|
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 Ltd. call Andy Clark on 01243 523500 or visit
www.kontronuk.com
|
