The Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T Level learners have had another exciting day out, visiting Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm in Butcombe as part of their induction. 

Weston College have been proud partners of Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm for many years and have supported many of our students during this time. It is an amazing charity that supports and empowers socially disadvantaged people with learning difficulties, creating an immersive and safe environment where they can learn, build their confidence, and prepare for employment. 

By taking our Construction T Level learners here, it gives them a better understanding of some of our partner charities and how important it is to give back to society. During this trip, they took part in team-building activities and learnt new skills to help introduce them to the course. 

Before the main activity commenced, the students took a tour of the farm to familiarise themselves with the environment, exploring the crops and admiring the animals as they went. They were then tasked with a team building, survival activity that required them to light a fire from scratch and boil a ‘Kelly kettle’ full of water to make everyone a hot chocolate or coffee. 

Once everyone was refreshed and hydrated, the students began working on their main task: repurposing donated pallets into furniture! 

Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm had received some wooden pallets as a donation but had no real use for them, so asked our year 1 Construction T Level students if they could design and create pieces of furniture in groups that could be used around the farm, reducing waste and improving sustainability. 

Both groups decided to repurpose the pallets into seats so they could be used around the farm by both learners and visitors. Once they had been made, the seats were painted green, ready to be used around the farm. 

But the fun didn’t stop there! Some learners also took part in the ‘Chilli Challenge’ where they got the chance to try a variety of Uncle Paul’s homegrown chillies, some of which proved to be very hot! 

Daniel Comerford, one of our Construction lecturers at Weston College, said “everyone enjoyed the day very much. The leaners got to know each other better and worked together on the various projects, improving their communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills.” 

Overall, it was a very successful day that not only allowed the students to give back to the community, but also better familiarise themselves with their peers by working together to create furniture out of salvaged wood. 

As a college, we’d like to give a huge thanks to Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm for accommodating our T Level learners and making the day so engaging. 

If you’re interested in applying to our Construction: Design, Surveying and Planning T Level in September, click here.