PETER PAN FLIES INTO THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND CENTRE - 17/03/2010

The Jim Green Memorial Competition recognises its namesake’s lifelong interest in the education and training of young people. Organised by the South of England Agricultural Society, the competition is focused on students with mild or moderate learning difficulties.

The Competition was introduced 12 years ago and this year’s event took place on 17 March 2010 with nine teams competing for the coveted top award.

Students put their skills to the test in a day of fun and education at the South of England Centre at Ardingly. Young people and adults with learning difficulties from colleges and day centres in Sussex and Surrey took part. The annual event aims to test competitors in a wide range of activities and skills that are pertinent to farming and the rural way of life. The tasks included planting window boxes, creating a racing car sculpture from recycled materials and crafting a scarecrow in the form of a cartoon character. Other tasks involved collages, cooking, photography and horticulture.

The competition comprises two sections; exhibits that are produced in advance and presented on the day and tasks that are completed on the day in a lively interactive fashion, to the delight of the invited guests and judges.

The overall winner, with its accumulated points throughout the day, was Nescot College – Team B. They also won first prize with their Peter Pan scarecrow. This flight of fancy was superbly crafted with ivy leaves and intricate detailing. Popular subjects in the scarecrow class were Sponge Bob Square Pants, Bart Simpson and Super Mario.

Other challenges included making a collage depicting a village scene, presenting a visual diary illustrating an outing; producing a portfolio that details the construction of a wooden planter; planting up a small window box; identifying a range of eggs, sugars, beans and pulses; preparing a flower bed for planting and making everyone’s savoury favourite – a classic quiche lorraine.

The competition was established in memory of Jim Green, a former South of England Agricultural Society Chairman, who was committed to helping young people with special needs to enjoy and learn about countryside. The event has become a real family occasion and this year saw his widow, Mrs Ann Green presenting the winning prize, daughter Sarah Peay was instrumental in the organisation of the day, son in law, Barry ensured that the judges had all relevant equipment and totalled the scores, while granddaughter Kirsty Peay was a steward.

Teams taking part came from Manor Green College in Crawley ( who entered two teams); Plumpton College near Lewes; Chichester College (Brinsbury Campus, who entered two teams); the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy – NCYPE - from Lingfield; Nescot College from Epsom (who entered two teams) and East Surrey College. The overall winners were Nescot College, Team B.

The students were delighted to welcome the Society’s Deputy President, Jim Rutherford who presented certificates to every participant and the runner up prizes. Also supporting the teams were the competition sponsors, Vice Patrons and Trustees of the Society, members of Council, and Mrs Deborah Barber, the Director of the Society.

Deborah Barber said: “We always look forward to this Competition which is thoroughly enjoyed by the students and has a wonderful atmosphere throughout the day. Each year the creative standard is uniformly high and we are delighted to welcome so many teams to this popular annual competition.”

She added: “We would like to thank the students for all their hard work and the judges, stewards and sponsors who helped to make the day such a success.”