Lifetime experience for florists at RHS Chelsea

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Reaseheath floristry students and staff enjoyed a lifetime experience when they helped to prepare and install a floral arch for HM The Queen at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The arch, a gift to the Queen on her 90th birthday, welcomed Her Majesty as she arrived to tour the world-leading show and wowed thousands of international visitors as they passed through the iconic Bull Ring entrance on the bank of the River Thames.

The make-over of the famous gates was led by royal floral designer Shane Connolly, who invited college students to become part of the build. Level 3 Diploma in Floristry students Clare Street, Lee Law, Sophie Garratt and Abi Rowley, accompanied by Course Managers Fiona Davies and Helen Cooke, spent a day preparing and conditioning the floral materials in New Covent Garden flower market.

Fiona and Helen returned to London the following day to join Shane’s team of 30 volunteers as they worked through the night constructing the arch from cherry pickers. The arch was made from British blooms, donated by UK growers, which will be recycled to charities after the show closes.

Shane, who holds a Royal Warrant of Appointment to HM The Queen and HRH the Prince of Wales and was responsible for the flowers at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, paid tribute to the contribution from colleges.

During a television interview from the show he said: “I was honoured and delighted to be asked to design this archway for HM The Queen’s Birthday. I wanted it to showcase the beauty and range of British grown plants and flowers and the skills of the British flower and plant growers. Having students of floral design to help install it provided the icing on the cake.”

Commented Helen Cooke: “We jumped at this opportunity to give our students this once-in-a-lifetime experience.  It was a great honour and fantastic that Shane genuinely appreciated our contribution.

“Watching this structure grow from a scaffold frame to a stunning archway bedecked with fabulous British foliage, plants and flowers was incredible, a floral journey we will never forget.”

  • Former Reaseheath floristry student and lecturer Mark Entwistle was also celebrating at RHS Chelsea Flower Show after the Interflora team, of which he was a member, won a gold medal for their stand
Fiona and Helen under the arch
Fiona and Helen under the arch

Reaseheath’s Brazilian partnership continues to flourish

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International links with similar training organisations in Brazil continue to flourish with an expanding programme of exchange visits and discussions.

Following the success of ‘Skills without Borders’, an Association of Colleges’ pilot social mobility scheme in which six vocational students from Brazil joined Reaseheath courses for two months, a second delegation of government officials and educationalists have visited Reaseheath to learn more about us.

Mark Harris signs the visitor’s book in the British Embassy in Brasilia

Caption 2: Mark Harris signs the visitor’s book in the British Embassy in Brasilia

Assistant Dean Mark Harris has also been on a reciprocal visit to the Minas Gerais region of Brazil and has continued meaningful talks with CEFET-MG, a federation of vocational technical colleges offering similar, professional, land based HE and FE qualifications and engagement in active research.

It is hoped that the developing partnership will lead to further sharing of best practice and the opportunity for both sides to explore curriculum development at both FE and HE level.
We are also developing opportunities for staff and student exchanges, internships and collaborative research and development programmes, plus the chance for consultancy and the training and development of technical and teaching staff.

The six ‘Skills without Borders’ students, who joined our Level 3 and Level 5 Food and Environment courses from January to March, came from CEFET-MG training establishments and have since given excellent feedback on this valuable student experience. This was officially recognised as best practice with a presentation at the British Embassy in Brasilia, attended by Mark and the students.

In November Ivete Pinheiro, a senior member of CEFET-MG, spent a week shadowing Mark Harris and signed a Memo of Understanding to further explore a collaborative partnership between Reaseheath and her organisation’s training institutions. Mark’s reciprocal visit to Brazil in March was to discuss further the long term sustainability of such a partnership.
Said Mark: “The development of closer links and shared programmes is aimed at helping UK and Brazilian institutions to identify partnership opportunities on behalf of their own organisations and within the wider UK and Brazilian skills sectors.

“Our Brazilian colleagues are particularly interested in the way Reaseheath focuses on STEM subjects within the curriculum and the emphasis put on employers’ input throughout the programme. The latest delegation were keen to see how we support horticultural employers with commercial and research trials and how we have developed our Eden programme to meet local, regional and national skills within the food production industry.”

Header caption: Prinicpal Meredydd David,  Assistant Principal Rachel Ellis-Jones and Mark Harris are pictured with visiting Brazilian delegates  Paula Oliveira (International Relations Manager SENAI National), Anne Litaiff (Innovation and Education Specialist SENAI Santa Catarina), Luiz Leao (WorldSkills Specialist SENAI National), Paulo Leao (Strategic Advisor, SETEC, Ministry of Education), Cyrio Dellezzopolles (Science and Technology Analyst CNPq) and Anna Connors (Student Support Officer, AoC).

Reaseheath ‘Access to HE’ student flies high with OCN award

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A falconer who is flying through his Reaseheath College course after returning to learning has had his achievements recognised with a prestigious regional award.

Joe Cooper, from Nantwich, will be presented with a £500 Open College Network (OCN) West Midlands Learner Award for Outstanding Achievement in June. The ‘Access to HE’ student was nominated by tutors at Reaseheath for his commitment to his academic studies and for his support for fellow students.

The 27 year-old, who has had a nine year break from formal education after leaving Malbank Sixth Form College., will progress onto a BSc degree in Wildlife Conservation and Ecology in September.

A former Head Falconer at Peckforton Castle, Joe has found that the range of topics offered through his course has encouraged him to explore alternative careers within the wider conservation industry.

He said: “My ‘Access to HE’ course has opened new and exciting doors for me.  I was convinced, through social pressure, that it would be almost impossible for me to achieve a degree because I had been out of education for some years. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

“This course has been brilliant because it has allowed me get back into education comfortably while learning about incredibly interesting subjects.  It has been one of my best decisions ever, particularly as I can take advantage of the financial help available.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received from my Reaseheath tutors and particularly for their passion in their specialised subjects. I now have the confidence to move onto a degree and I’m really excited to see where this new path will take me.

“This award has come as a complete surprise but I’m delighted that my tutors decided to nominate me.”

Said Course Manager Cheryl Stevenson: “We have all been very impressed with Joe’s positive and mature attitude towards his studies and with the constructive way he supports his peers in his role of course representative. He is totally committed to his studies and his work is always is well researched and referenced and shows a great deal of thought and critical evaluation.  We are delighted that his dedication has been recognised through this award.”

Reaseheath College’s  ‘Access to HE’ course prepares mature students for degree level study. For more information see www.reaseheath.ac.uk/further-education/courses 

Header caption: Caption: Joe Cooper pictured with Ravi, Reaseheath’s Indian Eagle owl

Reaseheath accolade for Bombardier apprentice engineer

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An apprentice engineer at Bombardier’s Crewe works has been crowned Reaseheath College’s ‘Engineering Apprentice of the Year’.

Liam Barnett, 21, from Biddulph, Staffordshire, received his award from Bombardier General Manager Tony Webb at a workshop floor presentation in front of fellow apprentices and work colleagues. He is one of 16 engineering apprentices, aged 16 to 50, who are employed by Bombardier and trained by Reaseheath’s specialised staff.

Liam, who has completed his Level 2 apprenticeship programme and has progressed onto a Level 3 advanced apprenticeship, joined Bombardier three years ago after completing ‘A’ levels at Biddulph High School.

Bombardier’s Crewe factory specialises in servicing and overhauling rolling stock for internal and external customers. It has a skilled workforce of 350 and is investing in its apprenticeship programme as part of future plans to enable the site to be considered as the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Rolling Stock Refurbishment, Service and Repair.

Liam is currently a member of the tram refurbishment team. He attends Reaseheath, in Nantwich, once a week to learn academic and practical skills and is supported by college assessors at his workplace as well as by his colleagues.

Presenting Liam with a trophy and certificate, Tony Webb said: “Apprentices are the future for engineering industries like ourselves. Bombardier is looking forward to a bright future, thanks to the predicted growth in the rail industry, and by investing in our apprenticeship programme we are ensuring that we have young, talented and skilled staff to provide workforce succession.

“Liam has shown real passion for the job and really wants to learn and get involved. He is exactly the sort of young person we need to attract into the industry. Reaseheath is an excellent training partner and delivers a training programme which suits our needs and aspirations.”

Liam added: “Becoming an apprentice has suited me very well because I like working practically and you pick up a lot of skills at your workplace. You get a lot of variety at Bombardier because you work on many different projects, and I also enjoy the classroom and workshop sessions at Reaseheath.”

Reaseheath assessor Trevor Palmer said: “Liam works hard and is extremely keen to learn. He will be a qualified engineer at the end of his programme and as such, will have an excellent future ahead of him. We were delighted to choose him as our Apprentice of the Year.”

Reaseheath College currently has 355 apprentices studying agriculture, animal care, construction, construction plant, engineering, food industry skills, horse care, horticulture, motor vehicle and sports turf.

Header caption: Liam Barnett receives his award fromTony Webb, watched by Bombardier Training Manager Mark Mackay, ReaseheathTraining Assessor Trevor Palmer, Training and Competence Assessor Russell Clarke and fellow apprentice engineers

In-house butchery training for major supermarket

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Butchers from a major supermarket chain spent a bespoke training day extending their knife skills in the butchery department of Reaseheath’s Food Centre.

The ten employees, a mix of team managers, line leaders, technicians and Quality Assurance staff, are based at the retailer’s Winsford site which supplies the fresh meat for all UK sites.  They are part of a substantial team responsible for processing fresh, chilled and formed products for in-store counter sale and also for its popular on-line butchery service.

The highly practical sessions were taught by Simon Hoyland, a butchery advisor for the retailer, and were held in our industry standard butchery facilities. This is the first time this supermarket have used our resources for in-house butchery training, and follows successful  discussions between  Emily Fisher, Commercial Development Manager for our Food Centre, Simon Hoyland and key decision makers.

The supermarket’s People Advisor and Trainer, who attended the training session, said: “It is really important to us that our butchery staff continue to advance their professional training. It enables our staff to move forward in their careers and ensures that we continue to offer our customers a service of the very highest standard.”

Reaseheath’s Family Festival draws visitors from across region

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Over 10,000 people from across the region poured into Nantwich on Sunday to enjoy the carnival atmosphere of Reaseheath College’s Family Festival.

The action-packed festival, which offered hundreds of activities and displays to appeal to all ages, attracted visitors from several counties and caused a storm of appreciation on social media.

Messages from families from as far as 90 miles away praised the friendly and professional attitude of staff and students, the range of activities and the organisation of the event, with many saying they were already looking forward to next year’s event.

Headline acts included The Knights of Middle England, who thrilled spectators with a medieval jousting show, and Team Extreme, whose BMX stunt riders and skaters gave an exciting performance of acrobatics on wheels. Families also enjoyed meeting three realistic mountain gorillas and their explorer friend, who delivered a conservation message about the threats facing the species.

Other activities included tours of Reaseheath’s progressive technical training resources such as its Centre for Horticulture, the Environment and Sustainable Technology and its European leading Food Centre. Visitors were also able to learn about the college’s current £30 million investment in facilities including a Sports and Performance Academy with 3G rugby pitch, new Lab Learning Hub and advanced agricultural technology and engineering centre.

‘Have a go’ activities ranged from tree climbing and bushcraft to brick laying and operating machinery, and other highlights included sheep shearing, calf and sheep shows,  horse riding displays, visits to the college zoo, a fun dog show and musical acts on the main lawn.

A farmers’ market and refreshment stalls throughout the campus offered opportunities for families to enjoy vintage teas and locally produced products.

Reaseheath Principal Meredydd David said: “This was Reaseheath at its very best. Our Family Festival gave visitors a fantastic day of activities, demonstrations and displays which were packed with fun and enjoyment. Visitors told me they were amazed at the experience. Part of our mission is to reconnect people with the countryside and food production and this great event certainly achieved that.

“It would be impossible to run this highly successful event without the huge effort and contribution from staff and students.  It is this positive and welcoming approach which makes Reaseheath the wonderful college that it is, and I am very proud to be part of the team.”

Industry support for Game Management students

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Our Game Management students are gaining essential skills in running a clay pigeon shoot thanks to the support of industry leader Laporte CPC.

The clay pigeon shooting company, which supplies traps for the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, has loaned us a professional sporting clay trap for the use of our Level 2 and Level 3 Extended Diploma in Game Management students.

The 37 students are learning how to use the top-class equipment, gaining skills which they will need when they manage commercial or charity events. They are also providing the company with a review.

The clay trap is remaining with us free of charge until December, when the loan period will be reviewed. The students are also being encouraged to take advantage of social networking through the WeShoot App which is dedicated to shooting sports.
Course Manager Matt Goodall, who built the links with Laporte, said: “We were delighted at the company’s generous offer, which is allowing our students to both progress their own shooting skills and to gain experience of how to manage an event for clients. These are essential, practical skills which employers are looking for.”

The clay trap on loan to Reaseheath is a 185 PC 6C 350 PRO Sporting Trap.

This is yet another deal with external companies which is contributing to our game management students’ experience. Other companies which support our courses include:

Our Game Management courses are endorsed by The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), The National Gamekeepers Organisation (NGO) and the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust.

Survivors take a Step out for Stroke in Nantwich

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The Stroke Association is hosting a Step out for Stroke walk at Reaseheath College, Nantwich on Saturday 4th June. This family fundraising event is open to everyone, regardless of age or ability, and organisers are asking people to register now to take part alongside stroke survivors and their families.

Step out for Stroke is an event for everyone affected by stroke, and can be as long or as short as participants can manage. For stroke survivors, this challenge often marks their first steps since their stroke.

Laura McMullin, Regional Fundraiser at the Stroke Association, said: “We’re looking forward to seeing some truly inspirational people who will be taking their first steps since their stroke, and others who have challenged themselves to achieve new goals on the day.

“Step out for Stroke is a fun walk for everyone, no matter what your age or fitness level, it’s the perfect event to take part in alongside friends and family. It’s a chance to raise vital funds for the Stroke Association, so every step makes a difference, and we want Step out for Stroke 2016 to be our biggest year yet.

“In 2015, we were thrilled to hold 50 Step out for Stroke events across the UK which raised more than £150,000. Join us this year to help even more stroke survivors take their first steps on the road to recovery so together, we can conquer stroke.”

Marie Morgan, event organiser says: “Stroke happens in an instant, but its effects can last a lifetime. Far too many people don’t understand the condition or think it will ever happen to them. We believe everyone affected by stroke should get the support they need to make the best possible recovery.

We’re inviting the whole community to come to this fun day out and help us make it an event to remember. “

Meredydd David, Reaseheath Principal, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Stroke Association and its supporters to our campus and wish them every success with their fund raising event.”

There are more than14,600 strokes each year in the North West and over 157,370 people living with the effects of stroke.

To sign up and find out more about Step out for Stroke visit www.stroke.org.uk/stepout

Reaseheath students help to clean up Nantwich for the Queen’s birthday

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Members of Reaseheath College’s Student Association picked litter from one of Nantwich’s major gateways as their contribution to the ‘Clean for the Queen’ campaign.

Wearing hi vis vests and armed with litter pickers and bin liners, the students cleared refuse from the A51 roundabout and major roads near to the college campus in Nantwich. Their efforts were part of a national campaign, launched by Country Life magazine in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, to clean up Britain in time for The Queen’s 90th birthday in June.

The students joined a growing army of volunteers, including Nantwich Litter Group, who are determined to make the town litter free in time for the celebration.

‘Clean for the Queen’ is the biggest ever community-led clean-up of the country’s streets, parks, roadside verges and hedgerows. The campaign is supported by the Government and by Cheshire East Council. The Cheshire East Street Cleansing team (ANSA) supports the efforts of all volunteer litter groups.

Nantwich Litter Group (NLG), formed in 2010, is group of volunteers who help to keep the town tidy, promote pride in the local environment and raise awareness of the anti-social nature of littering. The group have already held a ‘Clean for the Queen’ litter pick in March covering a large area of the town.

NLG Volunteer Co-ordinator Joyce Webb said: “This is a particularly important campaign and we were delighted that students from Reaseheath College offered to become involved. Many visitors and business people gain their first impressions of Nantwich when they arrive at the Reaseheath roundabout so it’s particularly important that it’s clean and tidy.

“We welcome support from any local individuals, organisations or businesses who would like to get involved with this campaign.  By working together we can really make a difference and ensure Nantwich is at its best in time for the Queen’s birthday.”

For further details about the ‘Clean for the Queen’ campaign or Nantwich Litter Group email joycewebb47@hotmail.com

 

Reaseheath College gears up for Family Festival

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Reaseheath College’s Family Festival is gearing up to be one of the best value days out in Cheshire.

The action-packed festival, to be held on the college’s Nantwich campus on Sunday May 15, will offer hundreds of activities and displays which appeal to all ages. A family ticket costs just £15 (two adults, three children) or less if booked in advance on-line.

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

The Knights of Middle England will thrill with a jousting show

Headline acts this year include The Knights of Middle England, who will thrill spectators with a medieval jousting show featuring armoured knights on horseback and in unmounted combat as the cheating Black Knight tries to trick his way through the tournament.

Family entertainment is also guaranteed from Team Extreme, world class BMX stunt riders and skaters, who defy gravity in an acrobatic display of gymnastics on wheels.

Another exciting act will deliver a conservation message in a fun way. The Gorillas, four realistic mountain gorillas, will be joined by their explorer friend to tell visitors about the threat of extinction facing the species.

The Manchester School of Samba will bring a carnival atmosphere to the festival with eye-catching dance and costumes.

Visitors will be able to ‘have a go’ themselves at activities run by staff and students ranging from tree climbing and bushcraft to brick laying and operating a digger. Other highlights include sheep shearing, a calf show,  horse riding displays, tours of the college zoo and food processing halls, a fun dog show and musical acts on the main lawn.

The Gorillas will deliver a conservation message in a fun way at Reaseheath’s Family Festival

The Gorillas will deliver a conservation message in a fun way at Reaseheath’s Family Festival

Opportunities for refreshments range from vintage teas to locally produced products and ice creams. Car parking is free.

Festival organiser Faye Thomson-Butt, who is the college’s Deputy Marketing Manager, said: “We have tried to build on our Family Festival year upon year so that it offers real value to our local community. It has become a not-to-be-missed event for many families and we are looking forward to welcoming our visitors for what promises to be a fabulous day out.”

Updates at www.reaseheath.ac.uk/family-festival