As pupils returned to school this week under the governments ‘Roadmap’, Pershore High School in Worcestershire has also seen some unwanted visitors arrive.
The Pershore School horticultural unit, gives school students the opportunity to learn some of the skills of horticulture and gardening techniques, was broken into overnight. They could now do with your help to help replace items of equipment stolen.
Anne Watson, the teacher running the unit said: “It is heartbreaking for us all especially the students – they are having a tough enough time at the moment as it is, without this sort of thing happening."
Items stolen include:
- 5 pairs of Kent and Stowe secateurs
- 1 pair Kent and Stowe left handed secateurs
- 5 Spear and Jackson hand forks
- 5 Darlac hand trowels
- 1 Wilkinson Sword folding pruning saw
- 4 pairs of Town & Country gardening gloves
- I Kent and Stowe digging spade
- Our Stanley tool box which had all sorts of bits in there, screwdrivers, pliers, hammer, spanner set, wire cutters and that sort of thing.
"The value of things taken, probably barely comes to £200, but to us as a unit, which has to be entirely self funding, it is a big blow. We are hoping that some suppliers of gardening equipment can help us out with replacing the stolen tools.
This year especially, we have lost so much opportunity for the students to raise money by producing plants and cut flowers for sale to staff and parents as well as growing produce for the school kitchens because of the lockdowns. We are just fortunate the one shed, which has all our Wolf Multi-change tools, donated to us by E.P. Barrus last year and used by our wheelchair bound students, was left untouched.”
Anne continued: “It is a setback for us, especially at this time of year when we are working hard to catch up with the students and Covid regulations mean we are trying to limit the number of students who use each tool to reduce the risk of infection. We have been very lucky in the past to have so much support from garden product manufacturers and local garden centres with even things like compost and packets of seeds, along with much of our equipment donated."
The school is one of only a few mainstream schools in the country to have its own dedicated horticultural unit where students can experience some of the skills of horticulture and gardening. Four years ago the school achieved the status of “Approved Centre for Royal Horticultural Society Qualifications”. This means that students can gain a recognised horticultural grade through the RHS assessment process which helps them into employment or further education.
Neil Gow, who many of us from the garden retail industry know, volunteers at the school as a horticultural trainer and assessor added: “Students who have gained some experience with us have gone on to further qualifications at specialist colleges and got work locally in garden centres and private or National Trust gardens. We have just heard this week that another of our students has gained a place at Pershore College of Horticulture to start his course this autumn.”
If you can help out with the supply of items, contact Neil Gow via ngow@pershore.worcs.sch.uk or the school direct:
The Horticultural Unit, Pershore High School, Station Road, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 2BX
T: 01386 552471 W: http://www.pershore.worcs.sch.uk/ E: office@pershore.worcs.sch.uk
