Shropshire farm visits offered to disadvantaged school children
A partnership has been agreed to give more than 1,000 children from disadvantaged areas visits to rural estates, to learn about farming and the countryside.The Country Trust, an educational charity, said it would work with Crown Estates, who own rural land across the UK, to offer more than 40 farm visits this year.It said it followed a successful pilot scheme which saw 180 pupils from four schools take part in farm days in Shropshire, Essex and Lincolnshire.Typical activities for a farm visit include sowing seeds, harvesting vegetables, and seeing and learning about animals.
Children would also learn about cooking fresh produce and making butter and flour, the Country Trust said.The Crown Estate, which manages more than 185,000 acres of rural land, said the visits would take place at Patshull Estate in Shropshire, Albyns Farm in Romford, Thorolds College Farm in Boston, Windsor Farms in Windsor Great Park and Ellington in Northumberland.The schools taking part will be chosen from those with a higher-than-average percentage of children eligible for Free School Meals.
Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Essex police dog helper among those honoured by King
A woman who helps give retired police dogs a new lease of life has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours."It was a shock, and it's an honour and it's thrilling," said Linda Belgrove, who set up Essex Retired Police Dogs 70-year-old former vice chair of Essex Police Authority, from Alresford near Colchester, has become a MBE for services to far she and her husband have raise £94,000 and helped 48 dogs with veterinary care and welfare. Ms Belgrove said she realised during her previous role in 2008 that there was no plan for police dogs after their homed the dogs would also be solely responsible for vet bills, which would often be more substantial due to the demands of their previous Belgrove said she roped in her "poor husband" and launched the charity in 2012."There's a surety that help is on hand, and that we will support them [the dogs]," she said."What we've realised is the 'charity' way of looking after these dogs is the best way."In having your independence from policing and from government, you have the right to say, 'This dog may be 12 years old but it's got every likelihood of living another couple of years. Whatever treatment that dog may need, we're going to pay it.'"We've never failed a dog."In 2020, she also co-ordinated a national front for such charities in the form of the Association of Retired Police Dog Charities (ARPDC)."We all operate in a different way, we're all independent, but there's a great friendship amongst us," she said. 'Hugely privileged' Elsewhere in Essex, Paul Wilkinson, 59, of Langford near Maldon, was appointed MBE for services to young people, after spending more than 40 years in the youth sector - largely with the he engaged with almost 1,000 children from hard-to-reach backgrounds as part of an "on the water" programme with the Sea ran thousands of free watersport activities, achieving 132 recognised qualifications for participants along the way. Despite his achievements, Mr Wilkinson was shocked at the news from the palace."I was hugely privileged and very surprised, and I have to say I couldn't do what I do - and have the impact I have - without hundreds of volunteers and employees who support everything we do."Mr Wilkinson said many children were too nervous to take part when they first joined, but he relished watching them develop their about his proudest moment, he said he taught a young Muslim girl from Birmingham who had never been on the water."At one stage she was hiding behind the car... because she simply didn't want to come out and get involved."By the end of the activity, she had her buoyancy aid on, she was out in a canoe, really, really loving it and having the time of her life - and she then came back the following day."And that's just one tiny little example of one tiny event." Other people from Essex who have been honoured by the King include:Jeff Pope, of Brentwood, writer, director and producer - MBE for services to dramaPaul Cotgrove, of Benfleet - BEM for services to film and British film heritageDeta Hedman, of Witham - OBE for services to darts and to charityRebekah Iyambo, of Buckhurst Hill, chief executive at Eko Trust - OBE for services to educationAlex Boucher, of Colchester, founder and managing director at Analog - MBE for services to the gaming industry and entrepreneurship Frederick Hudson, of Waltham Abbey - MBE for services to the Arsenal Football Club communityOwase Jeelani, of Loughton, professor of paediatric neurosurgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital - MBE for services to neurosurgery and global child healthReverend Brian Jennings, of Frinton-on-Sea - BEM for services to the community in Walton-on-the-NazeSusan Mapp, of Harlow, special educational needs and disability co-educator at Cooks Spinney Primary Academy - BEM for services to Special Educational Needs Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Racehorse charity founder Grace Muir appointed MBE
A charity founder who won two BBC awards for her contribution to animal welfare has been appointed an MBE. Grace Muir, CEO of the Wantage Homing Ex-Racehorses Organisation Scheme (HEROS), has been recognised for services to charity, animal welfare and education in the King's Birthday Honours. She had previously won two Make a Difference awards in 2024 for Berkshire and Muir said she hoped the honour would "reflect some of my passion and future vision into HEROS to make us do more". HEROS was established in 2006 with a primary focus on ex-racehorse retraining and rehoming, and in 2023 it opened a forest school for students with special education Muir said she had not started the charity "for any honour". "But it is such an honour," she said."I couldn't do this without my team and if it can reflect some of my passion and future vision into HEROS to make us do more and make this shine the light on racing and the good it's trying to do, then that's what it's for." Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxford Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) CEO Estelle Bailey as also been honoured with an MBE for services to nature's charity's achievements include a £500,000 nature restoration project."It's really not the sort of letter you get every day," Ms Bailey said."To read the words MBE was just absolutely extraordinary, it took my breath away for a moment."She added that charitable life was "really hard when you're working really for blood, sweat and tears - also not a lot of money". "But it was that moment of recognition for me that was just really super special." 'Nice people have noticed' Neil Stockton, chair of Oxford Hospital Radio Cherwell, was honoured with a Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) for services to hospital radio and to the local Stockton said the service - established in 1967 - provided "more than just playing records in a little cupboard in the corner". "It was actually going round the wards talking to patients, making them the stars of the shows, getting out into local communities," he said."After all these years it's nice to feel that people have noticed that this crackpot that spends all his time in studios wiring and talking to people on the radio is being honoured in this way." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
King's Birthday Honours: Park volunteer among Shropshire recipients
An 87-year-old who has led a team of volunteers in a country park for 34 years has said he is "absolutely baffled" to receive a British Empire Medal in the King's Birthday Honours Bannister said he started working in Severn Valley Country Park in Shropshire in 1991 because he was looking for something to do after taking voluntary is one of six people from the county to be recognised in the list and said: "It won't change anything for me, I'll just carry on working until I drop."Other Shropshire honours recipients include a "dedicated litter picker", a gymnastics coach and an RAF fundraiser. Mr Bannister said he was drawn to volunteering at the country park, close to Bridgnorth, because he was "very keen on nature" and was friends with the head former mining site was transformed into a country park three decades ago and in 2022 a tree was planted there to honour Mr Bannister's lifelong leads a team of 30 volunteers who look after the 126-acre park and has also overseen successful bids for more than £30,000 in recent years he has scaled back his own role but said: "It keeps me going, it finds me something to do." Jim Diggory from Nesscliffe has also been conferred a British Empire Medal for services to the said he had lived in the same area since he was a child and had been "into community things since I was in the Cubs".Mr Diggory added he was "pretty chuffed" and did not realise his work, which included planting trees, organising litter picks and fundraising for sculptures, was appreciated so much."What else are you going to do?" he joked. "We haven't got great internet here." Other Shropshire recipients John McGlasson from Newport, a Training Support Officer at RAF Cosford, was also conferred a British Empire Medal for services to defence and to charitable Richard Howells from Telford, the founder of Bronze Software Labs, has becmoe an OBE for services to business and Lusty from Nash, near Ludlow, been appointed MBE for services to road safety for his work at the Driving Standards Agency, as has coach and BBC commentator Christine Still, from Edgmond, for services to gymnastics. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
