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Disabled horticulture students collect their graduation certificates

Date: 14 Dec 2006

Disabled students celebrated their success at completing NVQ and NPTC-level courses in horticulture during a graduation ceremony at the John Grooms FAITH Plant Centre in Wolves Lane, Haringey. The project is part funded by the Learning and Skills Council through their Local Initiative Development programme which is managed by Urban Futures.

The students gathered with family and friends at FAITH on Wednesday 13th December and Manager Stuart Hopking kick-started the events by saying a few words of congratulations to students. Out of a class of 43, 23 students were able to attend on the day. FAITH trainers Fiona Binks and Clare Ritson took to the stage alongside Cllr Sheik Thompson, Deputy Mayor and Labour Member for Tottenham Hale Ward. The students’ names were then called out one by one, so that each person could go to the stage and collect their certificates to a round of applause.

As student Grahame North collected his certificate, he said: “It means a lot to me to learn so much about plants, as people here know. Nature means a lot to me and I never thought I could do so much with my time. It’s been a great pleasure to work here with Stuart and everyone and I’m very thankful for everything that everyone has done to help me.”

Once all the certificates had been handed out, Cllr Thompson said: “No matter what we do in life, there is nothing better than watching horticulture growing because we can all learn so much from nature. Nothing is more beautiful than a rose, and nothing is more powerful than the growth of the human spirit.”

FAITH is a unique training and education project. Working in partnership with Haringey Council and Urban Futures, FAITH offers local disabled people the opportunity to train in horticulture and gain nationally recognised qualifications. During the courses and associated work placement, students are given support to help increase their confidence and skills, ensuring improved employment success.

FAITH is open seven days a week selling plants to the public which also gives the participants the opportunity to understand the retail side of things. It also supplies plants for Haringey Council parks and offers a workplace plant supply and maintenance service by supervised trainees. John Grooms is hoping to expand this social enterprise side of the project.

Tunde Awofolaju, project manager from Urban Futures said, “According to figures from the Local Area Labour Force Survey 2004, 17.3 per cent of working-age people in the borough of Haringey are disabled, which is equivalent to 26,000 people. Projects like this are an excellent way to provide the disabled community with opportunities to improve their skills and give them the confidence that they can actually work and contribute to society, which is all anybody wants.”

For more information on John Grooms visit www.johngrooms.org.uk. For more information on Urban Futures visit www.urbanfutures.org.uk and for more information on Objective 2 LSC/LID project visit www.lsc.gov.uk.

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