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Open Day at Plumpton College

The Open Day at Plumpton College attracted excellent attendance throughout the day despite the inclement weather. Nearly 10,000 visitors from across the South East attended this popular family day out, which provides an excellent example of a working college.
The purpose of the open day is to demonstrate to visitors the many and varied work of the college and its courses. The day gives visitors an opportunity to see students at work and discuss courses.

Visitors watched sheep shearing, tractor driving machinery skills, cows being milked and working forges. Jewellery making, silversmithing, metalsmithing and copper work demonstrated only some of the facilities within the new Engineering Workshops. Metalsmithing students will be exhibiting at the Young Craftsman Competition at the South of England show in June. Exhibitions included student designs from horticulture, garden designs and fragrant, creative floristry. St Michael’s Church within the College estate staged its annual flower festival.

Taste sessions included the award-winning Plumpton Estate wines, milk smoothies from the College’s own herd of Holsteins, as well as college produced Cheddar-type cheese and rapeseed oil. Local foods and drinks at the food village offered more delicious choices.

Visitors were able to discuss Rural Business Training, as well as the wide range of hospitality facilities at the College. Pottery, stained glass, machinery, craft fairs, wood skills and floral art also attracted visitors.

The Massey Ferguson Grounds Care Roadshow

The Massey Ferguson Grounds Care Roadshow, hosted by Yeowart Agricultural Ltd at Plumpton College, East Sussex, attracted many visitors, staff and students at the event on 17th March 2010. The event was held in the colleges brand-new machinery and engineering workshops.

This event was only one of four at various sites within the UK and involved the first public demonstration of MF 1500 Series compact tractors and implement ranges across the complete range. The open day featured Groundscare, Estate, Equestrian, Sports and Amenity equipment. They included ride-on mowers, ATVs, hedgecutters, harrows, rollers and flail cutters. In addition to MF 1500 Series of compact tractors, there were also models from the MF 3600 and MF 5400 tractor ranges.

Mike Gurney, Head of Engineering and Machinery, Plumpton College said, “ David and Lewis Yeowart were generous hosts for the day and keen to help all visitors to the event, giving them valuable information and advice. This partnership is one area which is beneficial to us all and which we hope will continue. We are excited by the new Engineering and Machinery facilities now on-site, they are attracting a wide range of students and this roadshow event helped to boost their working knowledge skills”

South of England Hedge Laying Society 25th Anniversary

On the 20th March 2010 the South of England Hedge Laying Society held their 25th Anniversary celebration at Black Dog Hill, Westmeston near Plumpton. Over 120 members past & present attended.

20 members got involved in the laying of a stretch of hedge, plus there was the “throwing wellie” competition, tossing the horseshoe & bowling. Dave Sands gave a Cross Cutting and Axe Cutting demonstration. Paul Matthews demonstrated Wattle Hurdle Making Bob Hunt demonstrated Chestnut Cleaving. Peter Tunks gave a demonstration of laying a hedge in the “Midland” Style.

Every one enjoyed meeting up and taking a jog down “memory lane”

The Society was started off 25 years ago when the retiring President John Wilson, who was then the Principal of Plumpton Agricultural College was approached by a group of local Hedge layers. The South of England Hedge Laying Society was formed and has been involved in hedge laying demonstrations, training and competitions every year since. The college has always actively supported the society and several staff are good hedge layers.

Come and visit the Societies stand at the following events:
Plumpton Open day 8th May 2010
Heathfield Show 29th May 2010
Smallholders Show 3rd & 4th July 2010
Weald Wood Fair 17th – 19th September PTO

Coppicing Dates:

Oct 9th 2010
Dec 4th 2010
Jan 8th 2011

Hedge Laying Training Days:

Oct 16th 2010
Nov 20th 2010
Dec 11th 2010

Improvers Day:

15th Jan 2011

Website www.sehls.co.uk

Sail away

Students from Plumpton College, East Sussex have their sights set on a sea faring voyage organised by Ocean Youth Trust South. On Monday 22 March, eleven students and their Lecturer sail out from Southamption for five days. This first time sailing trip is aboard a tall ships expedition, hoping to reach the Channel Islands or France, depending on the weather. The sailing trip is a specialist unit of their course and involves expedition planning, navigational techniques, plotting sea charts, teamwork, leadership and individual efforts, crewing, setting sails, cooking and learning global positioning systems.

The student sailors, are studying on the First Diploma in Sport (Outdoor Education) at Plumpton College. They will sail on the John Laing, a custom-built ketch, an ideal boat for sail training with young people. It has two masts, a taller main mast and shorter mizzen mast behind it, a main sail, a mizzen sail and an assortment of headsails to be hoisted, so there is plenty for crew members to do. At the stern is the cockpit, with plenty of room for people to sit together - either on look out, listening to briefings, or simply enjoying the sailing. The steering wheel is also in the cockpit – all crew members take turns to steer the boat. On board, crew members and sea staff have team briefings, discuss voyage plans and have meals together.

All around the deck are strong points and jackstays (lines) for people to clip onto with their harness lines. Two life rafts are also on board, each big enough to hold the entire crew in an emergency and a dinghy which can be rowed by crew members, though there is also an outboard engine if sea staff need to ferry people ashore.

Life on the ship below decks is also busy, the crew members sleep at the front of the boat. The sea staff have cabins in the middle and the rear of the boat. Toilets are available with wash basins, but no showers; they use the showers provided in most harbours. There is a galley (kitchen) and a living area (the saloon), with the table for meals and briefings. A navigation area contains all the navigational equipment and charts (maps) to ensure all the crew members are involved with navigation at some stage.

Lecturer Sam Bates says, “ As well as team working and individual skills, they will acquire RYA qualifications. On board, the students will learn to night sail, relying on bearings taken in the dark, working by the lights of nearby shipping. This stretch of water is part of the world’s busiest shipping lane so they will quickly acquire new practical skills to complement their theoretical, classroom studies. I am proud of what they will achieve from this first voyage, it’s one part of their educational achievements and excellent training for future journeys”.

Countryside Students Record Outstanding Success In National Mammal Survey

Read article here.

The road to Morocco

A group of students are heading off on a challenging White Water Kayaking expedition to Morocco in April 2010.

Students from the Outdoor Education department at Plumpton College in East Sussex will be taking part in a ten day kayaking expedition on the Ahanssel River.  The expedition is managed and led by Water by Nature, a company with over eight years’ experience. 

 
Water by Nature are internationally renowned and have led groups kayaking and rafting on some of the most challenging rivers in the world.

Ivor Lewis, (Head of Outdoor Education, Plumpton College) explains, “The expedition will provide the group with a unique experience.  After a short flight, they will arrive in a developing country with a very different culture. The sights, sounds and the smells are completely different.  The journey from the airport to the hostel is exciting in itself, just seeing the different means of transport and the way people get around is very interesting!”

After a long mini bus journey the group will spend five days kayaking white water daily. 

 
They will be looked after by the highly professional and expert guides from Water by Nature and supported by an equipment raft, so they don’t have to fit all of their camping equipment etc into the back of their kayaks.  (An equipment or gear raft is basically a river version of a lorry.  Every evening it has to be unloaded and every morning it has to be carefully repacked.)  The equipment raft is needed as the river is quite remote and there are no opportunities for resupply by road.

After meeting all the river challenges, the group will return to Marrakech before heading out to the coast to develop their kayak surfing skills before returning to the UK.

Expeditions like this give group members the opportunity to develop their independence and travelling skills, whilst still being part of a managed group.  Hopefully when they then go on to travel independently or work as leaders of groups on expeditions, they will be more responsible travellers.

This expedition is not simply a cultural experience.  These students are studying Outdoor Education and hope on graduation to work as Outdoor Education instructors.  In order to do so they need to develop a wide skills base in activities such as rock climbing, mountaineering, navigation, expeditioning, sailing, canoeing and kayaking.  The aim is for students not just to be personally proficient but to be able to instruct groups in these activities and other activities such as team building.  The students are keen to use the skills they have developed as part of their course to take on the many challenges that the Ahanssel River will present to them.

Outdoor Education and Adventure is all about enabling young people to experience different cultures, challenge themselves physically and mentally in a remarkable environment.  It adds another dimension to their learning and development and motivates them to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.

Ivor is very keen to hear from anyone interested in offering support for the expedition or future Plumpton College Outdoor education endeavours.  If you would like to learn more about the expedition or the Outdoor Education courses available at Plumpton College please contact him, e: Ivor.lewis@plumpton.ac.uk.

Diploma Florists decorate The Mansion at Wakehurst Place

What a fantastic real life project!– student florists on the Level 3 Diploma course at Plumpton College were offered the wonderful opportunity to decorate the Elizabethan Manor house at Wakehurst Place this Christmas.

Wakehurst Place is a prestigious National trust property, “sister” to Kew gardens.

The students completed the decoration as part of their coursework for their Diploma programme at Plumpton College.

Pictured left to right above: Kate Osbourn, Jacquie Annis (NVQ 3 Floristry), Sally Court, Stef Cooper, Lucy Piper, Louise Osborne and Tina Whelan

Father Christmas arrives early at Plumpton College

Plumpton College in East Sussex played host to an early Christmas party last week for the Hope in the Valley RDA Group. The Group, which has been based at the college for many years College, offers weekly riding lessons for physically disabled children.

Facilities for their riding lessons at the College include a full-size indoor arena and, in good weather, the children can enjoy a hack around the grounds of the College. As well as the weekly term-time riding, all the riders also participate in horse-care classes.

As a group, they participate in RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) grade exams, gymkhanas, rallies and annually compete in dressage at nearby Hickstead.

Hope in the Valley is staffed entirely by volunteers. www.hopeinthevalley.org

Forthcoming Events

Careers & Information Morning: Saturday 6th March 2010, 9am – 12.30pm. Meet the staff, see Departmental facilities and chat with current students

Find out which course is right for you!

Taster Sessions for school students in years 10/11: Monday 15th – Thursday 18th February 2010

Environmental & Land Based Studies Diploma: Taster Sessions for school students in year 9. Friday 19th February 2010

College Open Day: Saturday 8th May 2010, 10am – 5pm. A fun day out for all your friends and family, Experience courses in action!

Free entry for under 16s. Concs. Cost: £5.00 adult. In association with the Sussex Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

Plumpton College Horse Show: Saturday 15th May 2010.

Weald Wood Fair
 

As in previous years the College Forestry Department and its students were very active at the Weald Wood Fair held on the 18th 19th and 20th of September.

Students provided demonstrations at this popular event and if you follow the link below you will see Paul Collins Head of Forestry Department demonstrating chainsaw maintenance.

16/10/09 - Two further videos have been added of Plumpton College. Fixing a slack recoil starter and chain tensioning.

http://www.woodlandstv.co.uk

Animal Activity Days
 

New to the animal unit this year were Animal Activity Days specifically designed to cater for younger students who are considering working with animals. Students aged 10-15 enjoyed an activity filled day feeding, handling, grooming and caring for a wide variety of exotic and domestic animals at the purpose built unit. At the end of the day certificates and a record of achievement were given out for the students to remember their day by. More days are planned for holidays throughout the coming year.

Plumpton College staff at WorldSkills, Calgary, Canada, September 2009
 

Stephanie Willoughby attended the press conference at House of Lords yesterday for the launch of Team UK. She is the Training Manager for Floristry.

26 skilled young people from across the country have been chosen to represent the UK in Canada at the biggest skills competition in the world.

View more information here.

Celebration Success At Plumpton College At Netherfield

Students studying at Plumpton College at Netherfield in East Sussex celebrated receiving their certificates and awards at the College prize giving on Friday 26th June held at the Woodland Enterprise Centre in Flimwell. This is an important occasion in the College calendar and allows the college with parents, invited guests and sponsors, to recognise all student achievements.

The guest of honour was Mr Mike Atkinson, Chairman of the Governors, who warmly congratulated the students on their successes and wished them well for their future. He mentioned how keen the college is in developing the provision in the east of the county and remarked how proud he was of all the students.

Mr Simon Bishop, Head of Centre, reported that the college had completed another good year and had shown another increase in both the number of students who studied at the various sites and the range of courses on offer. Students had worked through the year and had excelled in many areas of their work and study.

Mr Des Lambert, Principal, spoke of the plans to develop the college’s out centres at Flimwell and Robertsbridge and how important the east of the county is to the college.
The progression rate of students who attend the main site at Plumpton College after studying at one of the out centres is high and this is a credit to all the staff and to the students who often have to make relatively long and slow journeys to get to college.

Courses provided at the Plumpton College at Netherfield include agriculture, equine, horticulture, conservation and, by September 2010, forestry and arboriculture.

Photo: Mike Atkinson, Chairman of Governors, Plumpton College with Shane Stanbridge, winner of the Senlac Veterinary Centre Cup for top student on the Introductory Diploma in Land and Environment course.
     

RABDF/Dairy Crest Dairy Student of the Year Award 2009

Finalists

Luke Thompson, Grays, Essex
Plumpton College

Currently studying: FdSc Agriculture

Qualifications: ND Agriculture; City and Guilds Key Skills in Information Technology Level 2; Lantra Rough Terrain Telescopic Lift Truck; Lantra Pesticide Application Foundation Module Level 1 Certificate; Lantra Pesticide Granule Applicator Level 4 Certificate; NPTC Certificate of Competence in Tractor Driving and Related Operations Level 2; NPTC Certificate of Competence in the Safe Use of Veterinary Medicines Level 2; Abrasive Welding Certificate; welding training; DIY AI training.

Previous work experience: stock person and tractor driver Essex; dairy herdsperson, Moulton College; GFW and apprentice stockman, Essex.

Other: St Thomas, Grays Youth Club Management Committee youth representative; Jack Petchey Citizenship Award for commitment to youth service; countryside pursuits; breeding poultry and waterfowl.

Richard Edge, Middlewich, Cheshire
Harper Adams University College

Currently studying: BSc (Hons) Agriculture

Qualifications: NPTC PA6A; NPTC PA1 + PA6A; B+E trailer test; Lantra’s Rough Terrain Telescopic Lift Truck Award; First Aid at Work Certificate; represented HAUC in Grass Routes Challenge.

Previous work experience: placement year on AFBI’s 350 cow dairy unit, Hillsborough; day to day management with family’s 450 cow pedigree Holstein herd plus accompanying young stock; harvesting and cultivations on 650ha arable unit; Genus marketing department.

Other: Nantwich YFC member, current club stock judging captain, various stock judging awards; Holstein UK member; HAUC dairy discussion croup co-organiser.

Robert McConaghy, Ballymoney, County Antrim
College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Greenmount Campus

Currently studying: HND Agriculture

Qualifications: PA1 and PA2 qualified; AI trained; Telescopic Handler qualified; European computer driving licence holder; First Aid at Work Certificate; Manual Handling Certificate.

Previous work experience: Greenmount College’s CREAM herd; day to day management and stockman duties with family’s 90 cow Holstein Friesian herd and Aberdeen Angus finishing unit; day to day management on 530 cow dairy unit, North Canterbury, New Zealand; work placement at Ballyrashane Creamery; local contractor experience.

Other: Moycraig YFC member; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh; Spirit of Enniskillen Scheme – won bursary and study placement to Vermont.

Sam Pearson, Potmadoch, Gwynedd
University of Aberystwyth

Currently studying: BSc Hons Agriculture with Countryside Management

Qualifications: ND Agriculture at BTEC level 3; ND Forestry at BTEC level 3; NCA; Glynllifon Student of the Year, and Best Practical Student of the Year; LANTRA Land Based Learner of the Year runner up; NPTC qualified to Silver Seal standard sheep shearing; NPTC qualified in safe use of sheep dips and administrating vet and med to cattle and sheep; chainsaw qualifications.

Previous work experience: AU Farms, Aberystwyth GFW and part time relief worker; general farm duties Llanbrynmair beef and sheep unit; shearing, Shropshire; day to day management 110 Holstein cow unit, Tremadog; additional dairy cow management experience, Shropshire.

Other: family farming business, rough shooting, salmon fishing, competition shearing.

Plumpton College Schools Centre awarded Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge

Plumpton College has recently been awarded the Learning Outside of the Classroom Quality Badge.

The Quality Badge was developed as part of the LOtC Manifesto, a national initiative which aims to ensure that young people are given more opportunities to take part in safe and educationally valuable outdoor learning experiences. The Quality Badge is designed to offer teachers and local authorities a guarantee that not only is a venue providing the sort of educational value that they can build on in class long after the visit, but that they also have the appropriate risk management structures in place.

The Colleges’ Schools Centre currently hosts visits from approximately 3,000 pupils every year, from pre-school to GCSE. Louisa Devismes, School Visits Co-ordinator said “We are delighted and very proud to be awarded the LOtC Quality Badge. The award of the Quality Badge demonstrates the College’s on-going commitment to helping and inspiring young people to learn more about farming and the countryside whilst enhancing the school curriculum. Health, safety and quality educational experiences are vitally important considerations for schools, parents and pupils, we hope that the Quality Badge will enable more schools to undertake visits to the College”.

Schools are welcome to visit the College throughout the year. The College has an on-going programme of visits and activities. For further information please contact the School’s Centre on 01273 892096 or e mail Louisa.devismes@plumpton.ac.uk

For more information about the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge, please visit www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk
 

Open Day success at Plumpton College

  
Over 12,000 visitors visited Plumpton College in East Sussex for its annual Open Day last Saturday. This ever popular event was an opportunity to see all the varying college departments at work, with students explaining their studies.

In addition to the large range of small animals and other livestock, there were many displays including gundogs, falconry, dancing horses, forestry events, veterinary nursing and livestock and machinery parades.

Rural organisations such as the Southeast Hedge Layers Association and the South Downs Joint Committee provided demonstrations. Estate tours included the farm, the veterinary nurse training centre, the animal care centre and the college’s commercial winery and wine science centre.

Tractor tours with a commentary enabled visitors to visit the large estate. Attractions included the large College farm, children’s activities, equine schools, outdoor adventurous activities, floristry suite, dog shows, greenhouses and garden design exhibits.

Attractions included forestry demonstrations, landscaping, biofuels, rural business training, sports and horticulture.

Visitors were able to see working forges at metalsmithing, sheep shearing at the farm and watch the cows being milked.

A food village offered a range of local foods and a crafts arena exhibited stained glass, pottery, wood skills, cardmaking, and floral art.

Equine events staged in the indoor riding schools entertained visitors with dressage, drill rides, lunges, jumping and show jumping. Equine events on offer included a biomechanics and teaching display, musical drill ride, lunge lessons and jumping demonstration. Visitors to the Equine Department also enjoyed rides on the equine simulator horse.

The College’s Outdoor Education Department staged a variety of outdoor sports displays, included canoes, mountain bikes, climbing walls and a hiking display. Guided walks included the bluebell woodland around the College estate.

The dog grooming unit was busy while outside in the main arena students on the animal care course organised an exciting dog show. Terrier racing also drew an appreciative audience.

Silversmithing, metalsmithing and copper work skills as well as the working forges were ably demonstrated.

St Michael’s Church, an 11th century church within the College estate, staged a flower festival.
  

Morocco Review

On Friday the 3rd of April 2009, 5 outdoor education students undertook a white water expedition to Morocco, where they faced not only large volumes of white-water along a remote river in the middle of the Atlas Mountains, but also six feet of surf after the expedition itself. The expedition also exposed participants to 30 degree heat and a culture very different to anything they had experienced before.

James Currin, Emily Barleycorn, David Scholes, Ralph Hissey and Tom Evans all understood what they were about to experience but underestimated the effect it would have on them. They all rose successfully to the challenge and have all returned safely with an improved hunger to develop their kayaking further. It was an incredible expedition, one which all were very lucky to have experienced, and a special thanks to Water by Nature who made the expedition so good.

Young Farmers Club Annual Competition

Congratulations to the Plumpton College team comprising of:

· James Bianchi,

· Dom Chandler,

· Liane Ford,

· Rick Morgan,

· Emma Ogden,

· Jon Seabrook,

· Chris Stuchbury and

· Luke Thompson

for sweeping the board at the Sussex Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs competitions day held last Sunday at Brinsbury.

Students’ welly good way to help

STUDENTS are renowned for throwing parties rather than wellies.

But this group from Plumpton College education department flung some footwear to raise money for charity.

Ten teams of first and second year students also held a car wash, helped by lecturers Andy Hamilton, John Goodwin and Graheme Moss, during a fundraising week.

Other activities included a sponsored 16-mile canoe paddle from Newhaven to Lewes and back and a cake sale.

The money will go towards the college’s outdoor education department and Southern FM’s Help A Local Child campaign.

GIVE IT SOME WELLY: Lecturer Sam Bates takes part in the fund-raising welly-throwing contest at Plumpton College

Splashing out for campaign

A TEAM of outdoor pursuits enthusiasts went paddling for pounds.

The 18 students from Plumpton College paddled canoes and kayaks more than 16 miles from Newhaven to Lewes and back.

The trip was in aid of the college’s outdoor education department and Southern FM’s Help A Local Child campaign.

Dan Haig, 18, a student at the college who organised the event, said it was a great success and would form part of his work for his diploma in outdoor pursuits.

He said: “We were fortunate we had nice, clear weather on the day. I was helped to plan the trip by the Newhaven harbourmaster.”

The team hopes to have raised £2,000 in sponsorship.

OUTDOOR PURSUITS: Plumpton College students during the fundraising paddle along the Ouse

Hope in the Valley Christmas Party 2008

Hugh Burnett, the High Sheriff of East Sussex was guest of Honour at the Hope in the Valley Christmas party, at Plumpton College last Weds. It was also the official launch of a specially adapted lift, in the ‘Audrey Unthank’ arena at the College. The occasion also celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the group. Burgess Hill Bonfire Society presented the group with a cheque raised by street collections.

All riders and volunteers dressed in festive wear to have their riding lessons and receive their awards, for the best party of the year. The ponies were also dressed for the party, reflecting the festive spirit. And Father Christmas dropped in early to make a surprise visit!

Hope In The Valley strives to help enhance the lives of physically disabled children in Sussex. The riding programme promotes independence through regular riding and horse-care sessions, and ultimately enables many children to participate in RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) grade exams, regular gymkhanas, rallies and dressage competitions.

Plumpton College is pleased to contribute to helping the young students realise the pleasure of riding and to attain a sense of achievement.

WARR Celebration

Plumpton College has both supported and been beneficiaries of the Leader+ programme which has operated in the eastern part of the county since 2001. The College’s out-centre at Netherfield has developed programmes to establish a Sustainable Food and Farming Centre and provide facilities which have included the ‘Living Classroom’ – an environmentally friendly building constructed of rammed earth walls, and specialist facilities for disabled learners. Click here for details of the celebration event held recently.

UK Skills awards

The College continues to do well in various UK skills competitions and recently three students Ben Ablewhite, Charley Page and Charlie Bassett were presented with their awards for winning the gold award in the advanced countryside skills competition which took place last summer. Students beat seven other colleges from a around the country and the awards were presented last December, at the Royal geographical Society in London, with presentations by David Grant.