Meet staff and service users at THS

Growability ~ growing independence

Meet THS staff and service users

growability

Set up Tynedale Horticultural Service in 1994. Clive also manages the Horticultural Skills Unit at Hepscott Park, Morpeth (since 1984) and Sleekburn Horticultural Training Unit (since 1999). Pictured here on a THS trip to the Lake District in 2000. Contact: clivemoon@growability.org.uk

Joined THS in 1996 as Day Centre Officer. Ann brought with her a creative enthusiasm for horticulture, tending to specialise in garden design, plant production & sales, hanging baskets and horticultural craft. She later became Senior DCO, and in January 2002 was appointed as Assistant Manager for all three horticultural units.

Contact: annbrown@growability.org.uk

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John helped to start the Unit with Clive in 1994, and since then has been a major influence in defining its organisation and philosophy. John has brought architectural skills with him, as may be seen in several projects around the grounds of the Hall, most recently the pavilion. Has tended to specialise in construction projects, new garden layouts, fencing, etc, but also involved in plant production and sales

Karen has worked for several years at Sleekburn HTU, where she has been involved in developing the growing and sale of organic vegetables. She is currently temporarily transferred to THS, where she works Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Paul Goodwin: Day Centre Officer

Paul joined THS as a full time member of staff in 2002. He has also worked at both of our other Units. His background is in both horticulture and care, but he has specialised in arboriculture, and has worked as a tree surgeon. These skills are particularly appropriate to our wooded site at Ridley Hall, where he has made good use of our chain saw.

There are 23 people using the service each week at the moment - 10 people each day - and some may choose to introduce themselves here as this site develops. One person works at THS 5 days a week, all others are part time, and some people have worked here since THS began in 1994.

Kevin Scott, pictured below right, passed a THS test in 1997, and since then has been the main driver of our Kawasaki Mule- a useful vehicle for carrying people and materials around our large site.

Exploring Logan Botanic Gardens, 1997

People come to THS from all over Tynedale, traveling in on a daily basis by taxi, minibus or public transport

Alan & Judith at Heligan, 2001

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Ridley Hall

(for some more information on the history of the Hall follow this link to Ridley Hall’s own website)

This large building used to be owned the Bowes-Lyons family, and was rebuilt by Francis Bowes-Lyons in 1894. The Queen Mother has some links with the Hall from those days when her family owned it, and has visited both the Hall and Bowes-Lyons graves at Beltingham (the nearby village) in the not-too-distant past. It was bought from the Bowes-Lyons by a Mr Evans, who ran it as a private school. The use of it was later taken over by the local education authority. They now use it as a boarding wing for Haydon Bridge High School, providing accommodation during the week for children living in remote parts of the County. The Hall and its 27 acres of grounds are still owned by the Evans Trust, and leased to Northumberland County Council’s Education Department for the above use. Tynedale Horticultural Service is therefore not directly connected with Ridley Hall itself – we are based in the Lodge at the main gates and work within the grounds, and are run by the Social Services Department – but our staff and the users of our service have a close and co-operative relationship with the staff at the Hall. We occasionally use the Hall for meetings and training events, and once a year for our Christmas lunch.

Bowes-Lyons coat of arms

Page last modified : 13/12/04