Hard Work & Talent: Two Years of the Saturday Club

“The work rolls with the seasons and is varied. We recently did a butterfly survey. Winter is coming so the team will be stacking logs in 10 rows to feed the biomass boiler which heats South Ormsby Hall. We clear ragwort from the pastures to protect the Lincoln Red herd and we pick sloes for Tristan’s Massingberd-Mundy gins. It’s been a bumper year for fruiting trees so there’s a fair bit of apple-picking to do too.

“The Saturday Club has so far built and installed 100 nesting boxes to help boost biodiversity. We’re half-way through another 50 and in February we’ll clean out the existing ones ready for spring and take a census to see who’s been using them.

“We have regular enrichment talks in which local professionals generously give up their time to share their skills with the kids. We’ve gained insights into estate management, distilling, plumbing, tree surgery and much more over the last couple of years. Recently, Estate Photographer Damian Furlong shared tricks of the photography trade and let the kids try out some serious camera kit.

“Kitty is a good example of what our kids can achieve. This talented youngster was one of our early joiners. When she reached 16 years of age, we created a 16+ role for her. She’s now an assistant groundskeeper, working with Hall Steward Clint Coughlan. She’s just had great GCSE results and will be staying on at the Estate while she does her A-levels. She’ll be working a full Saturday in term-time and two weekdays in the school holidays.

“Kitty is a budding beekeeper. She and her dad are teaching Clint about beekeeping and helping him set up the Walled Garden’s own colonies. She’s also an artist and is picking up commissions. She donated a picture of a robin to a MacMillan coffee morning and it generated a lot of interest. Clint loved it and bought it.

“While we are currently full, the waiting list is open again. Interested readers are welcome to drop me a line at Clarice.Weston@southormsbyestate.co.uk.”

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