The animal management department are sad to announce the loss of the College’s cane toad Rita. She passed away during the Easter holidays, likely to be of old age. She has been at the College for 7 years, however her age is unknown as this wasn’t clear when she was donated to the Zoo. Rita helped many students learn practices such as chytrid swabbing, biosecurity protocols and service orders and will be missed by many.
Future garden landscapers demonstrated their skills at the north west regional heat of the WorldSkills UK competition, run on campus last week.
Horticultural students and apprentices from across the region, including six of our own students, took part in the knock-out heat which was run by the Association of Professional Landscapers.
Following a similar elimination round in the south of the country, the highest scoring students will go to the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park for further training and to get used to appearing in front of big crowds. This year’s final will be held at The Skills Show at the NEC Birmingham in the autumn.
The competitors had to build a decked unit in a timed session and were marked on the quality of their work and attention to detail. We put forward Level 3 Extended Diploma Horticulture students India Hill, Jay Hevingham and Finin Talbot (from Year 1) and Joshua Camm and Christopher Shore (from Year 2). Last year’s finalist Richard Carden also took part.
The students have been preparing for the competition this term thanks to the efforts of hard landscape tutor Jason Hinks. They will hear who has been selected for the next round in May.
Jodie Lithgard, lead judge and trainer said: “The competitors produced work to a good standard. This is very pleasing as we are putting all our efforts into increasing the standard of skills coming into the industry.”
WorldSkills UK feeds into the Olympic-styled Worlds Skills final, held every two years to showcase the world’s top young talent in vocational industries.
Former Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture student Matt Beesley, 21, is in the final selection for this year’s international squad which will represent GB in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in August.
Matt, has progressed to become Director of Beesley’s Landscapes and employs two apprentices, both of whom took part in Reaseheath’s regional heat. Matt built a garden for RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year alongside Jodie Lidgard and this year will partner garden designer Sharon Hockenhull in the build of the ‘Light Catcher’ visionary garden at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.
To find out more about our horticulture courses visit www.reaseheath.ac.uk/horticulture
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:
Peers awards (student vote)
Runners-up: John Barber (Scot JCB); Chris Elvin (Watlings JCB); Brett Parkes (A-Plant)
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 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
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.
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.
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:
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
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 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
Reaseheath College’s Food Centre has gained an internationally recognised Grade A certification from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) for the second year running.
The Nantwich College’s Food Centre remains the first and only educational institution in Britain to achieve Grade A at BRC6, the highest possible standard for food safety.
The quality mark was approved after a repeat audit showed that Reaseheath’s food manufacturing systems continue to operate under highly controlled conditions and to the highest industry standards. Areas inspected included hygiene procedures, cleanliness of the facility and the traceability of food ingredients.
The accolade is particularly prestigious as many good businesses strive, but never achieve, this ultimate standard. The successful bid was led by Reaseheath’s Technical Manager Katharina Vogt.
Food Centre Head Toni-Anne Harrison said: “This has been a second tremendous achievement and we are all very proud. Although we gained BRC6 at Grade A last year, it does not guarantee a repeat result. This achievement was due to the continuing hard work and dedication put in by the food team and illustrates how an understanding of industry procedures and practices underpin everything that we do in the Food Centre. It can only increase our credence and standing within the food industry and to increased exposure to blue chip companies”.
Reaseheath’s £7 million Food Centre was opened in 2011 and is one of the best equipped food processing teaching and practical facilities in Europe.
Built to exacting standards and staffed by a team of specialist food technologists, the Centre has dairy processing halls and production for butchery, bakery and confectionery. Many local, national and international food and drink manufacturers use our facilities for new product development or staff training. These partnerships lead to work experience and job opportunities for the College’s food technology students.
For further details on our Food Centre please click here.
Beth Tweddle and Georgia Lush (Level 3 Sports Student) on exercise bike
Britain’s greatest female gymnast Beth Tweddle raised the bar when she opened a £1 million sports science department at Reaseheath College in Nantwich.
The London Olympics 2012 bronze medallist officially opened Reaseheath’s high tech gym and new sports science laboratory when she visited the campus last week.
Beth, who started her career aged seven at the Crewe and Nantwich Gymnastics Club, went on to represent Great Britain at three Olympic Games and became a triple World Champion and winner of six European championships and seven national championships before taking a break from competitive sport in 2012. She then became a TV star by winning ITV’s ‘Dancing on Ice’.
During her visit Beth admired the gym’s high tech equipment, which is the same as that used by England footballers at the Football Association’s headquarters, and includes a strength and conditioning zone equipped to the same specification as the 2012 Olympic village. She also watched as serious athletes completed tests in the sports science lab, which has over £40,000 worth of equipment.
The new facility is used to train sports performance and public services students and is used by elite athletes including Crewe Alex FC players. It is also open to all students and staff and local sportspeople can book a personal fitness revue in the sports science lab.
Beth, whose family home is in Bunbury said: “As a local girl it has been great to visit Reaseheath and see the new sports department. It’s brilliant that the college’s sports students have access to such great facilities and can also work alongside elite athletes.”
“Sport transformed my life and it’s good to know so many enthusiastic young people are considering it as a career. It is also great to see all students being encouraged to keep fit as part of their daily routine”.
For more information about Reaseheath’s sports courses visit www.reaseheath.ac.uk/studysports or phone 01270 613242. For details about Reaseheath’s new Ladies’ and Men’s Football Academy email kate.humphrey@reaseheath.ac.uk
Beth Tweddle cuts ribbon with students Lily Moreland and Jim Kelly