Menu
 
Home | News | Course has positive impact: Academy pupils learn traditional rural skills, thanks to businesses
 
News | 27th June 2019
 

Course has positive impact: Academy pupils learn traditional rural skills, thanks to businesses

 
 
 

LANGHOLM Academy has collaborated with rural businesses to teach pupils skills such as growing crops, fencing, forestry and auctioneering.
As a result one of the pupils has secured a place on a course at the SRUC Barony Campus near Dumfries.
Allison Little and Sandi Farrer, support workers, organised the rural skills project to enable young people to gain skills in land-based industries with help from Buccleuch Estates, Cochranes Nurseries, C&D Auction Marts in Longtown and Eskdalemuir Forestry.
From a fundraiser last Christmas, which made £500, they bought equipment and necessary protective clothing for the pupils.
With a further donation of £1,000 from Buccleuch Estates, they could buy tools and essential items needed to carry out the tasks.
George Birrell of Eskdalemuir Forestry, which is owned by Kronospan Ltd, donated a shed for the class to store their tools and other essential items.
George said: “Eskdalemuir Forestry is very pleased to support such a worthwhile cause and help towards young people in our community gaining valuable skills for the future.”
At Cochranes Nurseries the pupils learnt about crop production on an industrial level and all aspects of growing from seed from soil content to why they chose certain fruits.
Allison and Sandi organised a visit to the auction mart while a live sheep auction was taking place.
The pupils learnt about the daily workings of a busy auction mart and helped to move the sheep from the pens into the ring, even sell some of the sheep.
Many of the pupils had no previous agricultural experience of working with the animals but showed great enthusiasm for whole industry.
With the help of Barry Paterson, agricultural property manager at Buccleuch Estates, the young people learned about estate maintenance, in particular fencing.
Barry said: “ Both myself and David Nicholson, head forester, enjoyed working with the pupils.
“They showed an interest in the different species of trees and the processes involved and they were keen to use all the hand tools involved in fencing and drainage.
“All pupils (and assistants) were involved in the tasks and in the site specific risk assessment before the start of each task, assess the tools needed and be aware of the environment they were working in.
“It was an enjoyable process for both the estate and the Academy and we hope to continue to work together in the future.”
Kain Wilkinson of Chapelknowe said: “I really enjoyed the opportunities and experience I got doing the rural skills course.
“The experience from this has gained me a place at the Barony College starting in August.”
Allison said: “It’s about giving young people the opportunity to experience different jobs in the rural industries.
“The process has not only given them skills they never thought they had, it’s also had a positive impact on their confidence in themselves and outside of school.”

 
 
Would you like to support us?

The Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser is our community owned local newspaper and even in today’s troubled times, we aim to bring you local news and articles in an impartial, responsible and factual way.

We hope you have enjoyed reading this free article but we need your support so we can keep delivering quality journalism that’s open and independent and keeps you up to date with what is happening in Eskdale and Liddesdale.

Every reader’s contribution, however big or small, is so valuable to us.
 
 
‘Owned by the Community...Published for the Community’
Do you have a story?

Please get in touch if you have a story or article you would like to see published.

Related Articles

‘Is our voice even heard?’

NHS Dumfries and Galloway executives attend first of hopefully many…

 

Road safety concerns at Langholm Primary school

Concerned parents have produced a detailed report on the alarming…

 

High heid yins head for Thomas Hope meeting

Meeting with Health and Social Care to thrash out Langholm’s…

 

Having a final say on the future of Holm Hill

Newcastleton and District Community Trust is just about to carry…

 

Love, a dance and a right good belly laugh!

With a large cast and great audiences, LAODS’ Last Tango…

 

Share in windfarm leadsto green awards nomination

Nick Jennings’ foresight puts Eskdalemuir in the running The Upper…

 

Langholm Alliance: Update on Community Plan

Donna Hislop, Community Enterprise Manager, brings us up to speed…

 

Musical excellence delights Canonbie audience

Splendid concert brings church’s 200 year celebrations to a close…

 

Langholm Moor Lynx fears are calmed... for the moment

Fears that the new owners of former farmland on Langholm…

 

Post Office's future discussed at meeting

Canonbie residents gather to hear the options for valuable village…

 

Scottish call-up forathlete sisters

Langholm siblings make the Scottish Pentathlon team SCOTTISH CALL UP…

 

Oxygen Man links lynx to Langholm Moor

Blackburn & Hartsgarth owner says it’s a possibility Could former…

 

Langholm familiarisation visit for Council leader

Gail Macgregor, leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council was invited…

 

Further afforestation fury

Tree planting nightmare for a further three farms surrounding Claygate…

 

Moderator inspires worshipers at Canonbie

Church is packed to hear uplifting service from church leader…

 

Urgent action required in face of diminished services

1,000+ signature petition endorses demands Langholm’s ailing health services are…

 

Public meeting on future of Canonbie Post Office

Following the news that Canonbie Post Office and shop were…

 

Rothbury 'Looks North' to Langholm for guidance

The team at BBC look North got in touch with…

 

High profile minister to visit Canonbie

Anthony Lane tells of perfect ending to Church’s bi-centenary events…

 

Appeal for help with gardens

Margaret Pool writes; A number of folk will recall that…

 

Langholm Flood Scheme dead in the water

Plug pulled on original £10 million defences In last week’s…

 

A celebration of some amazing achievements

Langholm Academy pupils shine with some spectacular exam results and…

 

Old Copshaw hostlery closes its doors

One of Newcastleton’s longest-established businesses has closed down. The Liddesdale…

 

Xcel is eighteen!

This week marks 18 years of the Xcel Project! The…

 

Ultra-cool Ullswater adventures

Langholm S6 pupils enjoy a week of outdoor antics and…

 

Umbrella walkers raise over £30k

Rotary and Trusts-backed fundraiser breaks another record The Langholm Rotary…

 

Conan has Carolina on his mind

Langholm athlete settled on Charleston SouthernUniversity having had seventy offers…

 

Doing the Wright thing for Sycamore Gap

Amazing offer by Canonbie Sawmill owners Canonbie sawmill owners Steve…

 

Loreburn remains 'wholly committed' to Murtholm

E&L interviews housing association chief executive Kirsteen McGinn The E&L…

 

Had by Haddington

Slow start for Langholm gives home side the advantage but…

 

The 171st Langholm Show

The day of the 171st Langholm Show dawned and Langholm…

 

Sensational new sensory room for Langholm Youth project

Xcel has provided one of the best publicly accessible sensory…

 

Langholm Forum contacts Holyrood

Warbla petition prompts invitation to Gougeon Following an excellent response…

 

It’s been all go on Langholm Showfield this week.

A veritable army of willing volunteers and committee members has…

 

All our rugby yesteryears

A great afternoon at Hawick and Wilton Cricket Club on…

 

Cammy Barnes LOVES Langholm x

Last Friday, The Buccleuch Centre opened it’s doors to welcome…

 

Indefinite delay for Murtholm development

Loreburn announce moratorium on new-builds But promise Langholm project is…

 

Flat roof problems for Langholm's Primary school

Wet rot and

From no RAAC one week to wet rot and water…

 

Erskine Church saga reaches the airwaves

Denise Irving-Lang to be interviewed by Radio Scotland It’s encouraging…

 

Eskdale & Liddesdale schools declared safe

Wet rot and

No RAAC detected in preliminary inspections Councillor Denis Male contacted…

 
 
requires mailchimp logins and wired up to a list
Join our mailing list
Keep up to date with all that’s going on at the E&L
This site uses cookies.
Configure
 
Read our privacy policy

This site uses cookies for marketing, personalisation, and analysis purposes. You can opt out of this at any time or view our full privacy policy for more information.