College collaboration could benefit learners, communities and businesses

Reaseheath College and North Shropshire College are exploring the potential benefits of a closer collaboration, it was announced this week.

North Shropshire College

North Shropshire College

Both colleges are specialist land-based institutions, are in a strong phase of continuous growth and improvement and share a long history of delivering quality education.  It is felt that, by working together to combine resources, expertise and reputation, the colleges would secure an even wider and better educational experience for current and future learners.  It is also envisaged that such a collaboration would impact positively on the local economies of both counties by providing enhanced links with industry partners and local communities.

The proposal has been put forward in response to the government’s current area based reviews of post 16 education and training, which are central to its commitment to a move towards fewer and often larger colleges which would be more resilient and efficient in the future.

North Shropshire College is currently taking part in an area review involving all colleges in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. It is to ask the Area Review Board to take into consideration its decision to explore closer collaboration with Reaseheath College, which is just over the border in Cheshire. The structure of such a collaboration would be agreed by the governing bodies of both colleges following further exploration.

North Shropshire College Principal Jackie Doodson said: “The governing body has carried out extensive research and appraised its options rigorously. As a result,  it has concluded that a partnership with Reaseheath College would best secure the long term future of high quality land based provision for Shropshire along with high quality vocational education and training for Oswestry and rural North Shropshire.”

Reaseheath Principal Meredydd David commented: “This fantastic opportunity will allow both colleges to move forward and to respond together to the challenges facing the Further Education sector.  Across the country, all colleges are tasked with ‘doing more with less’. We have a more important role than ever in supporting young people, local businesses and those seeking employment.”

Area reviews of post 16 education are being carried out in all regions by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education.

Reaseheath agriculture graduates launch calf rearing business

Chris Webb and Larry Anscombe with their automatic calf feeder

Chris Webb and Larry Anscombe with their automatic calf feeder

Reaseheath agricultural graduates Chris Webb and Larry Anscombe have joined forces to form a thriving calf rearing business. Along with their friend Chris Roberts, the entrepreneurial pair launched their calf unit while they were first year degree students and continued to expand it alongside their studies. They have grown quickly from an initial intake of 30 calves to rearing 130 calves on a farm at Welsh Frankton, Shropshire, and, after just a year and a half, are taking over the tenancy on a second larger unit nearby.

The core of the business is raising beef-cross calves on milk and concentrate. The animals are purchased from farms across Shropshire and Cheshire at two to three weeks of age for resale as weanlings at around three months. On the same system, dairy heifer calves are contract-reared for local dairy farmers. Already the business is attracting return custom, with the partners attributing their success to their niche specialism, to making the most of technology and to their high standards of welfare.

The calves are machine-fed in groups of 25 to 30, with electronic identification collars to allow individual monitoring, ration-control and progressive weaning to minimise stress and post-weaning check. From arrival, calves have ad lib starter, straw and water, and are fed 1kg of CMR daily. This drives early growth during the period of maximum feed efficiency and also primes their metabolism for high starter intakes as they progress onto solid feed.

Larry Anscombe tops up calf pellets

Larry Anscombe tops up calf pellets

By combining traditional good stockmanship with feeder automation and technology for monitoring health and performance, their system is able to deliver healthy calves with excellent growth rates, despite a relatively low workload. Careful monitoring of live weight gain also allows changes and protocols to be continuously tuned, compared and assessed.

Chris Webb came to Reaseheath as a mature student, having previously run technology companies following a maths degree at the University of Cambridge in the 1990s. He doesn’t have a farming background, so studying for a Foundation Degree in Agriculture with Dairy Herd Management helped him build the skills and knowledge to enable him to break into a new industry.

Larry, who comes from a farming family, studied for his Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture at Walford College, Shropshire, completing this as student of the year. He then progressed on to a Foundation Degree in Agriculture at Reaseheath to enable him to aim higher in his chosen career.

Chris Roberts graduated from Harper Adams in 2007 and now works as a partner in his family dairy farm. He was instrumental in a successful conversion to robot-milking in 2011 and subsequent expansion of the herd, so he is no stranger to the benefits technology can bring to a farming business.

Both Reaseheath graduates credit the success of their partnership with the inspired teaching and balance of academic and practical learning which they received while undergraduates.

Chris Webb said: “Reaseheath provided a great learning experience which included a comprehensive, well-taught course which was directly relevant to real-life farming. I enjoyed studying with a friendly, tight-knit group from a mix of backgrounds. The specialist dairy side of the course is unique in the UK as it’s condensed into studying for two days a week, enabling many of us to hold down farming jobs at the same time. Our course manager, Dr Jane Richardson, inspired and encouraged us to pursue our start-up business.”

Larry, who is a member of Whitchurch Young Farmers Club, added: “Rearing calves to three months of age can be a hassle for some farmers as it is an additional task alongside running the mature animals. We have chosen to concentrate on this area and, so far, it has proved very successful.

“Just because we use modern technology doesn’t make us less of a stockman. It allows us to focus more on the health of the calves while having a more flexible lifestyle.”

For further details on buying or selling calves, or for a chat about this start-up business, contact Chris Webb chris@arachsys.com

Plough Sunday raises awareness of farming charity

Local parishioners and members of the agricultural community came together to celebrate the new farming year at a Plough Sunday service held at Reaseheath College.

Reaseheath Principal Meredydd David, Rev Anne Lawson and Georgina Lamb celebrate Plough Sunday

Reaseheath Principal Meredydd David, Rev Anne Lawson and Georgina Lamb celebrate Plough Sunday

A packed congregation gathered in the Nantwich college’s historic Old Hall to take part in the service and afterwards enjoyed a soup and bread lunch. The event was held in support of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), a leading agricultural charity which helps farmers in financial difficulty. A total of £454 was raised for the charity, with Reaseheath donating £210 from the sale of lunch and the remainder coming from those who attended.

The service was conducted by Rev Anne Lawson, Vicar of the cross country parishes of Acton, Church Minshull, Worleston and Wettenhall, who is also Chaplain to the Cheshire Agricultural Society. Musical accompaniment was provided by the music group of St Mary’s Church, Acton.

Rev Anne Lawson explained: “The purpose of this service was to encourage communities to gather together to celebrate the traditional start of the farming year and also to raise awareness of RABI. Plough Sunday hasn’t been marked at Reaseheath College, certainly in recent times, and I was delighted that the service was such a success.”

Georgina Lamb, North West Regional Manager for RABI, who attended the service along with other representatives from agricultural institutions said: “This was a great opportunity for us to give thanks for the contribution our farming communities make by providing food for our tables and by caring for the wider landscape.

“It also allowed us to remember that farming families, who are often overlooked, have been particularly hard hit by the recent bad weather and will continue to suffer financially for some time.”

Reaseheath Food and Farming discussion embraces technology

‘Use technology to drive the agricultural industry forward, embrace science, be innovative and never stop learning’. This was the key advice given to Reaseheath College students at a ‘question time’ discussion looking at careers in agriculture and food production.

The event, sponsored by the Food, Drink & Agricultural Group of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and organised by Reaseheath’s Agricultural Development Academy (RADA) and agricultural department, highlighted the opportunities available in the industry including business start-ups, and the attributes employers are looking for when recruiting.

amie-Leigh Douglas and Emma Hancocks chat to agricultural students

amie-Leigh Douglas and Emma Hancocks chat to agricultural students

The panel, made up of Emma Hancocks (Senior Consultant, Promar International and Genus plc), Jamie-Leigh Douglas (Ruminant Technical Support Manager, AB Vista), Joanne Butterill (Agriculture Relationship Manager, NatWest), Ray Brown, (NFU Cheshire County Chairman) and Barbara Hughes (Cheshire Women in Dairy) took part in a lively Q and A session with undergraduates and Level 3 Diploma students studying agriculture at the Nantwich, Cheshire college.

A recurring theme, supported by all panel members, was that technology is vital for the future of the industry and that careers should be geared towards this constantly evolving science. Degrees were deemed to be important, particularly as they opened the door to graduate schemes in associated industries, but ‘soft’ skills such as reliability, work ethic and enthusiasm were seen as equally essential from an employer’s point of view.

The panel were also unified in their view that partnerships and co-operatives could well sustain the agricultural industry in the future, and that diversification into niche businesses could be a good route to success. Efficiency was key to profitability.

Ray Brown, himself a former Reaseheath agriculture student, advised: “Go for what you enjoy …. but you need to strive to be the best to survive”, while Joanne Butterill  emphasised: “Building rapport with the people who are going to support you is key. Your personality is as important as your CV.” She also pointed out that banks were willing to support farming businesses provided they were presented with a clear business plan and cash flow forecast.

Responding to a question from student Matt Brown as to what the NFU was doing to encourage the next generation of farmers, Ray Brown said efforts were being made to deliver more power into the hands of producers and spoke positively about local food procurement centres which would source food from local businesses and encourage knowledge transfer.

Answering a question as to how ‘Cheshire Women in Dairy’ was encouraging females into the industry, Barbara Hughes described the association’s monthly meetings when best practice and ideas were shared. The panel were in agreement that British society was dictating a shift in perception and that it was now far more acceptable for women to be in the industry.

Rhys Edwards, Henry Stanhope, Lizzy Mercer and Harry Hough talk to Ray Brown and Joanne Butterill

Rhys Edwards, Henry Stanhope, Lizzy Mercer and Harry Hough talk to Ray Brown and Joanne Butterill

Asked how she became a senior consultant, Emma Hancocks said that she had found it very beneficial to work her way up ‘from the bottom’, gaining rounded skills, but that the research which formed part of her degree had proved important to her progression.

This view was supported by Jamie-Leigh Douglas, who said that a background in science and technology could lead to excellent progression in the global animal feeds industry.

In conclusion, Ray Brown emphasised: “Although there is an oversupply at the moment, there are seven billion people in the world and this will increase to nine billion in 20 years. The demand for agriculture produce will increase and the next generation needs to look at producing food which is local, fresh and usable.

“The value of technology such as robots and sophisticated machinery isn’t negative. They help you to do your job better by freeing up time. The future of farming is in the hands of the next generation – and we need our young people to continue learning and then sharing their knowledge, best practice and experiences.”

Header image captionJamie-Leigh Douglas, Ray Brown, Joanne Butterill, and Emma Hancocks are joined by Reaseheath agriculture students Lizzy Mercer, Harry Hough and George Browne

 

Rising star Robert addresses the Oxford Farming Conference

Ambitious young farmer Robert Yardley addressed delegates and had the opportunity to meet Princess Anne at this year’s Oxford Farming Conference (OFC).

Robert, 29, a current Reaseheath Foundation Degree in Agriculture undergraduate, took to the main stage of the prestigious conference to speak of his experiences with the Young DLG – the youth network of the German Agricultural Society.

Robert, who attended the OFC last year as Reaseheath’s representative, was one of three scholar delegates to be awarded an OFC travel scholarship to attend the Young DLG Conference at Agritechnica, Germany, last November. The exchange is part of a collaboration between the OFC and the Young DLG and aims to give young people involved in British and German agriculture a networking and learning opportunity at leading agricultural events.

Robert Yardley meets Princess Anne at the Oxford Farming Conference

Robert Yardley meets Princess Anne at the Oxford Farming Conference

Robert, who is studying at Reaseheath part-time alongside his job as an arable operator, gave a presentation at the Young DLG conference about farming in the UK and more specifically in Cheshire. He was also able to tour Agritechnica, which is a leading international exhibition of agricultural machinery and equipment, go on farm tours organised by the Young DLG and enjoy interacting with German young farmers.

Describing the experience as ‘a great opportunity which will help further my future career’, Robert told the OFC how he had been able to explore farming practices which met current challenges and had been impressed with the way some businesses were structured to make the most of the marketplace.

He told delegates: “I was delighted to attend Agritechnica and to be representing the OFC at such a globally important event.”

Outside the conference, Robert paid tribute to the support he has received from Reaseheath Agriculture and in particular from course manager Dr Jane Richardson, who put him forward to attend the OFC in 2015. Reaseheath’s delegate for 2016 was Chris Kogel, who is also studying for a Foundation Degree in Agriculture but specialising in Dairy Herd Management.

The three day conference had the theme ‘Bold Agriculture’ and featured Defra Secretary Liz Truss and EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan among other key speakers.

For more info see www.ofc.org.uk

Since attending the Young DLG conference, Robert has taking every opportunity to learn more about agriculture in other EU countries and is particularly interested in how businesses manage volatile markets.

He is a member of the NFU’s North West Crops Board and as a result was invited by leading agricultural company Syngenta to travel to the Ukraine in December to share his experience of the UK industry with farmers there. Accompanying NW Crop’s Board chairman Olly Harrison, he spent a week building relationships with farmers who are interested in entering into a new grain market strategy with Syngenta.

Robert made a presentation to around 50 farmers at a finance forum on how the grain market works in the UK. He also toured individual farms meeting owners and managers, which allowed him to better understand the Ukraine perspective of grain marketing. The visit was so successful that Syngenta is likely to repeat it early this year.

Robert re-entered farming in his early 20s after experiencing several other industries. He gained valuable experience as a harvesting contractor in Australia and New Zealand before taking his current job on an arable farm in Widnes and aims to be a farm manager.

Brazilian visitors herald strengthening international links

Three education ministers from the Brazilian Government visited Reaseheath to see how we work with employers to train the industry force of tomorrow.

The visit was part of a project by the Association of Colleges (AoC) to encourage international links between colleges and in particular to look at successful links between education providers and industry. We were selected as a host college by the AoC thanks to our reputation for offering best practice in employer engagement and because of the high number of our students who gain employment after their course.

The delegates meet up with compatriot Ricardo Farias from Tetrapak Brazil

The delegates meet up with compatriot Ricardo Farias from Tetrapak Brazil

The Brazilian government is building a new education policy and the delegates were particularly interested in seeing how we design vocational education and training programmes at both further education (FE) and higher education (HE) level to meet the skills needs of employers.

Delegates Pedro Carvalho Leitao (Director of the Supervision Department), Luana Medeiros (Director of the Regulation Department) and Israel Gottscalk (Regulatory Policy Department) toured our food centre and food engineering and horticulture departments with Assistant Dean of HE Mark Harris and AoC International Manager Ayesha Williams.

During their tour of our food processing halls, our visitors enjoyed a chance encounter with fellow compatriot Ricardo Farias, a commissioning engineer for Tetrapak Brazil, who was coincidentally studying with us on a bespoke international training programme for Tetrapak.

After their visit, Luana said: “Reaseheath is a very good example of successful interaction between a college and the industries which are going to be employing its students. The facilities here are state of the art and equal or better than those you see in industry.”

  • Our links with Brazil will be strengthened later this month with the arrival of around six Brazilian students who will be studying for ten weeks on existing food or countryside courses. Their visit is part of the AoC’s ‘Skills without Borders’ pilot programme which encourages vocational students at FE and HE level from Brazil to study and experience college life in Britain.

Header image: Our Brazilian delegates, joined by Mark Harris and Ayesha Williams, enjoy a presentation in the food production hall from Nick Blakemore 

Reaseheath arborist helps stricken communities in the Philippines

Reaseheath College arboriculture assessor and lecturer Jonathan ‘Jono’ Finlow is in the Philippines answering an emergency call for help from rural communities hit by a typhoon.

Jono Finlow teaching Reaseheath’s arboriculture students

Arborist and DART trustee Jono Finlow

Jono and fellow members of DART International UK (Disaster Arborist Response Team) are currently part of a global relief effort in Northern Samar, which was hit by Typhoon Melor in December.

The typhoon made its landfall on the largely rural and impoverished region before going on to strike several other islands across the Central Philippines, which has been declared a ‘state of national calamity’.  Although over three quarters of a million people were safely evacuated, 41 people died and many more are missing or injured.  Tens of thousands of homes and public properties have been destroyed and over 280,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centres.

After receiving a formal request for assistance from the Mayor of San Jose, a coastal town in Northern Samar, a DART team of Jono, Team Leader Gary Bailey, Team Medic James Enticknap-Green and Graham Beer left for the Philippines on New Year’s Eve. They are spending two weeks on the stricken island clearing typhoon debris to allow safe access for other relief teams and treating damaged and high risk trees.

If appropriate, and with the approval of local community leaders, they are also training local volunteers in chainsaw handling and tree clearance and may donate machinery and safety equipment to those they have trained.

Jono, who assesses Reaseheath apprentices and teaches on our Level 3 Diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture, also runs The Good Tree Company and is a DART trustee.  His disaster relief work is supported by our students and staff, who raise funds for the charity. For the latest effort, Reaseheath trained arborist Twm-Tegid Brunton, a member of the North West Welsh Opera Choir, sang Christmas carols from the top of a 100 foot high redwood tree on campus.

Twm is well on his way to raising £1,000 for DART. You can still donate at www.justgiving.com/Twm-Brunton/

 

Header image caption: Jono Finlow teaching Reaseheath’s arboriculture students

 

Twm hits the high notes

Reaseheath College trained arborist Twm-Tegid Brunton hit the high notes by singing Christmas carols from the top of a 100ft high redwood tree.

Wearing a fairy skirt over his safety harness Twm, a member of the North West Welsh Opera Choir, sang three carols in English and Welsh from his lofty perch to an audience below on the Nantwich campus.

Twm Brunton completes his singing fairy mission

Twm Brunton completes his singing fairy mission

He was supported by former fellow students Rob Hassall and George Gresty. All three completed their Level 3 Diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture at Reaseheath in the summer and now work in the industry.

Twm is running his own forestry and arboriculture service while continuing to gain further engineering skills at Reaseheath. Rob is a self-employed tree climber while George works for a large tree surgery firm.

Jono Finlow, Alan Mottram, Twm Brunton, George Gresty, and Rob Hassall

Jono Finlow joined by Alan Mottram, Twm Brunton, George Gresty, and Rob Hassall

The three friends held their high-rise carol concert to raise funds for the Disaster Arborist Response Team (DART), which sends teams of qualified and experienced tree surgeons to countries that have been hit by natural disasters such as earthquakes. Working alongside other humanitarian relief, DART teams clear trees and debris to ensure emergency teams have safe access.

DART trustee Jonathan Finlow, who is an assessor at Reaseheath and also teaches on the Level 3 Diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture, supported the fund raising effort alongside course manager Alan Mottram.

Jonathan said: “This was a fantastic effort by Twm and his support team, and by all the staff and students who helped and donated to our charity.

“DART is still only 18 months old but we have already achieved so much. We have minimal overheads and great sponsors for most of our kit, so all donations go directly to helping deploy a team to be of use in a disaster zone. As well as raising funds, we had the bonus of enjoying some unusually positioned festive songs.”

Twm has already raised over £500 towards his target of £1,000 for DART. You can still donate to show your support at https://www.justgiving.com/Twm-Brunton/

Reaseheath public services students ‘make a difference’ at Christmas

When tasked to ‘make a difference’, students on Reaseheath College’s Level 3 Diploma in Public Services course chose to bring joy to children whose illnesses will keep them in hospital over Christmas.

They focussed on helping young patients at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, one of the country’s leading specialist hospitals, and donated well over £300 worth of Christmas presents.

A committee, elected by course members, organised the whole activity including contacting the hospital, communicating with relevant departments, advertising their campaign, collecting donations and adding presents themselves. They then organised a visit to the hospital to deliver the gifts.

Said Course Manager Liam Salt: “I’m extremely proud of all the students and how much they achieved with minimal input from me or other lecturers. They are a credit to their course, to the public services department and to Reaseheath College.

“The Alder Hey staff were genuinely grateful and couldn’t thank the students enough.”

Festive fun at Reaseheath’s Christmas horse show

Neigh bells rang out at Reaseheath College’s Equestrian Centre, Nantwich, when Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horse Management students organised a Christmas themed horse show.

The students ran a fun schedule which included showjumping, equitation and best turned out classes and a festive fancy dress competition hotly contested by students and their horses. There was also a dog agility class.

The event was much enjoyed by fellow students and spectators from other departments.

All entry fees and money raised from raffles and cake sales will go to Reaseheath’s RAG charity The British Heart Foundation and to the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre.

The students have to organise several events  as part of their events management module and will run another show next Easter.

Top picture caption: Student organisers Abi Ellard, Emma Clarke, Charlotte Taylor and Emily Walker are joined by supporters Tilly Herridge and Sarah Renton, who rides ‘Ryan’