Foundation Magazine 2021-2022 | Mount Kelly

CHARITY & VOLUNTEERING
VOLUNTEERING
Mount Kelly is committed to working with and supporting
the local community, and the Volunteering and Service
programme forms an important part of this. All Year 9
and 10 pupils dedicate two hours a week to Service over the
year, some as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award and others
just for the experience. Older pupils also find time during the
week to get involved in volunteering projects.
This year opportunities have opened up again in Tavistock,
although we have not been able to re-establish all our
placements, in local care homes and primary schools, for
example. Year 9 have been out and about litter-picking in
Tavistock and in Bere Alston, thus supporting the efforts of the
local ‘Tidy Tavi’. A second group has continued our good work
at Yelverton Playpark, weeding, planting and keeping the park
litter-free. They have also designed and built a small sensory
garden in the park.
Year 10 have been involved in maintaining our market garden
at the Prep site, weeding, sewing and growing flowers and
vegetables. A small number of pupils have worked with the
DT department, restoring and repairing parts to be refitted to
Olga, the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter maintained by the charity
Tectona, so that pupils can enjoy sailing on her again next year.
Another group has spent Wednesday afternoons baking tasty
treats which are then sold on site to raise money for our school
charity.
Several senior pupils looking for a career in medicine have
been able to help out at Tavistock Memory Café, who support
those living with dementia, their family, friends and carers. This
has been an invaluable experience for them, as placements in
hospitals are still restricted. Pupils have also worked in several
charity shops, including St. Luke’s, Oxfam, CHSW and Devon
Air Ambulance, while others have been busy helping out on the
Prep site, working with younger pupils in Science and DT, or
helping in the boarding houses.
We are very grateful for the support of the local community of our
volunteering programme and for the welcome they consistently
show our pupils.
MARKET GARDEN
The Market Garden has been a hive of activity this year.
Highlights from the diary include:
Secured the fencing so that the rabbits did not feast
before we did; planted new fruit trees (apple and pear) in the
orchard; ‘welcomed’ the trees with wassailing (singing songs to
them) and pouring on apple juice in a special ceremony; made
good the strawberry patch and covered with netting (so far no
signs that the deer have worked-out how to get their noses
under it!); and a whole host of gardening action in the green
house.
Given that the decision was made for the Market Garden to
be an ‘organic’ space, as ever, much weeding has been
accomplished. Now that the garden is established, the
ferociousness of the weedlings has abated somewhat and,
furthermore, the dock weed resembles less the ‘triffids’ from
the John Wyndham book; but still requires much labour.
Pupils undertook research in the laboratory. Annually, we
conduct a soil survey and test the quality of the soil by taking
sample to the Chemistry labs and test them for potassium,
phosphorous and nitrogen. It is a messy job but a good one for
a rainy winter’s day - a little blood, fish and bone was added to
the soil following evaluation.
Pupils particularly enjoyed a research session on tea growing. It
is our plan to begin growing our own tea, and it was fascinating
to discover that our local climate is quite suited to such an
endeavour. We also discovered the difference in the processing
needed to make tea either ‘white’, ‘black’ or green’.
The spring is an awesome time for this project, and at the time
of writing, the beds are showing growth including the carrots
and maize; the trees are in blossom, and the calabrese in the
greenhouse is ready to plant out, with all the other seedings,
too, making their journey out into the light, ready for the growing
season. If we can keep them with enough to drink (and stay
on top of the weeds), we should be able to look forward to a
bumper harvest in the Summer.
By Benedict Haydn-Davies
CHARITY & VOLUNTEERING
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