RHET Ayrshire and Arran have some fantastic volunteers and in this blog we are pleased to share some insights and feedback around engagement across their area. 

We often receive feedback from schools that we have engaged with, which confirms the positive impact that our volunteers have when they deliver talks or host visits.

Alastair and Lillias Love are two of our longest serving volunteers, having been involved with Ayrshire & Arran since it was established in 2003. Their enthusiasm and dedication to teaching the next generation about food and farming have never waned over the years, if anything it has become more so. Between them, Alastair and Lillias have delivered an amazing 100 plus farm visits and class talks in the last 6 years. Working as a team, Lillias often delivers talks to the school class before they visit the farm to meet Alastair.

“We enjoy volunteering as it brings children to farms who have never had the opportunity to see animals close up. It is a joy to watch their faces light up while teaching them new things about life on a real farm. It is an absolute privilege to be able to educate the children about what farmers do every day to allow them to have fresh food on their plates and know where it came from.”

Alastair & Lillias Love

At the other end of the scale, we have new volunteers who are just starting their RHET volunteering journey. 

David Smith- a first time RHET volunteer, reflects on speaking to pupils at a recent event at Dumfries House

 “I was approached to be a volunteer for RHET Ayrshire and Arran as an office bearer of both my local young farmers club (Crossroads) and the Ayrshire district.  Although I already had a very busy lifestyle I was keen to be involved and share my enthusiasm as a volunteer when I could.  My first experience was over two days in early November at Dumfries House, talking to children of primary 5 age group.  RHET were very flexible, and I was given a timetable to choose days and times that suited me best.

I’ll be completely honest and can admit I was reasonably nervous on my short drive to Dumfries House on the first morning, not knowing what reaction I would get from the kids and whether the content of my talk was interesting enough.  However, I was soon put at ease after my first talk, the engagement you get from the children about a topic they know very little about is great.  My experience was made even easier with the wonderful facilities of the CCOW trailer housing live animals and props for examples and also with the support of the other RHET volunteers/staff and Dumfries House employees.  I would recommend anyone with an enthusiastic interest in the agricultural industry to get involved and volunteer when they can.  Agriculture is experiencing challenges from the public now more than ever before and so we must help organisations like RHET to educate future generations.”

David Smith

In Ayrshire & Arran, we also deliver talks from the Countryside Classroom on Wheels.  After one visit to Hillhead Primary to talk to P1-P7, we received the following feedback:

“Firstly, I cannot thank you all enough for such a wonderful and successful event on Thursday! The kids loved it and so did the staff. I know the children's learning will be deepened and extended following on from your visit! Just one example...on Friday afternoon I had a chap on my classroom door and there entered two little P2's.  They had brought me crackers with butter they had made on their own as a direct result of the visit. How lovely is that?! Personally, this week in my class we are looking at living and non-living things and introducing food chains. I know there are lots of things happening in the school as a direct result of your visit. I have a raised bed in the school garden that I had planned to use for wildflowers, but I am now thinking of growing things instead, maybe potatoes?”  

After a long period of no farm visits due to Covid, one of our volunteers, David Leslie, hosted a visit for West Kilbride P4 at Campbelton Farm and received the following feedback:

“Thank you again for all your organising and help, it was much appreciated.  The children, myself and Classroom Assistant had a brilliant morning at the farm.  David was superb and we learned so much, which will be very useful when we start our farming topic next term.”

Over the coming months RHET will be delivering more farm visits and in Ayrshire and Arran we have a number of activities we are looking forward to including:

• Our Countryside Classroom on Wheels will be visiting 5 schools before the end of the session as well as attending a few of our local agricultural shows.
• We will be attending Lambing Live at Kilpatrick Farm, Blackwaterfoot
• We are looking forward to returning to Ayr Show and taking up our usual place in the education marquee.
• In partnership with Dumfries House, we are holding a 2 day Festival of Farming with approx. 600 pupils attending.
• Several more farm visits are organised with more requests expected.
• Our Early Years Boxes are booked out till the end of term 3
• We are looking forward to being part of the RHET Discovery Centre at the Highland Show

So, a big thank you to everyone who volunteers with us, across the whole RHET network, and if you don’t volunteer yet but would like to get involved you can find out more at Volunteers | Royal Highland Education Trust (rhet.org.uk)