Myerscough College News

Animal student scoops lottery windfall!

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

A Myerscough College Animal Care student is celebrating after scooping an incredible £100,000 jackpot on a National Lottery scratchcard.

Level 2 Diploma Animal Care student, Dane Belk-Gregory, 24, had called into his local shop to buy two cans of drink and only bought the scratchcard as an afterthought.

He said: “I had literally dashed into the shop to buy some pop and as I had change in my pocket I decided to buy a Scratchcard.

“I actually rubbed it off in the shop and I just could not believe it when I discovered I had won £100,000. I thought there must have been a mistake. I was in utter shock. I just ran out of the shop and ran all of the way home – I even forgot to take the pop with me which I had just bought.

Dane, who has a two year old daughter, Brooke, is engaged to his childhood sweetheart of eight years, Ciara Doyle, also 24, and they are now able to plan a dream wedding.

He added: “I can now give Ciara the wedding which she has always dreamed of. We are planning to get married next year. Before this win it would have been years before we could have afforded to get married.

“I can also afford to take my daughter to Disneyland for a holiday as well as purchase a brand new car. The money is simply life changing for us!”

Pictures courtesy of The Garstang Courier.

Myerscough College and Lancaster University join forces to develop world class research

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Myerscough College recently signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with Lancaster University, a move that means Myerscough College and Lancaster University will join forces to work together in developing world class research on environmental and agricultural issues of regional, national and global significance.

Having worked together on joint research projects since 2003, this is the first formal agreement between Myerscough College and Lancaster University and builds on the longstanding relationship which has seen substantial exchanges of research between two of Lancashire’s largest educational institutions.

Joining forces with Lancaster University under a formal agreement is a positive move for Myerscough College - Lancaster University are currently ranked in the top 1% of Universities globally. Speaking about the new research partnership, David Elphinstone, Head of Research at Myerscough College, commented:

“This is a fantastic new research partnership giving our College the chance to work alongside a huge educational institution in Lancaster University. ‘Sustainable Intensification’ is something that is important to everyone and, as a Land based College with a huge interest in sustainability, Myerscough is happy to be at the forefront of the research. The site will also be of great interest to our students studying Greenspace subjects where sustainable plant production and care is a major issue.”

Bill Davies CBE, Professor of Plant Biology at Lancaster University, said:

“The Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University has a valuable long-standing research link with Myerscough College with current joint research projects funded by the Horticultural Development Company, DEFRA, the EU and local companies. Our immediate plan is to extend our collaborations through the development of some specialist field-based research facilities. These and other planned developments ensure that our research links effectively to UK and international farming practices and communities’.

The Memorandum states: ‘Subject to the necessary funding becoming available, we propose to work together where appropriate to:

A) Develop world-class research on environmental/agricultural issues of regional, national and global concern;

B) Support sustainable agriculture and land use management;

C) Facilitate the beneficial use of technologies and business innovation to improve the environment;

D) Deliver information and advice on policy matters, for improved environmental management and the move towards more sustainable land use practices;

E) Deliver joint teaching/training in the environmental/agricultural sciences

F) Establish, develop and jointly operate a joint research (and training facility) in the environmental/agricultural sciences. Such facilities may be operated as a

A ‘Sustainable Intensification’ research project to be based at Myerscough College’s Preston Centre, in Bilsborrow, will be the first major project under the new formal agreement. The project will initially look at ways to maintain and increase food production levels, whilst reducing the input of increasingly scarce resources such as energy, water and land - an increasingly important and prominent issue in agriculture and crop production.

The first major new facility to be established on the site will include devices intended for collecting water from the pore spaces of soils and for determining the soluble constituents removed in the drainage. These will allow researchers to investigate the water use efficiency and nutrient use efficiency.

Photo - From Left to Right

Back Row : David Elphinstone (Head of Research - Myerscough College), Professor Bill Davies CBE (Director of the Centre of Sustainable Agriculture - Lancaster University), Mick Cottam (Assistant Principal Higher Education - Myerscough College)

Seated : Professor Kevin Jones (Director of Lancaster Environment Centre), Ann Turner (Chief Executive & Principal– Myerscough College).

Dutch floral trend setter comes to Myerscough College

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Trend setting Floral Designer Pim Van Den Akker is the headline act in a floral extravaganza taking place in April at Myerscough College. The event runs over two days and is organised by Myerscough College’s Floral Art and Design students.

Van Den Akker is the founder of PimDesigned and is well known in the industry for his deep love of flowers, plants and his passion for designing products that bring an extra dimension in life surroundings. He has published three successful books to date and is a writer for many professional floral design magazines worldwide.

The weekend of floral fun begins on Saturday 21st April with a hands-on workshop where participants will get an exclusive opportunity to work closely with Van Den Akker and learn about some of the techniques he uses to create his amazing floral creations.

Tickets are limited for this prestigious event and cost £200 including lunch and refreshments.

Sunday 22nd April will see the second part of the event with the demonstration. Here Van Den Akker will give a fresh and inspiring demonstration on how to broaden your mind and improve your floral skills. Tickets for this are £20.

In addition to the demonstration, two Mini Competitions will also be held on the Sunday. The first competition is a task to create a body adornment which reflects a period in time. For this competition there is a £5 entry fee and a £10 limit on materials.

The second competition is to create a table centrepiece which reflects a period in time. Once again there is a £5 entry fee for the competition and this time a £15 limit on materials. Entrants must provide receipts for materials used. Both competitions will be judged by external experts and feedback will be given to all entrants.

The event also hosts a large exhibition of floral design work showcasing the BA (Hons) students work throughout the year as well as design seminars showing the research behind their exhibition pieces. Both these are free entry and give a great source of inspiration to florists.

Anne Kerfoot, a Lecturer in Floral Art and Design said: “We’re so pleased to have Pim Van Den Akker as this year’s designer. These events are organised by our students and over the years they have really shown the dedication and hard work needed to make them a success. They really are huge events, and more importantly, amazing, must-attend spectacles!”

Hedgelaying competition attracts the crowds at Myerscough

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Large crowds turned out to watch this year’s Wyre and Myerscough Hedgelaying Competition, held at Myerscough College on Saturday 21st January.

24 competitors, from all over Lancashire, Cumbria and West Yorkshire took part in the annual competition which showcases this ancient rural craft.

The practice of hedgelaying is to rejuvenate the hedge and promote growth from the bottom of the hedge which prevents gaps appearing and so making it stock proof. Hedges are usually maintained annually by trimming with a flail trimmer but should be laid every 15 to 20 years to maintain their usefulness as a stock proof fence.

Held at the Myerscough College Preston Campus, the competition was jointly organised by Wyre Borough Council Countryside Rangers and the College, and is one of six competitions which are part of the Lancashire and Westmorland Hedgelaying Grand Prix.

The Championship Class were given a really tough section of hedge to lay with some quite old hedge stocks to deal with that required all the skill and experience that the former champions had. Other competitors in the Open, Novice and Junior classes were given slightly easier sections of hedge.

The judges were faced with a difficult decision but ultimately decided that the winners were Peter Gibson (Championship Class), Max Roclawski (Open Class), John Gibson (Novice Class) and Jack Carradice (Junior Class).

In addition to the competition, a workshop was also held for complete beginners to learn the craft and have ago.

Myerscough College’s Head of Agriculture, Craig Thompson, said: “The event was a big success again and I would like to thank all the staff who helped make it happen, the competitors who took part in the competition and all the members of the general public who came along.

“I was particularly delighted to see three of our arboriculture students at the event showing genuine enthusiasm by participating in the workshop and expressing interest in other events run by the LWHA.

“Special thanks must go to Greg Robinson, Countryside Ranger for Wyre Borough Council, who did much of the organisation and planning for the event.”

Myerscough Football star Joe Bunney awarded England call-up

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Myerscough College Football star Joe Bunney, 18 from Manchester, has been selected to play for the England Schools Football Association International Under 18 Squad.

Currently studying towards the Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Football Studies at Preston based Myerscough College, Joe is also a regular starter for Lancaster City first team. The 18 year old centre forward from Manchester will be an influential member of the squad having produced strong performances for the Myerscough College first team this season.

The U18 squad will compete in a series of Home International matches during the first half of 2012, featuring games against Australia, Poland and New Zealand. The squad will also compete in the Centenary Shield, which sees England’s finest compete against Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, with two of these fixtures broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Joe’s first test comes on Sunday 29th January when the U18 team take on Australia in the first match of the International series. On 12th April, the England’s match against rivals Scotland will be broadcast live on Sky Sports from the home of Premiership team Newcastle United.

Speaking about Joe’s selection, Phil Brown, Head of Football Development at Myerscough College, said:

“Joe’s selection to represent England at National Level is wonderful news for him and everyone involved within the Myerscough College football programme. Joe has developed over the past year and is turning into a very good player. His selection is testament to his commitment and dedication, as well as the hard work of his coaches at Myerscough College.

Joe has turned in some superb performances for Myerscough College and Lancaster City this season, so his selection is no surprise. He deserves the place and I’m confident he’ll do us proud. I want to congratulate Joe and wish him luck when he puts on the England shirt. In April he will line up for England against Scotland at the home of Premiership team Newcastle United live on Sky Sports. I know everyone at Myerscough College will be watching”

International Series - Fixtures:

29th January - England v Australia
7th March - England v Poland
14th March - England v New Zealand

Centenary Shield - Fixtures:

2nd March - England v Wales
23rd March - Northern Ireland v England
12th April -England v Scotland - Live on Sky Sports from Newcastle United F.C. (Kick off 19:30)
26th April - England v Republic of Ireland - Live on Sky Sports from Brighton & Hove F.C. (Kick off 19:30

Get a taste of rugby with Myerscough College!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Myerscough College have organised an Assessment and Taster day on Tuesday 14th February 2012 for current Year 11 students who have applied for or are considering applying for Further Education at Myerscough College.

The day is aimed at giving potential students a thorough understanding of what it is like to study rugby at Myerscough College.

Activities for the day include a presentation made by teaching and coaching staff to highlight the educational and developmental opportunities at the College. This will allow students and parents the opportunity to ask questions directly to the staff. Following on from this there will be an in depth tour of the college and the facilities on site.

There will also be several practical activities involved in the day including rugby skills and coaching, game-related practice and practice rugby games. This will give the coaching staff the opportunity to assess the students' current abilities.

The day will start at 9.30am and run through until 4pm. Students will be required to bring with them indoor and outdoor training kit (if you have moulded boots bring these as well as traditional boots as we may use the 3G pitch) and also a packed lunch.

For further information or to book a place please contact Steve Gough (Sale Sharks AASE Manager) by e-mail. His address is sgough@myerscough.ac.uk.

Lancashire business names join Myerscough College to launch ‘My Apprentice 2012’ campaign

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

On the 20th January, Nigel Haworth (Chef and Lancashire businessman), Ben Wallace MP (MP for Wyre and North Preston), and Edwin Booth (Myerscough College Patron and Chairman of E H Booth & Co Ltd), attended a business breakfast at Myerscough College to officially launch and show their support for ‘My Apprentice 2012’ - Myerscough College’s new Apprenticeship campaign for 2012.

‘My Apprentice 2012’ is a year-long campaign dedicated to increasing the number of Apprenticeship opportunities across both public and private sectors, with a specific focus on targeting the land based (Agriculture, Horticulture and Sportsturf) and sports industries. The launch was extremely well attended by employers from across the private and public sectors.

Guests were treated to a full English breakfast in Myerscough College’s brand new ‘Richmond’s Restaurant’, including the chance to sample an award-winning sausage made by Myerscough College’s Advanced Apprentice for 2011 award winner, Daniel Standing, of Honeywell’s Farm Shop. Current and former Apprentices attended the launch to share their experiences of the Apprenticeship programmes run by the College.

Ben Wallace MP gave a speech discussing the Government’s commitment to increasing high quality Apprenticeship opportunities, providing the audience with details of the Government’s £775million injection of funds to increase Apprenticeships and job-relevant training.

Nigel Haworth gave a very entertaining and insightful speech. He told the audience about his experiences of recruiting and training young people at his Michelin starred Northcote Manor Restaurant in Blackburn, and Ribble Valley Inns, the Lancashire Chef’s chain of Restaurants and Gastro Pubs across the North West.

The business breakfast was used to launch the College’s first major ‘My Apprentice 2012’ event - a ‘100 in 100’ days campaign. The ’100 in 100’ concept could not be simpler. Myerscough College will attempt to generate and secure 100 Apprenticeship placements across the private and public sector within 100 days, with a particular focus on targeting the land based and sports industries.

The ‘100 in 100’ campaign was designed to bring together training providers, public and private sector business leaders, the National Apprenticeship Service and local media to work in partnership to deliver a sustained campaign to increase Apprenticeship opportunities and placements.

Ben Wallace MP said: “This Government has already committed to a £775m injection of funds to create 100,000 new apprenticeship opportunities every year and also announced last year that it will increase the funding of vocational training by an extra £222m a year to £1.4bn annually.

"I would like to thank the Principal of the College, Ann Turner for inviting me to speak at this event and it was good to see that the event was well attended by many local employers. There is no doubt that the apprentices I have spoken to during this event have benefitted greatly from the support they have been given at the College and the employers I have spoken to were extremely impressed with the level of skill and attitude of their apprentices. I would urge employers who have the infrastructure to support this scheme to do so and in doing so invest in this areas young people.

"With the professional support of Myerscough College, this scheme has the potential to help a great deal of young people get a leg up onto the employment ladder, I believe Apprenticeships give people real world skills and the opportunity for inspiration.”

Edwin Booth said: “As Patron it was a pleasure to help launch ‘My Apprentice 2012’ - the College’s campaign to increase Apprenticeship opportunities across the North West. The business breakfast organised by the College was a great success and I was happy to see so many businesses from across the public and private sectors getting involved.

"With support from Government funding, Apprenticeships offer employers an affordable and convenient way to bring in fresh talent and develop the skills of existing staff. I would urge businesses to find out more about the benefits of Apprenticeships.”

Ann Turner said:

“With the launch of ‘My Apprentice 2012’ Myerscough College is demonstrating a commitment to increasing Apprenticeship opportunities across the North West and nationally in the land based and sports industries. Apprenticeships are a positive choice for young people looking to learn new skills, study towards qualifications, whilst gaining valuable experience in the workplace. I want to thank Nigel Haworth and Ben Wallace MP, for speaking at the event and helping launch My Apprentice 2012, as well as Edwin Booth for attending as the College’s Patron.

“It was wonderful that so many businesses took the time to attend and show their support for Apprenticeships. It was especially inspiring to speak to employers and hear such positive words about the benefits of Apprenticeships. My Apprentice 2012 will be a year-long campaign with events planned throughout the year to promote the value of Apprenticeships to both young people and employers. To kick off the campaign Myerscough College will try and secure 100 new Apprenticeships in 100 days so the months ahead will be an exciting time for Apprenticeships.”

See the new spring lambs at Myerscough’s Lambing Weekends

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Myerscough College’s Lee Farm will again be open to the public this spring for its ever popular Lambing Weekends.

Following on from the tremendous success of previous events, Myerscough College is holding two open weekends in February for the spring lambing season. Visitors can get the chance to watch lambs being born, hold them and learn about how they are looked after at Myerscough College’s Lee Farm in Bilsborrow. There will also be children’s arts and craft activities taking place in the barn on each day.

Peter Cotterill, Myerscough College’s School’s Co-ordinator, commented: “These weekends are always popular and provide a fun day out for all the family. The children love to see the lambs and, as always, there will be plenty of activities for them to do. The weekends are normal working days for the farm so it is a great chance to see the daily shepherd duties and learn about farm life.”

The farm is open to the public on Saturday 18th February and Sunday 19th February and on Saturday 25th February and Sunday 26th February from 10.30am till 3.30pm (Last entry at 3pm). Admission is just £3 per adult and £1per child including refreshments (Under 5s free).

For further information about the Lambing Weekends at Lee Farm please call 01995 642222, e-mail enquiries@myerscough.ac.uk or visit www.myerscough.ac.uk.

HEALTH WARNING:
Pregnant women should be aware that contact with lambing sheep can cause problems with unborn babies. Children under 5 must remain supervised at all times and parental permission must be given if children want to touch animals.

Myerscough Students Dominate England Colleges Rugby

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Myerscough College’s Rugby Academy won nine of the fourteen places available in ‘England Colleges’ Northern Region Squad.

The England Colleges Men's squad is made up of players who have successfully taken part in the regional trials process. These players represent the best Further Education Colleges Rugby has to offer. They represent their College and their Country in internationals against the Portuguese U18's, Irish Exiles and the Welsh Colleges.

The England Colleges training weekend sees the fourteen best players from each of the four regions: North, Midlands, South-East, and South-West. In a show of Northern dominance, Myerscough’s Rugby Academy students make up nine of the fourteen places available through the North Region.

The nine players selected from Myerscough College include: Harry Pilkington, Aiden Charlton, Matty Dowler, Mosese Liwa Liwa, Olly McCall, Phil Mills, Orisi Nawaqaliava, Olly Parkinson and Eddy Webster.

Speaking about the strong performance from Myerscough’s Academy students, Course Leader Rod Murray said:

“Everyone here at the Myerscough Rugby Academy is so happy for the boys. We work our lads hard at the Academy so they deserve their places on the training weekend in December. We’re especially proud that nine out of the fourteen Northern Region places have gone to our Academy students. It shows the level of talent we have here at Myerscough College and proves that our training methods and techniques are working. Hopefully next year we can get a clean sweep with all fourteen places!”

Myerscough graduate returns to College to give habitat guidance to Animal Academy

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

A Former Myerscough College Animal Studies student recently returned to the College to give staff and students advice on setting up and maintaining two new eco systems.

22-year-old, Adam Bland, originally from Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, works as a Vivarium Assistant at the Manchester Museum, where he maintains over 200 reptiles, amphibians and spiders. He is directly in charge of the 10 display tanks on show at the Museum as well the countless maintenance tanks behind the scenes.

Adam has been at the Museum for the last four years since graduating from the National Diploma in Animal Studies at Myerscough in 2006. He previously worked at the Reptile Room, in Thornton Cleveleys, after being taken on in a part-time capacity after completing work experience there with the College.

It is his technical expertise within the reptile sector that convinced the College to ask for his help and guidance in creating their new Bearded Dragon and Dart Frog enclosures.

During his visit he advised staff and students about the best ways of creating a micro climate, looking particularly at compatible species, environmental requirements and the living environment including temperatures and ventilation.

He said: “It is my job to protect the welfare of all the reptile and amphibians at the Museum by maintaining their habitat and making sure that everything behind the scenes is running smoothly in order to make the display as interactive as possible for visitors.

“I was delighted to come back to Myerscough College to take a look at and discuss their two new eco systems and hopefully pass on some of the expertise I have learnt at the Museum over the last four years. I have always been passionate about animals, particularly reptiles and amphibians, and my time at the College really helped me develop and pursue a career within the sector.”

The enclosures are being designed and created by first year Foundation Degree Animal Management students as part of their Work Skills Development Module.

Ursula Jeziorski, Head of Animal Studies at Myerscough College, sees this module as an important step for the students to get some hands-on experience that will benefit them in the future and set them up for working life.

She said: “Reptiles and amphibians are becoming increasingly popular in the animal sector and we thought that this would be a great opportunity to work the maintenance of their habitat into the Work Skills Development Module. This module is always a popular one with the students and it allows them to get a real taste of the skills that they will need to secure a job in the industry.

“We were all delighted that Adam agreed to come back into the College and see what the students are working on and give them advice and guidance on the eco systems. Since leaving the College he really has proved himself to be an expert on the subject and his fantastic work at the Museum demonstrates that.”