On Wednesday 13th of March, the South of England Agricultural Society hosted the 26th edition of the Jim Green Challenge at its Showground. It brought together 120 students and adults with additional educational needs from across Kent, Sussex, and Surrey, and this year, the event was attended by the Society’s 2024 President, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO.
The Challenge featured a diverse range of competitions and evidence-based project work, encompassing skills such as practical crafts, verbal identification, pre-planning, and effective presentation of evidence. Engaging tasks this year included constructing a model sheep from recycled materials, arranging a vase with collected dried flowers, seed heads, grasses, twigs, and evergreens, creating a wooden toy with movable parts using hand-held tools only, baking vanilla sponge cupcakes adorned with sheep decorations, and cultivating various spring bulbs in a planter.
Participants also underwent practical assessments involving identifying pond life, constructing a self-supporting scarecrow, and preparing a flowerbed with compost and tidy edges for Spring planting.
The Duchess visited each area of the event, watching the various challenges, inspecting the many entries, and meeting students and representatives from the participating colleges and education centres, as well as the team of Society staff and volunteers who organised the Challenge.
The event, held annually in honour of the Society’s founder of educational outreach programmes, Jim Green, who passed away in 1998, was adjudicated by a team of regional experts. This year’s participating teams included Aldingbourne Country Centre, Brinsbury College, Manor Green College, Nescot College, Plumpton College, Princess Christian’s Farm, St Piers College, Step by Step School and Woodlands Meed College.
Throughout the day, participants showcased remarkable teamwork in various team-based activities. During breaks, they engaged in enjoyable football activities with the Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation, tried their hand at milking with the Society’s model cow, interacted with obedient gun dogs and their trainers, and explored the Society’s tractors.
The event concluded with a bustling awards ceremony featuring certificates of participation presented by Michael Harris from Sussex Masonic Giving, the main sponsor of the event. Medals were awarded for outstanding achievements, and team shields were presented to category winners.
The Jim Green Trophy, for winning the identification section, went to the team from St Piers College, and the Jim Green Challenge Rose Bowl for the overall winners went to Brinsbury College. Each was presented with their trophies by The Duchess, who expressed her admiration for the efforts of all those involved in the day.
Bryony Paine, Study Programme Leader at Brinsbury College, remarked:
“The students at Brinsbury College have been working hard over the last few months to create some fantastic work in preparation for the Jim Green Challenge. It has become an important part of our curriculum each year, and the students gain a huge amount of skills from participating in the group challenges, such as teamwork, communication skills, horticulture knowledge and practical skills. We had the added excitement of The Duchess of Edinburgh’s visit, and the students were very proud to showcase their work. Brinsbury was very pleased to win the competition for the second year in a row, and they are already talking about the things they can do for next year.ˮ
Sarah Peay, daughter of the late Jim Green and chair of the South of England Agricultural Society’s Education Committee, concluded the event by expressing gratitude to all the students and staff from the participating colleges for their innovation and hard work. She also extended thanks to the event’s sponsors, including Sussex Masonic Giving, the Golden Lion Children’s Trust, and Carole Hayward, without whom such events would not be possible. Emphasising the Society’s charitable nature, she highlighted that public events like Spring Live! and the South of England Show support the Society’s vital educational work, as well as showcasing countryside industries to the public.
The Jim Green Challenge celebrates agriculture, horticulture, and the countryside, underscoring that appreciation of and involvement in these transcends age, background, education level, or physical capabilities. For those interested in participating in the 2025 event, more information can be found at https://www.seas.org.uk/countryside-learning/jim-green-challenge/.
