REW11
October 01, 2023
Our final Rural Experience Week of 2023 funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust via their VPPP programme at Bicton College in Devon was held in wall to wall sunshine from Sunday 3rd September when we arrived, until Friday when we left – honestly, we were in T shirts all week!
Chris Shepherd had put together another fantastic timetable of activities for the veterans who had been referred by Stoll, Poppy Factory, First Light, RBLI, WWtW and Op Courage and the veterans’ comments below indicate that the purpose of the week, to improve veterans’ mental health and wellbeing was achieved many times over.
Monday was spent with Gary the RSPB Ranger at the Venn Ottery Reserve on Environmental Conservation activities including bracken clearing and making hibernation boxes for a Dormouse Survey and in the evening, a stroll along Budleigh Salterton beach was a relaxing way to end a busy first day.
On Tuesday we stayed in the Park at Bicton, where Chris split the veterans into two groups to spend the morning with Matt and Kirsty from Hi Line learning about rope access, and Lee Kimber taught the other group about chainsaw maintenance and use. In the afternoon the groups swapped about and in the evening, Kevin Bond hosted a visit to Bicton Home Farm to meet the dairy herd.
Wednesday and the sun was Still shining! Colonel Jane Davis and Bob Trunk from the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths came to visit us as they had introduced Ian Parmenter to HighGround, and today was the day we welcomed Ian and Dan Parker his Assistant to Bicton for another fascinating Blacksmithing session when everyone got the opportunity to make their own toasting fork. Who knew they would all look so, so different??
The other group were hosted at Forest School by Nick Murphy from Outdoors Group and after lunch, the 2 groups swapped around. We thank Colonel Jane and Bob for visiting and in the cool of the evening, Rob Batson hosted us at his Budleigh Riding Stables to meet the horses and sample delicious cream tea.
Matt and Kirsty returned to Bicton on Thursday to deliver a day’s First Aid + F training which, thanks to their excellent tuition everybody passed. This qualification is prized throughout the land-based sector and the opportunity to achieve this certificate was appreciated by all.
Martin and Zizi from SWV came to meet Chris and Anna on Thursday morning to discuss the timetable for the Rural Insight Weeks we will be delivering at Bicton in 2024, and we all had a busy day in the sunshine.
On Friday morning while Pete was wrapping up the week with the veterans, David Shaw who founded the Veterans Foundation called in to visit us. The VF is a loyal and generous supporter of HighGround’s work and he really enjoyed meeting the veterans and seeing Bicton for himself.
As always we offer our thanks to Bicton for looking after us so well, and to our hosts and presenters who give their time and knowledge so freely.
It has been a privilege to meet the veterans who have joined us for our Rural Experience Weeks over the last 2 years during the VPPP programme funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, and we hope they have enjoyed spending time at Bicton and sharing #outdoorsisbetter.
Last word goes to a veteran who served in the RAF Regiment and left in the 1990’s.
When we asked what he learned from his Rural Experience Week this is what he said:
“I learned to love myself again.”
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