A Week on the Estate: Jack at Work, Saturday Club Expands & Volunteer Meet-Ups

Speaking of good opportunities, the Saturday Club now has an empty waiting list. The Saturday Club offers young people between 13 and 17 years of age the chance to tackle some of the vital, hands-on jobs that go into running a 21st-century rural estate. They also earn a wage and get to pick up all sorts of useful skills and knowledge through our enrichment scheme.

The Saturday Club’s first year of operation has been a resounding success. Some of our original young workers are coming up to 16, and rather than lose their experience we’ve chosen to expand the club into two teams of five, each with a 16-year-old team leader. We’ll get more work done this way while ensuring safe spacing. It will also give the older kids a pay rise and a route to progression. If you’d like to enquire or register your interest in future vacancies, email Clarice: Clarice.Weston@southormsbyestate.co.uk.

The Saturday Club has grown in all sorts of ways. Estate Photographer Damian Furlong photographed the club’s original line-up in our gorgeous parkland last summer. He’s re-visiting the shot several times a year to chronicle changing seasons, growing kids and new faces. It paints a fascinating picture.

Last weekend, the Saturday Club enjoyed an enrichment talk on photographic skills from Damian Furlong. He got the team up close and personal with all sorts of flora, fauna and fungi. They found some spectacular bracket fungi and an abundance of meadow flowers. They also moved a newt and some shrews out of harm’s way.

Elsewhere on the estate, it’s all go at the Community Vegetable Garden. Last weekend, the volunteers sowed coriander, basil, parsley and chives in handsome brick planters at The Old School Tea & Coffee Shop which should offer some resistance to frost come winter. They also worked hard to spruce up and plant up the greenhouse area. Want to volunteer? Read on!

The Community Vegetable Garden will be holding regular meet-ups for volunteers on the second Saturday of each month from 10th July. Anyone interested in volunteering is welcome to come and see what it’s all about. For times and places, or for any other queries, drop Nicky a line: nicky.coxon@southormsbyestate.co.uk.