motor vehicle department have been forging new links with industry to support alumni career progression.

IMI motor L3 2013 grad David Bailey joins colleagues from Sports and Classic April 2015

David Bailey joins colleagues from Sports and Classic

 

North West Porsche specialists Sports and Classic recently contacted the College for help in recruiting a skilled technician to join their expanding team. Based in Nether Alderley, Cheshire, the sports car experts turned to Reaseheath when their job advertisement campaign proved unsuccessful.

Reaseheath motor vehicle Course Manager Steve Ellis liaised with Michael Bourke, Director and Founder of Sports and Classic and suggested a potential candidate, David Bailey.

Said Michael: “I first met the teaching staff and students from Reaseheath at the Porsche RS trackday at Oulton Park and was really impressed with students’ enthusiasm for the automotive industry.

“When my business moved premises due to increased turnover and I was unable to find the right professional to join my team, Reaseheath College seemed the logical place to turn to for advice.”

David, 20, a former Reaseheath IMI Level  3 Diploma in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair student maintained good links with the College on completing his studies in 2013 and was keen to take the next step on his career ladder. With an interest in working with prestige and highly technical cars, Steve believed David was the perfect man for the job.

Said David: “I was really pleased to be contacted by Steve and put forward for the position at Sports and Classic. It was great to think that I was on Steve’s radar when considering an opportunity for a highly skilled technician.”

Already proving an asset to the business after just over a month, David has settled in well at Sports and Classic and is thoroughly enjoying his technician role.

Growing careers in horticulture

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Young Horticulturalist of the Year regional winner with Reaseheath's Sarah Hopkinson

Young Horticulturist of the Year regional winner with Reaseheath’s Sarah Hopkinson

Professional horticulturists, careers advisers, students and prospective students packed into Reaseheath’s lecture theatre recently for first North West Grow Careers event.

The day commenced with an introduction to horticulture for career advisers by Chartered Institute of Horticulture Branch Chair, Sue Nicholas, followed by Reaseheath’s Curriculum Area Manager, Sarah Hopkinson, who provided an insight in to the horticulture department’s offering and the new Nation Centre for Food Futures at Reaseheath. The afternoon saw eight industry speakers from the design, landscaping, commercial production and management sectors of horticulture discuss their careers and businesses.

Speakers included: multi RHS gold medalist designer Pip Probert; Phil Pearson from APS Salads (the largest supplier of tomatoes to Tesco); Faye Steer, Deputy Head Gardener for Chatsworth House; Lee Webster from The Landscape Group and former Reaseheath student Sue Beesley, who is also the owner of Blue Cottage Gardens and Nursery.

The speakers highlighted a wide range of career opportunities within the horticulture industry, with many urging the keen audience to pursue a career in horticulture and fill the gaps in specialist knowledge and skills.

Sue Beesley shares her career journey through the horticulture industry

Sue Beesley shares her career journey through the horticulture industry

The Landscape Group actively promoted opportunities within their business including discussing their Greener Graduate programme – with many students registering their interest on the day!

The Grow Careers event was organised in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Horticulture (CIH) and was followed in the evening by the CIH Young Horticulturist of the Year competition regional final, hosted by the horticulture department.

 

 

By Craig Bailey, Reaseheath Lecturer in Horticulture and Course Manager for FdSc Garden and Landscape Design 

 

 

 

Reaseheath College Higher Education Tuition Fees 2015/16

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Tuition fees have been confirmed for all new students starting this September on Harper Adams validated courses.

These can be viewed on our finance for Higher Education page.

For more information on tuition fees and financial support contact the Student Finance Team on 01270 613205.

 

 

Schools battle it out in Reaseheath’s Great Pie Bake-Off

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Budding food technologists from schools across the region battled it out in a baking challenge laid down by Reaseheath College’s Food Department

Ten finalists from secondary schools throughout Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Manchester and the Wirral made it through to the Schools Great British Pie Bake Off, held in our specialist Food Centre last week.  The pupils, who had to bake a pie or pastry with a sporting theme, stunned the judging panel with the standard and originality of their products.

Overall winner was Harry Brown, 14, from Fallibroome Academy, Macclesfield, with his ‘Two Flavour Bike Pie’, an artistic impression of a bike inspired by the Tour de France. His entry had coq au vin and apple pies for wheels, a frame made of bread and a road made from chocolate.

Harry, who enjoys baking as a hobby, won a cash prize plus two iPads for his school. He said: “Reaseheath’s bakery facilities are really impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was great to get such positive feedback from the judges. They said they really liked the combination of flavours in my pies!”

Second was Maddie Stevens, 15, a pupil at West Kirby Grammar School, Wirral, whose ‘Going for Gold’ savoury pie celebrated the commonwealth games and the countries involved. The pie, which was decorated with gold glitter dust, had tasty layers of spinach, ricotta cheese and butternut squash.

Equal third were Ben Pratt, 13, and Connor Whalley, 14, from Sir Thomas Boughey High School in Stoke on Trent, and Megan Justice, 14, a pupil of Great Sankey High School, Warrington. As a tribute the high ranking Greek football team, Ben and Connor made Greek filo pastries filled with spinach, sundried tomatoes and feta cheese while Megan chose the World Cup 2014 winner, Germany, as inspiration for her Black Forest Winner Pie.

Other finalists were:

  • Alex Camp, 13, from Eaton Bank Academy, Congleton (Le Tour de Clanger)
  • Kathryn O’Hara, 15, and Megan Quayle, 14, from Great Sankey High School, Warrington (Apple Struesel Tart)
  • Leah Robinson, 15, from Wellington School, Altrincham (Medal Pie)
  • Grace Callaghan, 15, from Wellington School , Altrincham (Football Pie)
  • Erin Yorke, 14, from The Heath School, Runcorn (Reggae Pie)
  • Emily Bozier , 15, and Emily Dutton 14, from Grove School, Market Drayton (Galloping to Victory)

The judging panel of Keith Fisher, Butchery Development Manager for BPEX (the British Pig Executive), Cheshire WI judge Mary Hignett and David Thomson, Sales Executive for Bako, a baking products and ingredients supplier, were looking for originality, presentation and taste.

Keith Fisher said: “I was very impressed with the organisation and professionalism of the young people, and there was so much passion and enthusiasm. It was a privilege to judge the competition. Reaseheath’s food department should be congratulated on running such an inspired and exciting competition.”

This was the second time that our Food Department has run the bake-off challenge and it attracted about 80 entries. It has proved so popular that there are already plans to repeat it next year. Many of the young entrants have been inspired to look at careers in the Food Industry and some are intending to study with us in the future.

For further details of Reaseheath’s food courses see www.reaseheath.ac.uk/food-technology

 

Reaseheath welcomes Czech dairy students

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A few weeks ago Reaseheath became home to a group of 13 dairy students and a tutor from the Czech Republic for two weeks.

The students have been enjoying an Agri-Food study visit funded by the European Erasmus+ VET programme, which aims to promote vocational educational training within the European community.

Our visitors spent three days with our Agriculture team milking cows, lambing and learning some basic theory about UK agriculture. They then joined our Food Department for a week, where they learnt some fundamentals about meat, dairy, and bakery technology. This included a variety of practical sessions to support their learning, including making soft cheeses, butter, lemon curd and croissants – they certainly ate well!

 

The group with Agriculture Programme Leader Iain Clarke and lecturer Alan Brown.

The group with Agriculture Programme Leader Iain Clarke and lecturer Alan Brown.

The students, ages 18-20, stayed in Platt Hall, our newest student halls of residence. For nine it was their first time in England, so this not only gave them a taste of life on a UK campus but also helped them develop their English language skills and gave them an appreciation of UK culture.

They also enjoyed a visit to Liverpool and its many museums and arts centres. Their final day was particularly memorable, with the solar eclipse ending their stay.

The students are all final year students at VOSP SPSM Kromeriz, a specialist dairy college several hours from Prague. We hope this visit will be the first of many – and plans are already afoot to arrange a return visit for our students in the near future.

Kathy Merrett, Food Programme Leader