Posts

Fantastic success for Reaseheath at WorldSkills UK

/in , /by

Reaseheath florist Anna Eite is officially the most talented student florist in Britain after winning gold at the WorldSkills UK national finals this weekend.

Anna Eite competing

Anna competing

Anna took the top title in the advanced section against strong competition from the best students from colleges and training providers nationwide. The taxing competition was held over three days in front of thousands of visitors to The Skills Show in Birmingham, the country’s biggest showcase of vocational skills and careers.

Anna had to complete five tasks which included designing a floral hat, belt and chair, making up a planted container and taking part in a team project.

Anna, 21, is a Level 3 Diploma in Floristry student and has been supported and trained by Programme Leader for Floristry Sue Poole. Said Sue: “This was a fantastic result and we are all so proud of Anna. She was a wonderful representative for Reaseheath and for the floristry department.”

Richard Carden chats to lead judge Jody Lidgard

Richard chats to lead judge Jody Lidgard

Unfortunately Anna will be over the 22 years age limit for the WorldSkills final in Abu Dhabi in 2017 and will not be considered for the WorldSkills GB team for Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2015 as this squad has already been selected.

Anna will represent us at the Chelsea Flower Show 2015, however, as she was on the student team which won the RHS Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year Competition this summer. This title made us eligible for the national final at Chelsea.

Our horticulture department was also proud to support Richard Carden as he battled it out in the WorldSkills UK garden landscape finals. Although Richard, a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture student, didn’t win a medal he was one of just six students to be selected for the national finals. He met the challenge to build a 2m x 6m garden designed by award winning designer Alexandra Froggatt.

Course Manager Tracy Walker said: “Richard did a fantastic job considering the pressure he was under to perform at the very highest level.”

You find out more information about our floristry and horticulture courses on our website.

Reaseheath florists win RHS Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year

/in /by

Reaseheath floristry students were celebrating after winning the RHS Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year Competition yesterday.

This prestigious new competition is open to UK based floristry colleges and training providers and showcases the talent of students.

Level 3 Diploma in Floristry students Anna Eite, Zoe Sillito and Wendy Anderson, supported by Programme Leader for Floristry Sue Poole, were awarded first place against strong competition from four other colleges and will go through to the final at the Chelsea Flower Show 2015.

The students created five carnival themed designs using flowers with a colour theme of red, gold, green and orange: a mask, a wall hanging, an arrangement, a wired bouquet and a planted design.

As well as winning the college competition they also won a silver gilt medal for their stand.

This has been the second great result for our floristry department this summer, as Anna and Zoe won second and third places respectively at a recent WorldSkills UK competition.

Come and see our student design and our college stand in the Floral Design Studio at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, Wednesday July 23 (members only) to Sunday July 27

 

Valentine message from Reaseheath florists

/in /by

Reaseheath College floristry students made floral messages to present to their loved ones on Valentine’s Day.

Level 1 Certificate in Floristry students at the Nantwich college enjoyed making heart shaped designs from fresh flowers during a Valentine themed practical lesson on Friday.

Said Louise Birks: “It’s been really good fun because we’ve been able to choose our own flowers and make our own designs for Valentine’s Day. Being a floristry student is great if you like art and design, because you work with colour and texture. And everyone loves getting a bouquet of flowers as a gift.”

 

Arley Hall opens its doors to the public

/in /by

Arley Hall, the grand Victorian Jacobian Hall owned by Lord and Lady Askbrook, situated in rural Cheshire opens its doors to the public for its Christmas Floral Extravanganza from the 30th November till the 6th December.

Floristry students prepare for arley hall

Level 3 Floristry students at Reaseheath have been given the opportunity to decorate ‘The Gallery’ as part of the event. The huge room with sky high windows, an enormous marble fireplace and wooden cladding will feature a 15ft Christmas Tree and an abundance of arrangements designed and put together by Level 3 students.

Students have been preparing their designs, collecting together sundries and accessories, visiting wholesalers and ordering flowers ready to decorate ‘The Gallery’ on Thursday 28th November.

Today we have been conditioning flowers, collecting foliage from the Reaseheath grounds and putting together the bases for the arrangement, ready for all our equipment to be transported to Arley Hall tomorrow, where students will work solidly for two days decorating in time for the Arley Hall opening on Saturday.

The other rooms within Arley Hall are to be decorated by florists at the forefront of the floristry industry within Cheshire, and Reaseheath students are privileged to have been given the chance to take part in such a fantastic event at one of England’s historic houses and gardens of distinction.

Floral designs for Arley Halls Christmas Extravaganza

/in /by

By Reaseheath Level 3 Floristry students

We have been asked to decorate The Gallery at Arley Hall for their Christmas Extravaganza, which is taking place between Saturday 30th November to Friday 6th December.

Floristry students arley HallTo help us to decide what displays we would include in the Christmas Extravaganza we visited Arley Hall today and undertook an assessment.  We began by asking a member of staff multiple questions to help us to get an idea of what we could and couldn’t do, as well as find out key information such as budget, dates and room layout.

We then split into four groups and allocated each group a different section of the room. Firstly, the front section then the middle section and fire place, then the far end of the room and finally the Christmas tree. In our groups we analysed our own sections recording information such as size and space. With this information we can plan our designs effectively and make sure our final products are in proportion to The Gallery.

Once we were finished in The Gallery we took a brief walk into the gardens to look at their varied chose of foliage. This is to be included as a representation of the grounds and the hall.

We are now busy planning our designs and flowers to construct on Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th November.

Floristry students design wedding flowers for Mere Golf and Country Club

/in /by

By Reaseheath Floristry students

During the first week of October, Level 3 Floristry students were asked to put together the flowers for a wedding at the prestigious Mere Golf and Country Club in Knutsford.

The bride had ordered six table top designs, a top table arrangement, two spray bouquets, two bridesmaid posies and buttonholes. Each student was allocated a task and the flowers were prepared in class on Wednesday afternoon. The students used an assortment of large and medium Rosa, purple Eustoma, Cymbidium orchid, Anthuriums and Cala lilies with Monstera and tropical foliage. The designs constructed on Wednesday were then stored in the cool room ready for the wedding on Friday afternoon.

Floristry students mere wedding flowers

On Friday morning a group of students came into college to make the final touches to the flowers, construct the buttonholes and package the bouquets. Everyone piled into the minibus with the flowers and drove to Mere to deliver the flowers. At the hotel the table top arrangements were set up first, sitting them on top of tall vases, then the cake was decorated with individual flowers.

The students were all really impressed with how their work looked in the grand dining room which they decorated. The fantastic result was down to their hard work and excellent team work.