MUSEUM’S SCHOOLS FARMING PROJECT WINS
SUPPORT OF LOCAL FIRM
Kontron UK Ltd
enables Bognor school to join
the ‘Year of Food and Farming’
at the
Weald & Downland
Open Air Museum
School children from
Bognor Regis will be taking part in a year long countryside project at the
Weald and Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton, near Chichester, thanks
to the generosity of a local firm. Chichester-based computer specialists
Kontron UK Ltd have financed the transport costs for around 45 Year One
pupils from Bartons Infant School to visit the Museum for the duration of
the project.
The ‘Year of Food
and Farming’, is a nationwide initiative which aims to promote healthy
living by offering young people direct experience of the countryside,
farming and food. With HRH the Prince of Wales as Patron, the Year runs
from September 2007 to July 2008. The Weald and Downland Museum’s Schools
Services Department is running a project with three Sussex schools,
designed to reconnect young people with the seasonality of their food and
help them appreciate the importance of farming, the countryside and the
environment. These children will have unlimited access to the Museum and
resources throughout the year. The work will form part of a regional
Teachers Conference in June 2008, plus additional resources for other
schools made available via the Museum’s education website.
By financing the
coach transport to and from the Museum for the duration of the scheme,
Kontron UK have enabled the children from Bartons Infant School to
participate in this exciting ‘hands-on’ project. Without Kontron’s
support, the school was unable to meet the transport costs. As England’s
leading museum of historic buildings and rural life, the Weald and
Downland Museum undertakes traditional farming throughout the year on its
45 acre downland site. It is ideally placed to offer schools memorable,
first-hand learning as part of this initiative.
Marion Daley, Head Teacher of Bartons Infant School commented “Thanks to the
generosity of Kontron UK the children are able to participate in the ‘Year
of Food and Farming’. They are already looking forward to their first visit
to the Museum to learn about the importance of harvest time and to help in
the fields with the potato harvest in particular!”
Ian Hamer, MD of Kontron UK said “We are delighted to have assisted local
children and the Museum in this worthwhile initiative. The benefits will
last far beyond this first year, not only helping the children to appreciate
the importance of a healthy lifestyle, but in assisting the Museum with
developing teaching materials and resources to benefit other children’s
learning experiences in the future.”
The Museum is committed to the preservation of the historic buildings in its
care, and to maintaining the traditions and skills of rural life through
regular demonstrations, and well established schools and lifelong learning
programmes. Sponsorship and support is always welcome from organisations
interested in helping the Museum meet these objectives in the long term. For
further details please contact Julie Aalen at the Museum on 01243 811010,
email
admin@wealddown.co.uk .
For further information about the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum’s Year
of Food and Farming Project contact Jennie Peel, School Services Manager on
01243 811028, email
education@wealddown.co.uk.
For more information on the Year of Food and Farming visit
www.yearoffoodandfarming.org.uk .
For more information on Kontron UK call Andy Clark on 01243 523500 or visit
www.kontronuk.com .
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The
award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building
exhibits and is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance
of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working
watermill producing wholemeal stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on
traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens, farm
livestock and a working Tudor kitchen. The Museum runs a well-established
programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts. There is a
café which uses the Museum’s own flour and a shop with gifts and books on
countryside and buildings themes. The modern Downland Gridshell houses the
Museum’s building conservation centre and artefact collection. There is a
daily tour at 1.30pm when the Museum is open, and an appointments system for
visits to the collections for research purposes.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Reporters and photographers are welcome at the Museum.
For
further information call the Museum information line on 01243 811348 or
contact Cathy Clark, Marketing Officer
Tel:
01243
811014.
Fax:
01243 811475
Email:
marketing@wealddown.co.uk.
Full
details about the Museum and its activities can be found at
www.wealddown.co.uk
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