Reaseheath College united to mark Remembrance Day in honour of the people and animals who made and continue to make sacrifices during conflict.

A college-wide effort led by Quality and Standards Coach Emily Jewell delivered 142 knitted or crocheted poppies which have been used to create a display of the number 100,  linking the centenary of the Royal British Legion with our own 100th birthday.

The display is mounted on a board and took centre stage in the student bar, where the poignant tribute was much admired. It will move to a more permanent position in the main hall.

Although our traditional gathering under Reaseheath’s flagpole was a smaller affair  to allow for social distancing, some departments chose it as their location to honour the fallen including Building Heroes military veterans who are retraining on our Level 1 Certificate in Property Maintenance. Our construction department has a long history of working with Armed Forces veterans and is hugely successful in supporting them in their career change.

Our agricultural department honoured its history of training the Women’s Land Army to grow food for the nation by decorating its model cow with poppies, while our countryside department made small wooden crosses for a display on the farm green where staff and students could pay their respects.

Wide ranging departmental displays included an artistic tribute to the carrier pigeon in the Animal Centre, commemorative cakes at the Food Centre and a wall mounted display of poppies and Armed Forces memorabilia by our construction department.

Equine students plaited poppies into the manes of horses and our floristry department made two sustainable wreaths, one for our own flagpole and the second for our Principal, Marcus Clinton, to lay at Nantwich War Memorial during Sunday’s civic service.

All departments integrated Remembrance topics into their teaching, encouraging students to engage and deepen their understanding.  Engineering students learned how military vehicles advanced during wartime and how those technological advances filtered down into today’s tractors.

Marcus said: “Thanks to everyone for the many different ways helped Reaseheath to remember the sacrifice and service of those who have gone before and the incredible stories of bravery. We must never forget.”

Watch ‘In Flanders Field’ poem read by equine, construction and public services student https://youtu.be/JT3LST4G11Q

See our tribute to the Women’s Land Army and 100 years of  the British Legion with a reading from Franscesa Faulder (Level 3 Extended Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment) https://youtu.be/yKe0x33pW48