Archive for category: Reaseheath News

Cutting edge sport science equipment at Reaseheath College is helping Crewe Alexandra FC’s first team squad to train throughout the season.

All first team players have visited the Nantwich college to use a new sports science laboratory which forms part of a significant investment into the campus gym.

First team full-back James Baillie is tested in Reaseheath’s sports science lab while student James Earl records data and sports lecturers Lauren Goff and Stuart Fisher oversee data collection

The squad went through maximal fitness testing on a top-of-the-range medical treadmill. The data will be used by Andy Franks, Head of Sports Science and Conditioning at Crewe Alex, to check the base level of fitness of each player and to set personalised training programmes. The players will return for retesting later in the season to check their progress.

The data collection was carried out by Reaseheath Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport Performance students, many of whom will progress to careers in coaching or sport fitness.

Course Manager Richard Brooke explained: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to practice and develop their skills by working with local, talented, professional athletes. Our students learn sports science and coaching techniques as part of their course and this has been a chance for them to see how critical these skills are in the industry they plan to join. We have also been delighted to support Crewe Alex.”

Andy Franks said: “This has been a great opportunity which has been much appreciated by first team players and our sports science staff. By using sophisticated testing equipment we have been able to set accurate training zones for our pre-season training programmes, individualised for each player.”

Reaseheath College and Crewe Alex FC have a well established partnership. Reaseheath delivers the academic training to Crewe Alex Academy apprentices, with scholars achieving the best grades in the country. In return, many of Reaseheath’s sports performance students complete work experience with Crewe Alex, gaining an insight into the possibilities of career progression within the football industry.

Reaseheath’s new gym is used to train students on sports performance and public services courses and is open to the college’s staff and students.

For further details on Reaseheath’s sports courses see www.reaseheath.ac.uk/sport

Reaseheath College garden designers and florists completed a phenomenally successful RHS Flower Show Tatton Park by winning two top awards and helping Cheshire’s leading visitor attractions to achieve another.

A team of ten Foundation Degree Garden and Landscape Design students achieved one of just three gold medals in the prestigious show garden section with their innovative edible garden ‘A Taste of Wythenshawe’.          

Sponsored by Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG), the garden incorporated innovative and creative approaches to growing edible plants including hydroponics and sculptural features. It celebrated Real Food Wythenshawe, a five year £1 million Big Lottery-funded community food campaign led by WCHG which promotes ways that people can grow their own fruit and vegetables and cook healthy, economical meals.

Dougal Philip, Chair of the judges, said: “This was a magnificent garden which was strong, exciting and innovative and with wonderful detail. The fact that it was designed and built by a team could have posed problems but everyone has worked together. Reaseheath’s students should be really proud of what they have achieved.”

The garden will now be rebuilt in Wythenshawe Park, where it will be shared by the local community. The re-instatement will be carried out by members of the Turnaround team, a programme developed by WCHG to offer training and potential employment opportunities to those with criminal records. All team members have been trained by Reaseheath and have successfully gained their NPTC Level 2 horticulture award.

Florists Anna Eite, Zoe Sillito and Wendy Anderson celebrate winning RHS Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year

Reaseheath florists were also celebrating after winning the prestigious new RHS Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year Competition. Level 3 Diploma in Floristry students Anna Eite, Zoe Sillito and Wendy Anderson took the title against competition from four other colleges and will compete at the national finals at the Chelsea Flower Show 2015. They also won a silver gilt medal for their creative, carnival themed stand.

Reaseheath RHS Level 2 and 3 Certificate in Horticulture students helped to build a carnival themed stand for the Cheshire Gardens of Distinction, which was awarded Best Show Feature. The group, which this year celebrates its 10^th birthday, was represented by Arley Hall and Gardens,  Adlington Hall and Gardens, Cholmondeley Castle and Gardens, Fryers Roses of Knutsford, Biddulph Grange, Norton Priory, Bluebell Cottage Gardens and Nurseries and the Cheshire Gardens Trust.

Tracy Walker and Chairman Sam Youd on the Cheshire Gardens of Distinction stand

Reaseheath Horticulture lecturer Tracy Walker co-ordinated the stand, which was in the ‘Inspire’ zone, an area dedicated to cutting edge design and fresh ideas. Each of the eight gardens featured ‘The Rose of Distinction’, a new floribunda rose launched by Fryers Roses to celebrate the group’s birthday.

Other successes included Jonathan Price, who is studying for his BSc Landscape Design and Management at Reaseheath, taking a silver medal for his show garden De Musica Mundana and former floristry student Adrian Thomas being awarded gold in the open floral design competition. Adrian runs his own on-line business, Verdure Floral Design. Floristry lecturers Ruth Clarke and Fiona Davies, representing Reaseheath, won a silver medal in the same section.

And in a final coup, Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture student Richard Carden won his way through to the 2014 WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening finals after a high profile three day competition held at the show.

WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening finalist Richard Carden

The Landscape Gardening Competition, organised by the Association of Professional Landscapers, is designed to highlight the skills and potential of young people. Finalists are considered for an international squad.

Richard will now compete at the Olympic-styled finals at The Skills Show at Birmingham NEC in November against top students from other colleges.

This was Richard’s first major competition, although he designed and built a garden for a competition held during Reaseheath’s Family Festival in May and helped to rebuild it as a feature on the college’s award winning stand at the Cheshire Show in June.

He said: “I can only describe it as being as close as landscape gardening can get to being a military operation. There was no let up at all as we had to complete the garden to a tight deadline. But I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to improving my skills ready for the national finals.”

The show garden design and build team with television gardening presenter Toby Buckland