Mark Allan, first year degree countryside, demonstrated a natural flare for hedge laying.  Mark was given the opportunity to lay a small section of hedge under the close supervision of Allan Roberts.

The day was both enjoyable and perhaps more importantly, very educational.  Hedge laying is a skill under threat of extinction.  Yet a well laid hedge is aesthetically beautifully, an important habitat and a useful stock proof fence. 

The Agriculture department are continuing to work with the Hedgeman throughout the spring on a number of projects relating to fencing and hedging.  Students will have the opportunity to see a variety of hedging and fencing styles.   One group of students, as part of their Estate Skills Unit, will also have the opportunity to plan, cost and execute a fencing contract in association with Mr Roberts.  This real world exercise will be excellent experience for the students.

Mr Roberts will also be attending Askham Bryan College’s Lambing Sunday Event.  He will be demonstrating hedge laying and will give short presentations on hedge laying styles, including Yorkshire Hedging, of course.!

Congratulations to former student John Foley who was named the first 2012 BBC Young Gardener of the Year in what is a new competition. Rising to the top from 700 hopefuls, John's victory was broadcast on BBC 3 on Sunday 12th February. He was a student at Askham Bryan College between 2006 and 2007 where he studied a foundation degree in Landscape and Garden Management. He now runs his own nursery at Bolton by Bowland near Clitheroe.

The College's Chief Executive, Liz Philip said: "Many congratulations to John. This is a hugely prestigious national competition which he's won against the best in the country. We're very proud to say that he studied and was trained here at Askham Bryan and wish him all the best for the future."

His obvious deep knowledge of plants and first hand experience of running his own nursery gave him a distinct advantage over his competitors. John, who is aged 24,  was set several varied tasks relating to plant and soil recognition, landscape design and most importantly, in the final challenge, how in practical terms to use his knowledge and ability to produce a garden for the modern day busy family.

The judges were impressed with John's in-depth knowledge for someone of such a young age on such a variety of subjects, his overall knowledge being judged far superior to the other contestants who had backgrounds in Garden Design and Garden maintenance.

Holden Clough Nursery has nestled in the Forest of Bowland near Clitheroe in Lancashire since 1927. Johns father took over the nursery in 1978 and throughout Johns childhood he helped his dad potting and weeding, learning as he went a developing a love for growing plants. Having grown up with gardening in his blood John took a particular interest in Crocosmias building up collection of over 140 different varieties of this plant that has now become nationally recognised.

 Taking over his father's nursery in 2009 John, with girlfriend Kate, they have successfully progressed and improved the business winning numerous awards culminating in the nurseries first RHS Gold award at the Tatton Park Flower Show 2011. 2012 now sees John flying the flag for all young gardeners across the country as he takes on the mantle of the  first BBC Young Gardener of the Year.

Young Gardener of the year finals:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01c1vl2/Young_Talent_of_the_Year_2011_Young_Gardener_of_the_Year/

BBC Gardeners world feature 2011  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00jc3kt

Johns Nursery                     http://www.holdencloughnursery.com/default.aspx

Askham Bryan College is holding its annual Lambing Sunday on the 18th March. This will be a chance for visitors to see the first lambs of the season.

The Lambing Sunday event will take place at the College between 10am and 4pm and will give the public the opportunity to see newborn lambs and ewes up close.

As well as the ewes and lambs, the College will also be hosting a number of other activities son the day.

Pregnant women are advised not to attend this event. No dogs allowed except display and guide dogs.

Please click the flyer for more details

ABC Students excel at the BBC Young Gardeners Competition

Screen Date: 12th February 8pm BBC3

During the summer of 2011 The BBC Young talent competition focused its search on Gardeners aged between 16 and 25. 1000’s of young budding horticulturists answered the call and entered the National Competition. In the BBC’s own words they were

“giving someone other than singers, dancers and entertainers the chance to step into the limelight, they were looking for true ambassadors of their trade.”

It was a tough challenge and slowly they were narrowed down to 50, of which 3 current and past Askham Bryan students made the cut.

JOE LOFTHOUSE who is a current EDH Final student made it to the top 50 current EDH1 student JAMIE BUTTERWORTH and past FdSc Horticulture 2009/10 student JOHN FOLEY got slightly higher.

The Young gardener competition will be aired on BBC 3 within the next couple of weeks. Make sure you watch to see where our students came in the competition.

Watch this space to find out when exactly it will be aired.

Well done to all involved.

John Foley has set up his own nursery in Clitheroe Lancashire www.holdencloughnursery.co.uk

The land-based college, which also has a site at Newton Rigg near Penrith, was inspected in December and has been described as a “good and improving college” in the Ofsted report published this week.

The College's Chief Executive, Liz Philip, said: “These excellent results demonstrate the commitment and dedication of our staff to achieving the best possible experience and results for our learners and I am delighted that they have come in the year that we have expanded to incorporate Newton Rigg College.

“We plan to build on our successes and future plans will see continued improvement.”

The College provides courses for three times as many students as it did at its last inspection, thanks in part to taking over further education courses at Newton Rigg from the University of Cumbria in July this year, creating Newton Rigg College.

Ofsted found that the College’s overall success rate was high. Students aged 16 to 18 achieved well and above that in colleges with a similar intake. Pass rates on main qualifications were very high. The overall success rate for adult students improved on 2010/11 to above that in similar colleges but Ofsted felt that too many adults on advanced-level courses left college early.

Progression was good, with nearly 60 per cent of students progressing to a higher-level qualification, while around 20 per cent going into employment in an area directly related to their course.

The College was praised for its teaching and assessment and for offering a good range of main qualifications within its land-based specialism, with workplace skills, industry competencies and an understanding of the industry embedded throughout courses.

The report identified areas for the college to improve further, such as the retention of adult students on advance courses, embedding quality assurance processes and developing the curriculum further at the newly-acquired Newton Rigg campus, and better use of Information and Learning Technology and Virtual Learning Environment.

Around 30 guests were on hand to see a plaque unveiled and tributes paid to the many people who made donations to enable the project to come to fruition.

Originally built in 1948 as the college's farm dairy, complete with fully tiled walls, the library is now the Learning Resource Centre, housing everything from a suite of computers, DVDs and CDs to around 25,000 books covering everything from animal husbandry to strategic business management and economics.

Liz Philip, the College's Chief Executive, said: “The Learning Resource Centre is at the heart of the college both physically and educationally. Virtually every student uses it and there is always a real buzz of activity in here. It has come a long way from being a farm building to today's state-of-the-art resource centre. The generosity of our supporters has enabled us to ensure that the educational needs of our students are not only met but fully supported.”

Caption: Liz Philip, Chief Executive of Askham Bryan College, with the Lord Mayor of York, Coun David Horton.

The winner will receive a Silky Gomtaro 300mm pruning saw together with a year’s membership to the RFS. The award will be presented by the RFS’s Yorkshire Division and by Silky Fox Handsaws to the student the College judges to be ‘showing most endeavour’ in 2012.

RFS Education Officer Debbie Cotton explained: “The annual award is for students on Further Education courses that meet the practical skills criteria.

“It recognises the increasing value of Level 2 & 3 Diploma courses in Forestry and Arboriculture in delivering the essential skills to open doors into careers in both the private and public sector.

“As an education charity promoting the wise management of trees and woods, the RFS is delighted to recognise the excellent work of colleges up and down the country, and to give recognition to students who have gone the extra mile in their learning.”

For Askham Bryan, Lecturer in Arboriculture, David Butterfield said: “The practical skills in trees and timber industries are fundamental to employability, we take this very seriously and anything that supports this can only be a good thing for the tree managers of the future. We are very happy to be involved in the RFS Silky Fox Handsaws Award as it acknowledges the efforts and skills required by the student to enter into a challenging industry.”

David Davenport of Silky Fox Handsaws said: “The practical skills learned through these courses help ensure we have a skilled workforce to maintain and enhance the country’s trees and woodlands. The successful students form the backbone of the country’s tree experts in the future.

“Silky saws enjoy a worldwide reputation for quality, and we hope these will become treasured – and useful – reminders for the students of the valuable time that they spent in college.”

The RFS Yorkshire Division organises woodland visits and activities, and welcomes new members. For further information please contact Divisional Secretary Ben Scotting on 01765 609 355 or email ben@yorwoods.org.uk or visit www.rfs.org.uk .

Among the 60 International Students that visited the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House in December 2011 were two students from Askham Bryan College.

The Lord Mayor said: "International students and staff bring so much to our city and I’m delighted to be able to welcome them to York on behalf of residents. I hope they will enjoy their time in the city and come to think of York as a home from home during their time here."

* Top left: Chatting with the Sherriff of York and the Sherriff’s Lady

* Top right: Askham Bryan College Students meeting the Sherriff of York (far left), the Lord Mayor (middle) and the Sherriff’s Lady (far right).

Askham Bryan College in York will be amongst the first to launch The Royal Forestry Society (RFS) Silky Fox Handsaws Awards to recognise outstanding students on courses with a strong practical arboriculture or woodland management element.

The winner will receive a Silky Gomtaro 300mm pruning saw together with a year’s membership to the RFS.

RFS Education Officer Debbie Cotton explained: “The annual award is for students on Further Education courses that meet the practical skills criteria.

“It recognises the increasing value of Level 2 & 3 Diploma courses in Forestry and Arboriculture in delivering the essential skills to open doors into careers in both the private and public sector.

“As an education charity promoting the wise management of trees and woods, the RFS is delighted to recognise the excellent work of colleges up and down the country, and to give recognition to students who have gone the extra mile in their learning.”

For Askham Bryan, Lecturer in Arboriculture, David Butterfield said: “The practical skills in trees and timber industries are fundamental to employability, we take this very seriously and anything that supports this can only be a good thing for the tree managers of the future. We are very happy to be involved in the RFS Silky Fox Handsaws Award as it acknowledges the efforts and skills required by the student to enter into a challenging industry.”

David Davenport of Silky Fox Handsaws said: “The practical skills learned through these courses help ensure we have a skilled workforce to maintain and enhance the country’s trees and woodlands. The successful students form the backbone of the country’s tree experts in the future.

“Silky saws enjoy a worldwide reputation for quality, and we hope these will become treasured – and useful – reminders for the students of the valuable time that they spent in college.” 

ROYAL FORESTRY SOCIETY

Promoting wise management of trees and woods

Pictures from the Chinese delegation from Kaifeng, Henan, that visited the college (Friday 2 Dec). They show John Wray in full flow (his Mandarin has improved immeasurably since the last delegation), and John receiving a presentation of a Chinese poem which he appears to be translating into Cantonese for the leader of the group, Mr Chen Guangxi.

This delegation represented Kaifeng city, an area with a population of 3.5 million people, half of which are employed directly in agriculture. Their purpose was to tour the UK looking at how our own agricultural industry has developed, and how we teach agriculture and link this in with the farm.

Channel 5’s TV Gardener, David Domoney, has joined forces with The Prince’s Foundation for a second year to officially launch the 2012 ‘Ideal Young Gardeners of the Year’ competition ahead of the Ideal Home Show’s return to London’s Earls Court next March.

Following the success of last year’s inaugural competition, six UK colleges, including Askham Byran College, North Yorkshire, will once again go head-to-head to create inspirational and sustainable show gardens which will all be exhibited in the forecourt of Earls Court during the 104^th Ideal Home Show, which runs from March 16^th to April 1^st 2011. Last year’s debut gardens, each designed by emerging young talent in the industry, were visited by HRH The Prince of Wales at Earls Court, and Capel Manor College in Middlesex claimed 1^st place.

Liam Stafford, a student from Askham Bryan, said: “We don’t want to give anything away about the design of our garden yet!  The competition however, we hope, will bring us together as friends and as a team. None of us have ever done a show garden before, so it will be such good experience for us and will help us with our future career ambitions. It’s a real honour to represent both the college and our little corner of the UK and go up against all the other students.”

This year the participating colleges will be awarded gold, silver or bronze medals with two further prestigious titles also being awarded for Best At Show & The People’s Choice. This year’s colleges are:

• Askham Byran College, North Yorkshire
• Bridgwater College, Somerset
• Chichester College, Sussex
• Capel Manor, Middlesex
• Shuttleworth College, Bedfordshire
• Writtle College, Essex

Once again the competition will aim to highlight the very best examples of sustainable practice in British garden design amongst student designers. Each college will be given a 5.5m x 4m plot to both plan and design a unique and sustainable garden based on the theme of ‘landcraft techniques in an urban setting.’  A panel industry experts led by Domoney will judge the entries and award the prize medals.

The Prince’s Foundation has set clear guidelines for the competition based on organic and sustainable principles. In addition, each garden should inspire city dwellers, showing just what can be achieved in the most impossible of tight urban locations.

Hank Dittmar, Chief Executive of The Prince’s Foundation comments: “ The importance of green spaces both in urban living and sustainable lifestyle is often overlooked and we are pleased to once again be launching this competition, particularly ahead of the launch of our landscrafts programme later this year.   The Prince’s Foundation considers this to be a great start to the crafts programme – giving young people at the start of their careers an opportunity to learn about sustainable garden design and craftsmanship.”  

David Domoney, organiser of the competition says: “Last year over a quarter of a million people at the Ideal Home Show got to appreciate the show gardens designed by our young students and this kind of exposure, with support from The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, can prove a great fuel injection in those young people's career paths and help them stand out from the competition when they come to apply for work.”

Each college will be given 1 week to build and plant their garden outside Earls Court ready for the Ideal Home Show opening day on the 16^th March 2012.  During this time they will be monitored and supported by Domoney in preparation for the judging panel.

Each garden will then be judged at the show on the 16^thMarch, by the esteemed panel which includes not only Domoney but award winning garden designer Adam Hunt, who created the edible garden at HRH the Prince of Wales’s START festival at Clarence house in the summer 2010.

Every college that takes part will be in with the chance of winning a show medal with two individual prestigious awards, ‘Best at Show’ and ‘The People’s Choice’ also up for grabs. Over 275,000 people will view their creations over the course of the 2012 London show offering students fantastic exposure and a solid industry platform to build upon.

For more details on the 2012 ‘Ideal Young Gardeners Competition’ and the participating colleges visit  www.idealhomeshow.co.uk

The Ideal Home Show, London will open its doors for 17 days from 16^th March – 1^st April 2012, at London’s Earls Court.  Tickets can be booked online via www.idealhomeshow.co.uk

Whatever your dream, it could become a reality as Farmers Guardian is once again looking for the Agricultural Student of the Year 2011-2012.

The competition - the only one of its kind in the UK - is offering one student the chance to choose a seven, nine or 11 month work placement in the USA, Australia, New Zealand or Canada. The prize includes flights, insurance, visas and accommodation - the winner will be placed with a farming family.

The exclusive work placement, worth £3,000, is being provided by AgriVenture, the international organisation responsible for helping more than 30,000 young people embark on a trip of a lifetime.

The competition is open to all agricultural and horticultural students in the UK and Northern Ireland and aims to recognise young professionals ready to further themselves in their chosen career.

Whether you decide to pursue a completely different job or use the opportunity to further your career through a sandwich placement or post-graduation - the programme will be tailored to ensure you achieve maximum impact to help you achieve your future goals.

Visit http://www.farmersguardian.com/your-space/competitions/agricultural-student-of-the-year-%E2%80%93-2011-2012/42151.article for more details

Liz and Alastair, named after Principal Liz Philip and her husband, are settling in nicely with their exotic neighbours, which include marmosets, meerkats, skunks and racoons, and will be meeting the public for the first time this weekend at the College’s Christmas Fair which takes place from 11am to 5pm.

As well as a chance to see the animals and help with the feeding of some of them, visitors will be able to meet Father Christmas and browse at a variety of stalls. The Fair is raising funds for Nuzzlets, a Great Ouseburn-based charity which homes unwanted animals and provides free access to young people for therapy and education.

The new armadillos are both two years old and are described as “extremely friendly” by Instructor Technician Rob Wilson. He said: “We are very excited about their arrival and the Christmas Fair will be a rare opportunity for people to see them.”

The armadillos will be part of the College’s Animal Management department where students studying a range of animal-based courses will work with them to cover topics such as diet and behaviour.

The Open team rode exceptionally well and were beaten by the Addington National Schools 2011 Champions Sheffield High and Norton College. Gemma Hawley (level 3 extended diploma) rode her own very attractive and lively DHI Winston. The rest of the team was made up of first year students on the level 3 equine programme, Alice Hopkins riding her own Norwood Angel and Sophie Platt riding her own Highfield Grace lead the way with the good lines to hold onto 3rd place. Well done to Georgia Harness that had to quickly get to know Askham Bryan's amazing horse Freddie, only having ridden the bold jumping Freddie once before in a lesson.

It was a very long day with Colleges and Schools from as far as Durham and Sheffield, with the last competitor competitng at 6pm. The teams will have learn't alot from the experience and I can't wait for 2012 when Team Askham Bryan is out again in force competing for the College. Picture shown of Jessica Moules riding Askham Bryan College's Kierran.

On Saturday 26^th November Askham Bryan Level 3  Animal Management students baked some delicious goodies to raise money for the Pets at Home pet rehoming charity. They set up stalls in Pets at Home on Clifton Moor and sold over £50 worth of cakes and chocolates for the worthy charity- add did a little publicity for the college too!

18 agricultural engineering staff and Level 3 students are recovering from an epic tour of Europe, covering a huge 1000km, 3 countries and 6 major European cities in just 5 days. The tour started on Monday the 14^th November where they set sail for Rotterdam, arriving there the whistle stop tour began. During the tour the team visited the John Deere Horst Factory in Holland before travelling on to Hildesheim in Germany where we stayed and visited Agritechnica the largest  Machinery Show, the tour continued on to the Claas Combine and forage Harvester Factory in Harsewinkel before the final destination Amsterdam. Although fun was had by all on the tour it was also an important experience for our budding engineers and agriculture students which gave them invaluable insight into the world of agricultural engineering in the rest of Europe.

In the Prelim section, Emma-Jane Hills (second year extended dipoma in equine management) won the section on Askham Bryan College's own super star horse Freddie on a precentage of 77%. With Gemma Hawley on her own Winston riding a personal best to finish in 4th place. Another Askham Bryan college horse Noah produced a correct and sparkling test accurately ridden by (first year level 3 equine student) Natasha Pedley to finish 7th.

Over the last few years the Tansy Beetle Action Group (TBAG) has been working to increase beetle numbers on the Ouse and approached the College  to see if a Tansy Ark could be created away from the river as a safeguard against the possibly devastating effects on beetle populations of summer floods.

Dr Deirdre Rooney of Askham Bryan College explained: “We are delighted to be involved and have created a plot on campus of Tansy plants which is the beetle's sole food source.  The plan is to introduce beetles to our Ark next spring. The beetles are currently being captive-bred elsewhere but we are discussing the possibility of starting a breeding unit within our Animal Management Centre before too long.

She added: “Not only is this a great opportunity to be part of a major conservation programme, but it also means our students are able to get hands-on experience working on the project and incorporate a real life situation within their studies.” Several Countryside Management degree students and Level 3 Environmental and Land Based Studies students are involved in the project.

Tansy plants in the field suffer from livestock grazing, the spread of Himalayan Balsam and shading by willows. The TBAG is drawn from North Yorkshire County Council, the City of York Council, the Environment Agency and the University of York. The Group has secured funding from the SITA Trust over a three year period to undertake a number of conservation measures.

Debs got the Young Achiever of the Year, Andy got the Breakthrough Award. They both now go on to the national competition.

As part of the ‘Award in Stewarding at Spectator Events’ a group of Extended Diploma in Equine Management level 3 students recently visited York Race course.

The Operations Manager Tony Lee gave the students a tour of the course and discussed the roles and responsibilities’ of stewards and security staff on both race days and at concerts. This gave them a true insight into the logistics and infrastructure of organising such events and the students asked some interesting questions. The tour finished in the weighing room with some of the students getting on the scales.

Tony Lee was kind enough to then visit the college to speak to the students about crowd control and emergency situations and procedures.

Alongside  Askham Bryan  College representatives from the Hawk and Owl Trust, The Merlin Conservation Group, North York Moors National Park  and Natural England attended the workshop.

The morning and early afternoon sessions focused on best practice informed by rigorous scientific understanding of habitats and the ecology of species within those habitats and the legal framework surrounding the control of a range of predator species.  In addition a range of predator control equipment was both reviewed and demonstrated including the latest developments in fox snare design and the DOC trap from New Zealand.  Both these products were presented as best practice tools for the humane control of targeted predator species.

The afternoon was taken up, in the field,  with an informative demonstration on how to deploy a number of predator control tools.  The afternoon covered not only the technical side of trap deployment but also considered a more holistic view including location choice for traps and an understanding of animal behaviour and ecology.  The Larsen trap, for catching crows, was noted as an important tool in the arsenal of any conservation organisation protecting birds and bird eggs, particularly ground nesting waders.  The workshop considered latest developments in trap design and trap management.

The new knowledge gained from the workshop will be immediately built into the teaching material presently delivered within both our countryside and gamekeeping courses.  In addition we have passed on relevant material to our farm staff which will further help us develop strategies for wildlife conservation on the college farm, significantly the further protection of ground nesting birds such as the lapwing.   These conservation initiatives we will in turn be able to use as examples of best practice for our students within the agriculture and land based sector. 

Competitors prepare to make the opening split in the first Yorkshire Ploughing Match in association with Askham Bryan College

Winners on the day were

Classic 1 Stuart burden 2 David Greenwood 3 Richard Wilson

Trailer 1 Henry Taylor 2 Michael Watkins 3 D Walden

Vintage Hydraulic 1 Ian Berriman 2 Ron Craven 3 Ray Thompson

Ferguson 1 Ken Smith 2 John Kitchen 3 G Midgley

High cut 1 Nick Potter 2 R Ingham 3 Richard Sixsmith

 In the photo is Dr Deidre Rooney of Askham Bryan College, Adam and Steve Willis, farmer and Chair of the Food and Farming Forum.  The calf is a Red & White Holstein heifer. The photographer was Nigel Whitfield of Nigel Whitfield Photography.

Gold was taken by the Swiss, Silver to GB ahead of Italy, Norway, Germany, Austria, France, Japan, Austrialia, Netherlands, Canada, Estonia, Finland, China and Spain.

 Huge congratulations to Rachel Waterhouse who was named Lecturer of Year in the 2011 Golden Apples Education and Learning Awards.

Rachel joined Newton Rigg in 1999 as a technician-instructor in the Animal Management Section, and went on to become a lecturer a year later. Passionate about her work and committed to ensuring her students' achieve their best, Rachel thoroughly deserves her Award.

In addition, Mike Wilson  was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award for services to Agricultural Education.

Liz Philip said: “This is great news and very encouraging to see dedication and hard work publicly recognised.  Congratulations to both Rachel and Mike.”

CN Group Education and Learning Awards 2011: Winners revealed

The annual awards are organised by Cumbrian Newspapers.

Photo kindly supplied by Cumbrian Newspapers.

The walk will start at 13.00, and finish at around 15.30.

Please be here before 13.00 to register with us.

The walk will take about 2 ½ hours. We advise owners to keep their dogs on a lead and also to bring plenty of poo bags.

(We are trying to organise catering/refreshment arrangements and will let you know about this soon)

Any other suggestions are welcome.

For more information about getting involved, please email:

nowzad.askham@aol.com

We also have a charity page – www.justgiving.com/nowzad-askham  

Sunday the 3^rd October was an exciting day for the Askham Bryan College further education riding team, as first year and level 3 rider, Sophie Platt, came 7^th in the BE100 section of the Bishop Burton Horse Trials.
Sophie a memebr of Badsworth Pony Club is currently studying a Level 3 Diploma in Equine at the College and completes for Askham Bryan College's National Schools Eventing Team with her own horse. The team goal is to qualify for the Championships in March 2012 at Stonar School.

A HUGE well done to Sophie and Fiona Harrison for an excellent result at only the 2^nd ever competition for the team! 

Photo shows Claire with her horse  Flash getting ready for next Sunday's event

Equine enthusiast Claire Watson is keeping her fingers crossed that the weather will hold for next weekend, as she has her sights set firmly on a championship rosette at a national horse trials event. And student, Nicolle Murray is also hard at work getting ready for the challenge to take the honours in her section.

Claire is an equine technician at Newton Rigg College and Nicolle is in the second year of her studies for a national diploma in equine studies. They have entered the Askham Bryan Horse Trials which will be held next Sunday (9 October). The Trials have attracted entries from across the country and are organised in conjunction with British Eventing, the national governing body for the sport. The venue is Askham Bryan College near York which recently took over the running of Newton Rigg.

Event organiser, Philip Grant, who is also Deputy Principal at Newton Rigg said: “We held our inaugural event last year and it was really well received. We had many many compliments regarding the high standard of the day and competitors particularly enjoyed the cross country course which did ask a lot of questions with some big bold fences.”

Claire, whose home is at Brampton near Carlisle,  is competing in one of the new classes with Flash, a 9 year old Irish Sports Horse.  She said: “I'm really looking forward to it. It's my second season with Flash and I'm keeping my fingers crossed the weather holds and we do well.”  The chestnut gelding is owned by Mrs Anne Barlow of Bradwell Manor, Cheshire.

 And for Nicolle, who's from Penrith, it's the opportunity to shine with  17 year old “BJ”, a former racehorse.

The trials take place in stunning park land and include dressage, show jumping, and a testing and exciting cross-country course across 40 fences. There are a complexity of fences including a unique water splash which is crossed twice, ditches and hedges, all creating a traditional course.  One of the key aims is to encourage young horses and riders and also those wishing to finish the season “on a high.”

The event is sponsored by Armstrong Massey Land-Rover.

On Saturday 24th September at Northallerton Equestrian Centre was our first competition as part of the National Schools Eventing Challenge for Stonar Schools in March 2012. Both first year level 3 riders Sophie Platt and Georgia Harness performed two solid dressage tests and jumped clear around the show jumping and cross country courses within the time. Scoring was tight at the top 5 places, for Sophie to just miss winning by 0.4 and settle for 2nd place and Georgia to an excellent finish 4th.

A fantastic achievement for our first outing, next outing Eventing is Bishop Burton College on Sunday 2nd October. The top 8 people from our Northern league qualify for the championships next year with Northallerton and Bishop Burton being the only qualifiers.

The Ecology Field Course run for the National Science Learning Centre that was held last Friday on the Askham Bryan Campus.

The Field Course represents Askham Bryans continuing involvement with the National Science Learning Centre.  Over the next academic year a number of additional courses are planned.

Friday’s Ecology Field Course was targeted at school science technicians and focused on highlighting not only the possibilities for ecological fieldwork but also emphasised that resourcing such field work did not have to be resource heavy. 

The course involves extend learning beyond the classroom.  An area of educational endeavour that has always been part and parcel of land based education.

The irrigation is being installed as part of work by sportsturf and horticulture students studying at Askham Bryan College near York. With the help of agriculture and engineering students, they have created three golf holes in a disused field at the College.

With the course being built at little cost, one of the key challenges was to find an irrigation system and course tutor Dan Prest approached supplier Evergreen Irrigation to ask if the company would supply a 100m pipe to get the project going. Evergreen put Dan in touch with Rain Bird which has supplied a state-of-the-art system.

There was one more problem for the students to solve: the irrigation system is controlled by an electronic control system but there was no electricity to the field where the holes have been located. The answer came from CI Solar in California which is converting the power-source to solar power to allow the students to complete the project.

Dan said: “We owe a great deal of gratitude to these companies for helping our students not only to complete these holes but also to use the latest technology to achieve it. Our idea was to give the students the experience of creating a course from scratch, rather than looking only at the maintenance, and this has been a fantastic learning experience.

Around 70 students, who are studying for future careers as greenkeepers and groundsmen, have been involved in the project to date.

Photo shows Wes Johnson, the new Principal at the College

A passion for the countryside and teaching are the hallmarks of the new Principal of Newton Rigg College.

Wes Johnson has been announced as  Newton Rigg's first Principal under the new ownership of  Askham Bryan College.  In July, the York-based college took over Newton Rigg from the University of Cumbria, announcing a £2.4m investment plan to restore it to its former position as a leading centre for further and higher education.

Mr Johnson is currently Acting Principal of Craven College, Skipton and takes over  his new role in January 2012.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Johnson said: “I’m very much looking forward to stepping into what will be very large shoes. I’m passionate about the countryside and keen to see Newton Rigg achieving its potential, and more.”

“ If ever a county or a region deserved to be a centre of educational excellence it is Cumbria and the North West. There is such a strong heritage here for rural and agricultural studies in particular which we will re-establish.”

These will be complemented by a  wide range of  degree and diploma subjects -  from health studies and child care to sports and public services, and from engineering to equine which are already well underway. Newton Rigg is also running courses under the Skills for Working Life programme, equipping those with few or no formal qualifications who want to boost their knowledge.

Mr Johnson added: “My particular aim is to enthuse and equip the leaders and workforce of tomorrow. There is a tremendous feeling of goodwill towards Newton Rigg and I intend to build on that, working with the local community, potential employers, local schools and organisations.  Being part of the Askham Bryan family means we can re-establish the Newton Rigg identity whilst benefiting from the good practice and experience in York.”

As well as the campus at Penrith, the College has a total of 1,068 acres across two farms. The plan is that over the coming months, these will be re-stocked and re-equipped  to form a practical resource for students. In addition a rural research unit will be established in conjunction with the University of Cumbria.

 0730 on Saturday 17^th saw the Motor Sport Engineering Team assemble for their first competition at Harewood Hill Climb, with two cars competing in the college Astra being driven by Dave, and Steve in his Europa, the Van Diemen was not entered as Jason’s paperwork had not arrived in time, which in hindsight was probably a good thing!  The journey to Harewood was uneventful aside from a slight, intermittent misfire on the Europa.

After signing on, the rains came and this was to set the scene for the morning racing, brief intervals of moderate rain followed by torrential downpours.

In what seemed no time at all scrutineering was over and we were suited, gloved, and helmeted, and heading for the start line. At this point I would point out that this was something we had never done before and were anxious not to have an embracing “Off” and not really knowing what to expect or do.

The run itself is pretty much a blur, major traction issues at the start followed by various degrees of fright as the bends were arrived at, some too slowly, and some much too fast, with heavy braking, little finesse and lots of sideways drifting. Arriving back in the paddock Dave and I took stock, we agreed that it was very slippery and overall an enjoyable if at times scary experience, I noticed that Dave’s hands shook as he lit his roll up, mine were in deep my pockets to stop it showing, a walk to the organisers office revealed our times of 91secs for Dave and 93 for me, not to bad for a first effort on an unknown skating rink.

Coffee and tactics, sage words from Pete (The locksmith) Cahill, a Harewood and college regular, who told us that it was always going to be a nightmare for new entrants on a day like this, “It is a technical course that needs learning properly to do well in dry conditions, never mind these soggy ones. Just go out and enjoy it, take your time and try to learn the bends and braking points”.

We did, our times were slower but it felt more controlled, except when I crossed the finishing line sideways in a particularly skilfully controlled, (well that’s my story), slide fishtailing to a halt on the grass. Dave had visited the green bits at the sides of the track as well smoking the grass and weeds under the spinning front wheels of the Astra as he coaxed it up the hill through the water. Arriving back in the paddock we agreed that we had enjoyed it much more than the first run, even having had time to think about the tightness of the bends. The bad news was that the Europas misfire was much worse, regularly dropping onto 3 cylinders, a quick look revealed nothing obvious and it was time for our first proper timed run. Off we went again, after a particularly intense shower, Dave having set himself the goal of beating 90 seconds.

Back once again, we were both slower still and the Europa was on 3 pots all the time, and lunch saw an hour of feverish old school fault finding by the team which suggested that the problem lay with a faulty coil pack, I had no spare so that was it for me, “That’s racing” as they say!

 Much talk and spying (By us) around the paddock was on tyres that worked well in the wet, Avon ZZR’s were the strong favourite much admired for their steaming stickiness, until both front runners using them in class 2B went off one after the other so who knows?

After lunch we watched Dave go from strength to strength, as the afternoon progressed, the rain abated, and the sun came out, drying the track, and as it did, he got faster and faster, his 90second target was passed, and so was 80, and then on his 4^th and last run he made an impressive 78.20 second, and 11^th place not bad at all in a bog standard Astra well done Dave.

 Did we all have a good day? YOU BET WE DID!

 The students had some good hands on real life motor sport experience and proper “In the field” fault finding.

 Dave and I have driven the track and everything came home in one piece!

The college got noticed in a big way, with the Public, Marshals, Officials and other Competitors commenting on how good it was to see a college and sponsor out competing on what was a shocking day, weather wise.

Special thanks go to the BARC, the Marshals, Pete Cahill, Jane Tupper, and Alistair Philip, other competitors who offered words of support and advice, and our wife’s and partners for their tolerance of we petrol heads.

 Quote of the day “What tyres are you on Pete”? “C*** ones” this after his third sideways crossing of the finishing line!

 What next? We may have a go at the “Run what you Brung” at York raceway early next month then it’s the winter preparation time with maybe the odd navigational rally to keep things interesting!

The North of England Potato Day was a huge success. Held on our land at Askham Bryan College York there was a series of in-the-field interactive workshops and trials in addition to topical seminar sessions, covering a range of key areas.

Growers were offered a valuable insight into retail and consumer trends and how they might affect the new marketing season. Keynote speaker Dr David Hughes, Emeritus Professor at the University of Kent Business School and Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, presented an overview of market trends and influences, outlining the challenges that lie ahead.

The in-the-field workshops focused on costs savings and quality. Students from the College attended the seminars and had the chance to speak to industry experts.

At Askham Bryan we are quickly becoming a very highly regarded institute for providing specialist land based education to students from over seas. International marketing has only been undertaken over the last few years but in 2010/2011 our international population made up around 5% of our students.

We have recently introduced a range of courses that have been designed specifically for the overseas student market.

Read about our international population in more detail here in the Education Travel Magazine September 2011 Edition.

Land-based colleges in the UK

Askham Bryan College Motor Sport Engineering

Lecturers Jason Brierley Steve Shersby & Dave Tuohy gear up for the New Year with the college hill climb and sprint cars. The first outing is at Harewood on 17th September. You can follow their progress here on the Askham Bryan website.

 http://www.motorscope.co.uk/  http://www.noswizard.co.uk/ http://www.harewoodhill.com/

 http://www.kawasaki-powerproducts.eu/  http://www.ilkleymotorclub.org.uk/

 http://www.yorkmotorclub.co.uk/

Askham Bryan College won the Connor Challenge Cup for Champion Lamb Carcase at the Driffield Agricultural Show last week. The cuts from the award winning lamb were sold locally. Meat from Askham Bryan College and is available to buy on Lambing Day and at the Countryside Show Open Day held annually at Askham Bryan. Specialist Wagyu Beef produced by the College is also available to buy from the supermarket Asda. The Lambs are reared at the College by the students under the supervision of Shepherd Dan Clarkson and Farm Manager Mike Patch. Dan and Mike are both thrilled to have won the cup and said ‘its great for the students to have something extra to show for all their hard work’.

Scarborough Sixth Form College  (S6F) is to be the new base for students with a passion for working with animals and who are wanting to study for a career or employment in the sector. The courses are aimed at a wide  range of  careers  - from zoo keeper, to cattery manager, animal welfare officer to kennel maid, and cater for all abilities, ages and educational backgrounds.

Announcing the initiative, Tom Potter, College Principal said: “We are very pleased to welcome Askham Bryan onto the Scarborough Sixth Form College site to deliver animal management courses. This is something we have been discussing for some years as there are good educational reasons behind the partnership; students from both colleges will gain from this arrangement. We are looking forward to a long and beneficial relationship.”

The animal management and care courses are being run by York-based Askham Bryan College in partnership with S6F. Askham Bryan attracts students from across North Yorkshire and beyond and was recently awarded “outstanding” status by Ofsted for its student welfare.

A new purpose built animal management centre will be the base for students on the courses which begin in September. These range from Level 1, ie with those with no formal qualifications, through to Level 3 - students who already have A' levels or equivalent qualifications.

Links with Flamingo Land already exist, so students will have the chance to work behind the scenes with everything from giraffes to pythons. And at Askham Bryan's York based campus, there are further opportunities to “get hands on” - whether it's feeding the meerkats or mucking out the Kune Kune pigs. An additional benefit is that whilst studying, students can apply for a travel allowance.

For more information or to apply please visit www.askham-bryan.ac.uk or call 01904 772211 for more details.

ENDS

15 August 2011

The University of Cumbria and Askham Bryan College have finalised the transfer of further education courses at the university's Newton Rigg campus. 

The new 'Newton Rigg College' (which is how it will now be known) will see investment plans by the York-based college to the tune of £2.4m focusing on the farm, revitalisation of degree and diploma courses particularly in agriculture and countryside management and the establishment of a joint rural research institute.  Both the university and the college have been working together over the last few months to ensure a smooth transition for both staff and students.

Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Liz Beaty said:

"This partnership with Askham Bryan College will not only ensure a sustainable future for further education in the area but also provide us with an opportunity to plan significant investments in new facilities for our higher education provision.  We will maintain access to our long term teaching and research sites at Newton Rigg and look to grow our current strong focus in forestry, conservation and land-use research.

"FE courses continue to generate strong interest from potential students.  The traditional land-based subjects on offer there remain extremely popular and we have some incredibly dedicated and well qualified people who continue to respond to the needs of young people in the area.  Both the university and Askham Bryan College are committed to ensuring the continuation of these courses to the benefit of current and future students, the local community and the region as a whole."

The University of Cumbria, in partnership with the college, will be keeping its degree programmes on the site.  This will continue for the next three years and any subsequent changes will be phased in over time.  All of the university's undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the areas of forestry, conservation, policing, applied science and outdoor studies will continue as these courses have national significance for the university, are highly valued for their research and are seen as having a long term future within the institution.

 Liz Philip, Askham Bryan Principal adds:

"I am delighted that Askham Bryan College has now assumed ownership of Newton Rigg College.  We have been successfully providing education for the farmers and landowners of tomorrow from our York campus for more than six decades and we are committed to ensuring Newton Rigg becomes a centre of agricultural excellence and has a bright future. We are planning significant investment into the site and promise to provide the Cumbrian community with a first class agricultural college. My vision is that together Askham Bryan and Newton Rigg will be a dynamic and innovative force driving agricultural excellence in the north of England.”

Reflecting its courses at York, Askham Bryan plans to run degree and diploma courses for full and part time students ranging across pure agriculture, sustainable land management through to  environmental technology and also equine. In addition there will be courses for apprentices and a rural research institute will be established, run in conjunction with the university. It is also anticipated that there will be a range of general courses, for example child care and sport.

BOARD SETS PLANS IN MOTION FOR NEWTON RIGG  COLLEGE

The Board of the new Newton Rigg College which has taken over further education courses from the University of Cumbria has met for the first time.

The transfer of the further education courses was finalised on Friday (29 July).

The new Newton Rigg College will see investment plans of £2.4m, focusing on the farm at Sewborwens, revitalisation of degree and diploma courses, particularly in agriculture and countryside management, and the establishment of a joint rural research institute.

The new Board met at Sewborwens on Wednesday to progress plans by setting up advisory groups on a range of issues, including hill farming and forestry. A  Farm Advisory Group, focusing on dairy, has already been established.

Board chairman Alan Bowe said: “This is an important step forward in beginning to reconnect Newton Rigg to Cumbrian agriculture.”

Members of the Newton Rigg College Board are:

• Chairman - Alan Bowe: Alan was a student at Newton Rigg in 1961 and is Chairman of the H&H Group in Carlisle.
• Ian Youdan: Ian is the Chairman of the Askham Bryan College Board. Early in his career, he worked for Edwin Thompson in Keswick as a Land Agent – being replaced by Alan Bowe when he left to work in Lincolnshire. He is former Senior Partner of Brown and Co and a British Horse Racing Authority steward.
• Andrew Humphries: Andrew is a member of both Askham Bryan and Newton Rigg Boards and is former Chair of the Cumbria Upland Management Group and Vice President of ACT (Action With Communities in Cumbria).
• David Black: David is also a member of both Boards and is Managing Director of Paragon Veterinary Group. He is Chair of the Dairy Science Forum.
• Ian Brown: Also a member of both Boards, Ian is Farming Partner of Dodd and Co accountants in Carlisle and represents around 600 farming clients.
• Prof Andy Cobb: Prof Cobb is the former Dean of the School of Agriculture at Harper Adams University College and a Board member of the European Accreditation Agency for Life Sciences.
• Steven Oliver-Watts: Steven is a former full-time Ofsted inspector and currently works for the Prison Service providing training. He was formerly Head of Horticulture at Newton Rigg.
• Liz Philip: Liz is the Principal of Askham Bryan College.

New Animal Management Provision in Scarborough

Askham Bryan College is really pleased to launch a new course, Level 1 Diploma in animal management and its exciting move to Scarborough Sixth Form College.

The College is developing its provision and will be able to offer practical experiences/learning in a new purpose built building. This will house a range of mammals and exotic species from chinchilla’s to creepy crawlies!

Students can now study animal management at level 1, 2 or 3 depending on their existing qualifications and experience. This means that more people can participate in ‘hands on’ programmes whilst also gaining formal qualifications. The mix of theory and practical subjects help learners to gain formal qualification in a hands on and vocational way.

Askham Bryan has a link with Flamingoland, a well known Zoo in Yorkshire with an amazing reputation. This provides a wealth of opportunities working behind the scenes with a wide range of species from giraffes to pythons, whilst gaining from the expertise of both zoo and education staff. Activities within the zoo, work experience opportunities and guest lectures seriously enhance the animal experience and long term benefits to the students.

As part of practical developments students also experience hands on work with a range of animals at the York Campus – this might be feeding the Meerkats, health checking the Iguana’s or mucking out the Kune Kune pigs.

Facilities at York include:

• Veterinary Nurse Training Facility
• Multiple Paddock Areas
• Bird Garden
• Exotic House
• Exotic Mammal Room
• Rodent Room
• Aquatics Avenue
• Amphibians
• Access to on-site Farm and Equine Facilities

The teaching team at Scarborough are dedicated to the student experience. Each staff member offers experience from a practical perspective and suitable qualifications to ensure that learners are well prepared for a range of career pathways.

Whilst studying students can also benefit from:

• Free travel (subject to terms and conditions)
• Free additional courses to make sure you have all the skills industry needs (some learners above the age of 19yrs may need to pay a small fee) Free use of protective equipment for practical’s
• Free NUS card with a wide range of discounts at different stores
• Free Askham Bryan College T-shirt
• Free file to store your college work
• Teaching at Flamingo Land to ensure you have access to the very best resources
• A designated course manager to work with you in completing your course
• A designated support tutor to help you overcome any problems you have that may affect your studies

To gain further information or to apply please contact:

General questions enquiries@askham-bryan.ac.uk

Specific questions: clare.murphy@askham-bryan.ac.uk

Telephone: 01904 772277

The University of Cumbria and Askham Bryan College have now reached final agreement for the transfer of further education courses at the Newton Rigg campus from 31 July 2011.

Discussions have been very productive and now provide an opportunity to move forward to the next stage of the transfer process. Plans by the York based college include a £2.4m investment into the site focussing on the farm,  revitalisation of degree and diploma courses particularly in agriculture and countryside management and the establishment of a joint rural research institute.

Vice Chancellor Professor Graham Upton said:

"Courses at the Newton Rigg campus continue to generate strong interest from potential students.  The traditional land-based subjects on offer there remain extremely popular and we have some incredibly dedicated and well qualified people who continue to respond to the needs of young people in the area and these will be run by Askham Bryan College.  Both the university and Askham Bryan College are committed to ensuring the continuation of these courses to the benefit of current and future students, the local community and the region as a whole.   

We will continue in partnership with the college keeping our degree programmes on the site.  This will continue for the next three years and any subsequent changes will be phased in over time.  All of the university's undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the areas of forestry, conservation, policing, applied science and outdoor studies will continue as these courses have national significance for us, are highly valued for their research and are seen as having a long term future within the institution."

Liz Philip, Askham Bryan Principal adds:

"We have been successfully providing education for the farmers and landowners of tomorrow from our York campus for more than six decades and are very much looking forward to ensuring that Newton Rigg becomes a centre of agricultural excellence. Rumours that we planned to asset strip the site are totally wrong - on the contrary we plan a £2.4m investment into the site and particularly the farm, which we will re-stock with dairy cattle and upgrade with new facilities. Our commitment to providing the Cumbrian community with a first class agricultural college is total. My vision is that together Askham Bryan and Newton Rigg will be a dynamic and innovative force driving agricultural excellence in the north of England.”

Reflecting its courses at York, Askham Bryan plans to run degree and diploma courses for full and part time students ranging across pure agriculture, sustainable land management through to  environmental technology and also equine. In addition there will be courses for apprentices and a rural research institute will be established, run in conjunction with the university. It is also anticipated that there will be a range of general courses, for example child care and sport. The name “Newton Rigg College” will remain unchanged.

Ensuring a smooth transition for staff and students is of paramount importance to both the university and Askham Bryan College.  Transition team arrangements to ensure that the processes are well managed will be put in place as we move into the next stage of the process. The university will now start contractual negotiations with Askham Bryan College with a view to arranging TUPE transfer of staff on 31 July 2011.

Staff and students at Askham Bryan College are celebrating after an Ofsted inspection just released described its student welfare provision as “outstanding” - the highest accolade possible.

The report notes a number of positive comments from students about the college including: “it's mint” … a “great college” and “makes us and others feel welcome.”

Inspectors visited the York based college in January and the report focuses on the welfare of residential students under 18. They made their judgement against a total of 47 standards, examining a wide range of criteria, including students' social and health care, the standard of accommodation, disciplinary and complaints procedures and student safety.

One of the country’s foremost land-based colleges, Askham Bryan College provides education and training at all levels from introductory courses for school leavers  up to honours degrees. Its main residential campus is at York and the College also operates centres in  Guisborough, Bedale, Harrogate, Scarborough, Thirsk and Wakefield.   It has around 750 full time students with more than 200  who are residential.

Liz Philip, Principal said: “In the previous report, four years ago, we were classified as “good” which is the second highest quality rating so we are delighted to now be marked as “outstanding”. The inspectors have singled out a number of areas for praise but I was particularly delighted to read the comment that we are “very student centred” as that is very much the ethos at Askham Bryan.  We are committed to ensuring our students have the most positive experience possible and their welfare is a crucial part of that. This report is a tribute to the dedication of all our staff.”

The report says students' health is given a high priority and that they are well supported by a number of staff, including the dedicated pastoral team. There are very good arrangements to ensure they receive individual support and staff are said to have an “excellent understanding” of students' individual needs. Inspectors comment that there are a number of staff from whom they can gain support. Staff work hard to level the playing field for disadvantaged students and “go the extra mile”, says the report which also notes that the College has a new student enrichment worker to help provide student activities. There is a strong senior management team who are supported by a governing body to drive improvements, say the inspectors.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu made his first official visit to Askham Bryan College on Tuesday 22 March, and awarded full marks to the Principal and staff.

Dr Sentamu and the Bishop of Selby were shown around the campus by Liz Philip, the Principal, meeting and chatting to students and staff across all the departments. Watching a riding lesson in progress, seeing newly born lambs and milking take place were just some of the activities underway.

In addition, the visitors toured the animal management centre, the engineering and horiticulture departments and called in at Wharfedale House which is home to students with learning  difficulties. The afternoon concluded with a visit to the National Beef Training Centre within the College farm. This is home to a new research project with Wagyu cattle which is renowned for producing the world's most expensive beef.
Dr Sentamu said: “I think the College is impressive in every way - that it takes in students with learning difficulties, those doing degrees and those not doing degrees, and they are all learning together. It is keeping to the task and doing a fantastic job. And it seemed to me to be a very very happy environment. So full marks to the Principal and the staff.”

“It was a super afternoon, the weather couldn't have been kinder and  we were delighted to have the opportunity to highlight how we train and prepare the leaders and workforce of tomorrow, particularly in relation to the countryside and rural life,” said Mrs Philips.

Fundraising for McMillan Nurses

Students on the Level 2 Animal Care diploma raised £37.73 in aid of MacMillan Nurses.

MacMillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. They provide practical, medical and financial support and push for better cancer care.

Anne McIntosh MP visits Thirsk

During her regular visit to Thirsk Auction Mart to meet with farmers, Anne McIntosh, MP for Thirsk and Malton took time out and dropped in on Advanced Apprenticeship agriculture students for a chat.