(L-R) Damion Fidock, Kieran Munnelly, Jerome Holt and Marcus Rescorle with the glass packing crates before and after their transformation to planters. (click image to enlarge)
Students and staff at Cornwall College St Austell are ready to get creative and green fingered by giving the local railway station a breath of fresh air and compost!
After talks with the Station Manager at St Austell, the college came up with detailed plans about how to brighten up their grey landscape; namely the bus, car park, station platforms and surrounding areas. The ideas include getting construction students to build bespoke planters for new flower or plant arrangements at the front of the station and on the platforms, designing a border for the back of the staff car park and cleaning up the surrounding area.
Naming themselves the Cornwall College Community Collective, the construction students of the group from entry level Multi-craft are busy making 16 planters from recycled glass packing crates from Cornwall Glass. With building the planters from recycled material, the group have spent many hours sanding, planning and painting the new additions to the workshop.
Tracey Brereton, Course Manager for Core Key Skills, commented: “The Cornwall College Community Collective is about to embark on a new community project. Thanks to a donation from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and Cornwall Glass for providing materials as well as a donation, the college learners are going to revitalise the platforms and garden areas. It’s an ideal opportunity for all of our students to use their energy and expertise in creating something that the community can share and also make a visual difference for visitors to St Austell.
“Unfortunately we do need more funding so we can maintain the planters and the arrangements at the station throughout the year. If there are any kind businesses or individuals out there that would like to help us please contact the college.”
With the left over wood from the recycled packing crates the group have also been creating kindling to sell to help raise funds for the project.
Students and staff are currently sourcing plants and seeds to begin planning the planting of the planters all year round. The first planters will be decorated using plants, as the seeds will need to grow into a fine selection of crops; work has already begun in the College’s poly tunnels. The group are also looking for donations of seeds and plants that they can use at the station.
Dave Linnell, Principal of Cornwall College said: “This is a great community spirited project, our students are thriving on the fact that they will be creating something that thousands of visitors to St Austell Station will see. With so many groups working on this it’s great to see such team work and determination to improve our local surroundings.”
For more information on courses at Cornwall College St Austell please contact 0845 22 32 567. If any other local business would like to support this by way of donation or sponsoring a planter on the platform please contact Tracey Brereton on 01726 226760 or email tracey.brereton@cornwall.ac.uk
