Agriculture students at Walford and North Shropshire College will complete a charity, 24 hour ploughing marathon, on Friday and Saturday September 16 and 17.

The first year students have been offered an 80 hectare site which they aim to plough in a single day.

The students, guided by tutor Freddie Pullan, have divided into small working groups with responsibility for organising key aspects of the event, including the crucial equipment, tractors, ploughs and fuel. Equally important are ensuring refreshments are available, rest facilities and a round the clock supply of quality tractor drivers!!

The site at Little Bolas, Telford TF6 6PT is farmed by Sydney Farms Ltd whose directors are college governor and Farm Advisory Committee chairman Bruce Udale, Isabel Udale Moseley and Richard Moseley. As well as the 80 hectares being allocated to the college, an additional 60 hectares will be used by agricultural dealers for an autumn cultivation demonstrations area. Sydney Farms Ltd will pay the College for any work the students do that helps save their own autumn cultivations.

The students are giving up their own time to help benefit both themselves and future Walford and North Shropshire College students.

The money raised will go towards decorating and upgrading the student’s social and rest facilities at the campus and supporting the RD Park Trust a charity set up in memory of Walford College’s first principal Don Park, that offers financial support for study trips and educational tours. Local agricultural machinery manufacturers and suppliers already committed to supporting the event include, The Alamo group, Kuhn, Edwards & Farmer, Ravenhill, Morris Corfield Rea Valley Tractors, Robert Davies Machinery and Grimme Shrewsbury.

Walford and North Shropshire College has recently completed a £1.5 million investment programme at the Walford Campus, including Caradoc a 24 bedroom en-suite accommodation block and The Collins Engineering Centre, a new classroom and workshop block.

Jon Parry, Director of Walford, said “this is a great example of students taking responsibility and utilising their own time and effort to help improve the College environment.” There’s still time for agricultural dealers to get involved – contact Jon Parry at j.parry@wnsc.ac.uk

For more information about courses available at Walford and North Shropshire College please visit our website at www.wnsc.ac.uk or call 01939 262100.