General Student News
Gardening expert Dave calls it a day
A HORTICULTURAL teacher who has seen thousands of students pass through his classroom has ann-ounced he is to retire.
Dave Feaver started working at Pershore College in 1975 and was appointed head of horticulture in 1996. In 33 years, Mr Feaver has seen considerable change in both the industry and the college. The most recent change was the merger between Pershore College and War-wickshire College.
A college spokesman said: "Having worked with no fewer than four principals at Pershore, Dave's enthusiasm, knowledge and dedication to both the industry, and college, has been one of the driving forces behind Pershore's reputation within the industry."
Since the merger, Mr Feaver has worked with Warwickshire College on the redevelopment of the Per-shore campus.
This has included drawing up the specifications for the new glass-houses and biomass boiler that is currently out to tender, as well as plans to replace the existing accommodation hostels and teaching areas with new sustainable facilities for which investment was negotiated as part of the merger.
Mr Feaver's work in recent years contributed to the Pershore Group of Colleges winning the 2007 Green Gown Award as Britain's greenest college. Based around a whole college' approach to sustainability, Mr Feaver was specifically involved in rainwater harvesting from the roof of the new library that is then used to irrigate Pershore's commercial plant nursery and further recycled.
The water-recycling project, teaching and work with employers were a major contribution to the award of the horticultural centre of vocational excellence (CoVE) status at Pershore.
It also led to the establishment of an employers group at Pershore that attracted the UK's leading employers and trade bodies to its inaugural meeting last January.
During Mr Feaver's time at Pershore, the college has held two national plant collections, is the only college-based RHS Centre, has regularly won RHS medals and has a national reputation for excellence attested by CoVE status and, recently, an outstanding Ofsted report.
8:26am Wednesday 23rd April 2008
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