Witney College students help on the Eynsham allotments.
Over the summer holidays students from the Steps 3 and 4 programmes at Abingdon and Witney college worked as Wychwood v volunteers to help to clear the footpath along the side of the allotments at Eynsham. The young people had worked with Wychwood v Project Officer Jane Bowley in the summer term on footpath and habitat management work and were delighted to meet up with their friends in the holidays to have another go at bramble bashing and branch lopping.
Jane said, ‘They are such an enthusiastic group and so much fun to work with. They are amazed at what they can get done in a short space of time and it is also great to see their skills and understanding of the work grow all the time. Judging from their swings with the grass slashers some of them will make very good golfers’.
Alex in the swing of it
Alex in the swing of it
Caterpillar
Kate found a caterpillar
Lunch time
Lunch time
Jade hard at work
Jade hard at work
Anthony hard at work
Anthony hard at work
Time for tea!
Tea time for the hard working volunteers.
The group really enjoyed working on the allotments and admired the fantastic crops growing all around them. The allotment holders were very thankful that it was one job they didn’t have to worry about so they could give more time to their vegetables and fruit.
Alex and James were particularly pleased that they cut down a tree that had been blocking the path. James said, ‘I really enjoy working outside and doing something useful with my time’ and Katie said, ‘I hope we can come out again next holiday it has been great, especially using the shears’. They also enjoyed the variety of bugs, beetles and butterflies that they came across and took some excellent photographs for recording and identification.
Wychwood v is funded by the national youth volunteering organisation vinspired, (www.vinspired.com) which is aiming to inspire a new generation of volunteers aged 16-25. For more information about the Wychwood v project please contact Jane Bowley on 01993 814131 or email wychwood.v@oxfordshire.gov.uk.
Contact Details
Wychwood Project
Countryside Service
Oxfordshire County Council
Signal Court
Old Station Way
Eynsham
Oxford OX29 4TL
