On Monday the Rambutan bunch had a fantastic day volunteering for the Green Lifeboat Challenge project on the river Soar, near Leicester. The project is run by Riverside Rangers from Leicester City Council and since 1995 has been addressing the daily problem of floating debris on our waterways. As well as removing litter, the project is vital for clearing a particular type of weed which stifles river life.

It was great to have the chance to give something back to the local community and have a positive and sustainable impact on the environment. Not only was it a fun day out but it offered a fantastic opportunity for team-building. Everyone played their part and agreed it’s one day we will remember for a long time to come. We were really pleased with the volume of rubbish we collected which even included an old shopping trolley!

We’re always on the lookout for other voluntary opportunities to get involved in. If you have a project that you need some help with let us know.

Over 200 teachers and teaching assistants from the Harborough area gathered at Meadowdale school yesterday to discuss providing an even more brilliant primary school service for the town.

Before the children start back from their holidays later in the week, colleagues from all of the area’s primary schools met together for the first time in over three years.

David went along to lead the discussions which included how to engage and use creativity to inspire others, “it was a privilege to have the staff from all of the Harborough primary schools together in one place and to feel the energy and hear the enthusiasm they generated.”

After the morning’s session teachers from across all of the schools said they would: look at things from a different angle, seek out positives, and use children’s outside interests to engage them in school work.

Meadowdale’s headteacher, Mrs Rodger, said “We have all had a great day. I hope it has given everyone something to reflect on and will make a positive difference to how we do the best job in the world!”

We recently held our annual Christmas card design competition.

Children in year 2 at Meadowdale primary school were asked to come up with a design for our Christmas card, which we send out to people throughout the UK and Europe. As well as giving a prize for the winning entry, we donated £200 to the school for taking part.

It’s a great way for us to engage with our local community and to encourage creativity amongst the children at the school. We love the idea of having a Christmas card that’s refreshingly unique, and hope the children had fun creating them. We successfully ran the same competition at Great Bowden primary school last year. The standard of designs was very high and loads of effort went into them. It was a real challenge to pick out a winner.

The winner is Dotty Harriman, aged 6 pictured here with Meadowdale’s headteacher, Mrs Roger and the winning design.

David had his scariest moment for a number of years last week…

“I was asked to do a talk that would ‘inspire’ 400 students from year 11 at Countesthorpe Community College as a part of an event organised by Leicestershire Education Business Company (LEBC). My talk was based around the following theme:

‘Your biography is being written…moment by moment, line by line, by the great author in the sky. The bad news is that you can’t go back and edit anything that has already been written. The good news is that you can change what is written from this moment to the final chapter.’

The night before I was due to speak I bounced this theme and my talk off my 14 year and her feedback was a priceless lesson in understanding your audience. Here is what she told me:

‘Dad the first thing that you need to know is that you are not funny. You think you are funny, and we laugh because we’re your family, but you’re not and that joke you do where you pretend to be confused about social media by referring to FaceTube was done two years ago by Hannah Montana and it wasn’t funny then. Your theme is OK but you need to engage with the kids so here are some tips:

• if you tell them they’ve got to listen they won’t…if you tell them not to listen they might
• no one in the audience will want to admit that they’re good at something…it’s just not cool at their age so don’t pick on anyone
• COD is not a fish but is an acronym for an X-box game called Call Of Duty
• they will listen if they think that you are giving them some tips on how to be rich or famous or both
• if that fails £20 notes will buy their attention
• don’t wear a suit, dress like a teacher or try to dress like the kids do

Well the tips worked and Lucy Wake from LEBC sent me some feedback:

‘You managed to capture the students’ attention very quickly, and as this is not the sort of audience that I am sure you work with usually, you showed your adaptability to the environment. I was impressed!  Your stories were really interesting, relevant and amusing.’
OK so I’m £80 out of pocket but it’s worth it for the chance to share a bit of Rambutan wisdom with a very deserving bunch.
Further information on the day can be found on the college website.  Thanks to Lucy from LEBC for inviting me along.”

Lance and Judith had a great day helping a group of volunteers make a lasting difference to the community facilities of St. Nicholas Fields Environment Centre in York.

Just for fun the day was done in the style of ‘The Apprentice’. Volunteers were split into two groups. After a ‘getting to know you’ session each team was given details of their tasks and were expected to make a detailed plan (including costs) of what they were going to do. Once their plans had been presented back to ‘Nick’ and ‘Karen’ (aka Lance and Judith) they were allowed to start the work.

The event created such interest within the city that the York Evening Press not only sent a photographer, but commissioned a short film to be made. With Radio York conducting interviews, it’s fair to say St. Nicholas Fields is going to see an increase in visitors.

The finale saw both teams presenting their work to the Lord Mayor who was delighted with what she saw, leaving ‘Lord Sugar’ (Jon Whitaker) with no alternative but to hire them all!

Want to see some more?…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9uLc0Z3hIM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SijBzrEIriM

Photos kindly supplied by the York Press and Friends of St Nicholas Fields

On November 13th and 14th Craig completed a 155 mile charity cycle ride from the Palace theatre in Newark on Trent to the Palace theatre in central London – all done to raise money for Bowbridge Primary school in Newark so that each and every child can go to see the pantomime!

The cycle ride was completed on a weekend of gale force winds, driving rain and bitter cold – sounds great fun! It was really tough going and on occasions London seemed a very long way away (which come to think of it, it was!), yet by keeping total focus on the end goal and thinking the right positive stuff Craig was able to complete this gruelling ride.

At certain times during the ride – 6pm on the first day, in the dark, on the A45, in rush hour traffic, being blown around like a crisp bag, it was this absolute mind set of achievement and looking at the outcome that got Craig to London.

It’s easy in life to look at the challenges that face you and to let them overpower you but it’s amazing what a positive attitude can help you achieve.  When the going gets tough the tough start smiling!

Try it…who knows what can happen if you dare to smile at a challenge?

Well done for smiling our Craig – we’re really proud of you!

The man himself - ready for action

The media frenzy as he set off!

The end!

Pupils at Tang Hall Primary School, in York were in for a treat when they returned from their half-term break after David and Lance took part in the ‘York Cares Community Challenge’.  The three-day challenge gave a ‘Ground Force’ style makeover to the outdoor educational and recreational areas of the school.

The volunteers have:

• created new nature zones
• given an upgrade to the reading area including new storytelling chairs and carvings
• created new vegetable and flower beds
• decorated outdoor areas including bright new murals and a new bike path and train area

The event saw 15 young people taking part in an apprentice style challenge.  Split into two teams, they each had to design  and renovate an area of the school grounds presenting their plans and budgets to ‘Nick and Margaret’ (David and Lance).  With coaching and guidance from the two Rambutan’s they had to deliver the project on time and within budget. Once complete they unveiled the new look areas to ‘Sir Alan Sugar’ (Ian Hall) and gathered friends and guests including the Lord Mayor of York.

Our very own Nick and Margaret aka David and Lance

Deputy Head of Tang Hall Primary School, Bev Pawson says…

“We can’t believe it!  The children were so excited when they saw their new look play area.  It has made such a difference to the playground and allows the children to let of steam in a fun and safe environment before returning to their lessons.”

Ahhhhh!!