Projects and Activities
Our activities revolve around horticultural and woodwork skills training.
Horticultural Training.
We work in association with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society (the Caley). Our horticulture training programmes are the Grow & Learn – “Roots” Level 1. and “Nurture” Level 2)
‘Roots’ is the starting point of learning and introduces the student to core horticultural tasks. There are:
- 7 core activities
- 13 additional activities
- 3 personal goals
Each student has a personal portfolio. Evidence of achievement and progress made is built up over a period of time that suites the needs of an individual.
Once the portfolio coursework has been assessed and verified; participants are awarded a Caley Grow and Learn ‘Roots’ certificate.
‘Nurture’ level 2 allows students to develop their skills further and build upon
knowledge gained from Roots level 1. In order to achieve the Roots level 2 award, individuals must undertake a minimum of:
- 7 core activities
- 6 additional project, group or individual activities
- 3 personal goals
Once again, a personal portfolio is built up that evidence achievement and progress made. After internal assessment and external verification successful individuals are awarded, the Caley Grow and Learn ‘Nurture’ certificate.
Through participation individuals will;
- Achieve award certificate
- Gain knowledge of horticulture
- Increase sense of wellbeing
- Learning about healthy living
- Increase greater social interaction
- Access to fresh air in a working environment
- Stress reduction through working in a natural environment
- Stress reduction through existing and new friendships
- Learning new skills
- Instil and increase confidence
- Sense of achievement
- Sense of identity
- Increase level of community cohesion
- Develop own opportunities to grow fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers
- Increasing opportunities to employability, additional learning, and voluntary prospects
We propagate most of our own plants, and any surplus is sold on to the general public, or, donated to other similar groups.
Skills Woodwork Workshop training.
Potters Garden have built upon the success of our horticultural training programmes with the addition of our Skills Woodwork Workshop.
This Woodwork programme came about from a student & volunteer monthly meeting. The students & volunteers asked our Trustees if it was possible to develop and include woodwork-based activities into a training programme. The Trustees listened to their request, what their needs were, and we delivered together.
There are many activities in the workshop, but on the whole they are based around bespoke garden furniture and animal ecosystem. Items such as garden bench and chairs, garden archway, bird-box and feeders and figurine’s we call Potters Men.
