Our pre-supported internship horticultural group have been working hard helping local organisations in their conservation efforts, with two students receiving special honours for their hard work and dedication.
Student Rebekah King was chosen by her tutor to speak on the radio about her group’s work with Forest of Avon.
The group recently undertook a six-week placement with the organisation, meeting at local park Manor Wood and undertaking essential maintenance work including planting oak trees, harvesting apples from wild orchards, coppicing hazel and clearing and building footpaths.
Another student, Yassin, has been honoured with a spot on the shortlist for the Environmental Hero Award category at the Bristol Young Heroes Awards.
Yassin has been on the pre-supported internship course for two years, and during that time has undertaken a variety of horticultural projects with organisations including Bristol Park Works, One Tree One Child and a local food bank, where he helped to create a vegetable garden.
Yassin’s tutor, Diana Stewart, said “Yassin is a young man who puts his all into everything, and is always going over and above. He is very interested in the environment and regularly does extra work at home, for example after spending a week planting a wild flower meadow, he brought in a self-taught project he had done about the insects who are often found in those environments.”
The pre-supported internship course aims to give students transferable work skills and prepare them to progress to a supported internship, through a format which combines time in college and time working for employers.
On their days with employers, students also learn life skills like using the bus, resilience, punctuality and safety.
Diana added “They take great pride in their work and love being outdoors. Lots of practical skills come out in the students while doing horticulture that you wouldn’t see in the classroom. They really get stuck in and love meeting other volunteers, and the benefit to their wellbeing is huge. It really helps to get them prepared for working life and it’s fantastic to see.”
