Meet our Alumni

Project Ethos

This is an international project of learning and partnership the Trust has created: residential study placements for foreign stydenst travelling on a low budget.

• To improve international friendship and break down barriers.

• To promote cultural understanding between different peoples and lands throughout the world.

• To enable people travelling on a limited budget to fully appreciate living and studying in a foreign environment.

• To enrich our local UK community by contact and with foreign students.

• To promote exchange and communication between people from different nationalities.

• To enable language learners to immerse themselves in their target language whilst living abroad. So far our many visitors have come from : Switzerland, U.S.A., France, Germany, South Korea, Italy, Hungary.

 

Travel, Adventure, Learning, Friendship

Our students come to us for between 4 and 8 weeks usually from across Europe but also further afield (e.g. U.S.A, South Korea). Usually one at a time- but sometimes more if accommodation is offered locally.

They are often on a gap year, but sometimes come to us as part of their school or university course on an internship.

It is an opportunity for travel, discovery, learning, making friends and discovering possibilities for their future career.

Several of the past students have become good friends of mine, and we are in regular contact and even visit each other.

 

Some of Our Past Students

U.K. STUDENTS

James :  Came to help me half a day a week as my General Horticultural Assistant from August 2016 until September 2017. Nothing was too much trouble. He was hard-working, diligent, and a good learner. It was a pleasure to work with him. He now has a job as a horticultural apprentice.

Josh :  Assisted us for a term in 2017 as part of his Geography degree course at Bath University. His brief was in Environment. He also produced the scale map/guide of the garden. Josh has now successfully graduated.

Charlotte :  Came from the University of the West of England to help out a day a week during the summer vacation 2017.

INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS

David : From Switzerland was the first residential student  (October-November 2017). He is skilled in horticulture, a keen nutritionist, an excellent cook, and a semi-pro sportsman. He assisted development of new projects and made several improvements and changes to the garden and proposed some ideas on marketing and development. He is good natured; good humoured; courteous; great fun. He got involved in local life. He is now a Trustee. And I have visited him in Bern

Bastien : Was David's successor- also from Switzerland. He arrived on 10th. November for a study holiday until 22nd.December 2017. While here he helped with the total transformation of the Alpine Garden- quadrupling it in size and adding 3 cubic metres of soil. And generally helped with winter maintenance & planning. He sends us regular updates on his life.

Ryan :  from California, U.S.A. was staying with us on a private study holiday from 26th.January to 23rd. February 2018. He is very keen on English football (plays for Utah Valley University) and has had training sessions with Malmesbury Town F.C. and Calne Town F.C. and is an accomplished pianist. Ryan was generally helping out and developed some new ideas for the garden. He has been back to visit us.  And he is is now a Trustee.

Theo :  from France was with us on a private study holiday volunteering from 20th. February to 29th. March 2018. Top capoeira athlete; plays chess, volleyball & basketball. He was assisting with early Spring clearance, preparation of the vegetable ground for new planting, reducing overly tall hedges. Theo stays in regular contact with career updates.

Simon :  from Germany was with us volunteering from 26th. March to the 10th. May. He was very industrious and repainted and then sealed the five very large wooden arches and one of the garden arbours; and pressure washed some of the stone paths of 4 years of grime, general gardening, & delivered a tonne of rocks! He is very calm and practical humorous, re-assuring and dependable. He was often in our Gym. We made lots of excursions together all over the south-west of England. He also produced ideas for Tr8ust improvements & marketing. He is now a Trustee and writes a quarterly feedback for the Trust magazine. Stephen spends a holiday each year in Germany  as a guest of the Simon & his family. And Simon visits here for a holiday once a year.

Jung :  from South Korea was with us on from 1st. to 31st. May. He spent a week alongside Simon. They had trips to Bath & Bristol. He was able to improve his English language. He familiarised himself with the British garden style. He worked hard and helped us on many aspects of gardening at this time of rapid growth.

Gabriel : An engineering student from France was here 6th.June to 4th.August. A keen basketball player who was good at cooking crepes. For July he worked with Julian. He repainted all the garden furniture, pots and tubs. And pressure washed some of the patios and paths. He regularly used the gym often played football at Stanley Park with Julian

Julian :  from Germany was here volunteering throughout July. Passionate and skilled in woodwork he constructed 5 large wooden troughs. He rebuilt and enlarged our waterfall to 1.6m, built several stone walls, and made various repairs. Used the gym and pool regularly. He joined the local woodcarving club. Was often cycling and playing football with Gabriel. Julian keeps in touch with updates on his career.

Giovanni :  from Italy was with us on volunteering throughout August 2018. He demonstrated his artistic and colour skills repainting the large garden arbours and re-shaping some of the trees. And every day he is having intensive workouts in the gym. He worked alongside Gabriel and they spent a weekend visiting Bristol.

Lucas :  From France was with us from 16th. September to 10th.December 2018. Very keen on soccer and used to train weekly with Derry Hill United football club. He got to know one of the local families extremely well. He helped us with all aspects of the garden and is now going into the French navy as a helicopter pilot. Lucas sends us regular updates.

Niklas : From Germany was with us from 28 November 2018 to 22 January 2019. A very keen basketball player he fixed himself up with training sessions with teams in Swindon and Chippenham. He helped us in clearing the garden over winter and preparing for the Spring and repainting the gates and fences. He is now going to university. I meet up with Nik every year in Germany.

Giovanni & Luise: From Germany were with us from 29th.January to 27th.February. They were involved in a variety of tasks to finish off the winter clearance and commence the Spring preparation: including extensive pruning back of tall hedges. In particular they relocated, improved and rebuilt the brick barbecue, including re-paving the patio & seating in the woodland area. I meet up with Gio in Germany every year.

Levin : From Germany was here from 26 February to 17th. April.He helped us with a lot of repainting of garden furniture and buildings. He also erected a fence in the woodland and spread fertiliser over much of the garden and was handy with repairs too. He explored the local area, went on trips all over the region and joined the village wood-carving club.

Vito: From Germany Undertook an internship here via his school in Berlin- which requires all Year 11 pupils to spend 3 months abroad. He was engaged in various projects, maintenance, and painting of buildings and fences etc. And eracted a long run of closeboard fencing with Levin. He also made an excellent film about the garden and trust which is now out on YouTube. We keep in touch.

Mark : From Hungary was here for two weeks as part of his requirement to undertook some volunteering studies abroad during his summer vacation. He helped with a variety of tasks around the garden.

Antoine : From France was here for four weeks as part of his university course which requires students to spend 3 months abroad each summer. He helped with garden projects and maintenance. He also did 3 triathlons.

Renaud : Was here on a 4-week placement as part of his official internship from Montpellier University in France where he studies tourism. Whilst here he undertook extensive winter clearance preparation of the garden for our 2020 summer season. He also built us a new website, and he made a film. He stays in touch with progress reports.

Davide : From Italy came to us in February 2020, intending to stray for 6 or more weeks. Unfortunately Covid19 intervened and he managed to get the very last flight back to Italy in mid-March. He liked and was a regular participant every Sunday in the local Church. He was also very helpful in the garden attending to winter clearing and spring preparation. As with most of our past students we remain in contact and plan to meet up in future.

Titouan: From the south of France came to the Trust for 5 weeks for part of his summer vacation from school. He settled in immediately and his good nature, courtesy and humour made each day's activities good. He got about exploring and spent 4 days on the seaside/coast at Swanage, and 4 days in Bristol. He also visited Bath, and Aveburyhenge. Titouan is an expert crepes creator! Now in Canada he keeps in touch with regular reviews.

Jonathan:  From Brooklyn came  at Christmas for 2 weeks. He is practical,  industrious, polite, amiable and respects the household. He helped with insulating & soundboard summerhouse renovations  for conversion to a classroom; and  removed old fruit trees & planted new ones. He  had trips to: Bath, Bristol, Lacock Abbey, Avebury, Marlborough, Salisbury, Stonehenge for winter solstice sunrsie! And Bowood House Christmas Eve carols. We are staying in touch and he sends hus reviews.

Antton:  Student craft teacher from Finland is our current student who is with us throughout June 2022. He was adventurous with trips to: Bath; Bristol; Aveburyhenge; Malmesbury; Weymouth; Torquay & Brixham; Weston-super-Mare & Brean Down Headland (Somerset coast); Chalfield Manor, & Lacock Village; Bowood House Jubilee Beacon Lighting. He's also joined the local wood carving club. Antton is great at shaping trees. And helped with many otyer tasks. We are staying in touch, and he sends a quarterly review.

Vito: Who came to us in 2019 (for 3 months) returned from Berlin, Germany  came back to us for 10 days in July 2022 when he made another video for the Trust: 'Water in the Trust Gardens' which is now on our YouTube channel. He is now studying at film school in Darmstadt. We stay in touch and like many others sends a review for our Quarterly Report.

Alessio: from Brescia in Italy came to study with us in August/September 2022. polishing his English language, and also undertook many excursions including Wales (Cardiff and Swansea) Aveburyhenge, Bristol, Bath, Somerset coast.
Alessio is very good natured and pleasant and methodical and easy to get on with diligent and focused. We had great discussions on the Italian Renaissance.  He sends us a quarterly review.

Jonas: Is the younger brother of Simon and stayed here for 2 months in winter. He was a great help at a  very difficult time.  We did 2 major projects together. Jonas is a strong lad, focussed, practical, mellow and good company. He loves his volley ball (he plays in league in Germany) and joined training sessions for 2 clubs here. We had a lot of fun together and had excursions to Avebury, Stonehenge, Weston-super-Mare, Bristol, Bath, Oxford, Weymouth, Castle Combe & Marsfield, Salisbury, Wells & Glastonbury, Cardiff (Wales) and Birmingham.  Jonas and I are in regular contact and he will return here for a short stays. We meet up in Germany yearly. And we are having a family holiday to Cornwall and Devon.

Daniele: (from Turin) stayed for 3 weeks (May/June). He was diligent, focused and a good house guest. He completely restructured and sorted out the garden nursery area, did a lot of repainting projects, refurbished various other garden and did some reseeding of the lawns. He went jogging locally, had regular walks, used the gym and had excursions to places like London & Oxford. Together we visited Bath, Avebury prehistoric stone circles, and Castle Combe. He has joined the band of 18+ past Workawayers who send feedback for the Trust magazine.

Corentin: Corentin, from Alsace in France, came for 3 weeks in July 2023, and was a great help in getting things organised.  Always on time for garden activities and quickly picked up the skills needed for whatever was required. He had daily walks of 15 km or more, discovering aspects of the area!  Whilst here he visited: Bristol, Bath, Oxford, Gloucester. Together we went to Castle Combe, Lacock Abbey, Aveburyhenge, and And Alix joined our Wells trip. Together they  had a day exploring Brean Down. He loves church music and was able to play the village church organ.

Alix: From Belgium came to the Trust for a week in summer 2023-  Corentin was here at the time and they got on well together. They went off for a whole day exploration of the Somerset coast at Brean Down Headland or extensive walking. For his accommodation, Alix stayed with a nice family in Calne for this stay here. Alix is a very precise and diligent worker and is always cheerful. Together the three of us also went to Wells Cathedral in Somerset.

Luis: From Trento, Italy, came here for two weeks in August and was a great help with garden maintenance.  He quickly picked up an understanding of what had to be done and just got on with it. He was very good house guest very quiet and amicable and we got on well. He was always cheerful and was quite humorous. We went on a trip to Castle Combe together and he also undertook day trips  to Oxford, Bristol, and Bath. He used the bike to explore the local area and regularly went off walking locally. Whilst here he was also able to do some of his university studies

CONSERVATION STUDENT MANAGERS

Hamza Aamir:  2021, from the University of Bath. Chosen Category: Conservation.  Subject: Renewables. 

Documents submitted: •Solar Energy.  •Wind Energy.

Anna Penman: 2021 from the University of  Bath.   Chosen Category: Conservation.    Subject: Rewilding.                                  Documents submitted:  ••Beavers.     •White Tailed Eagle.    •Red Squirrels.    •Rewilding: What and Why.

Emily Bloom: 2021 from the University: Bristol.  Chosen Category: Conservation.  Subject:  Circular Economy.                      Documents submitted:  •Energy Without Waste and Pollution.  •Regenerating Natural Systems

Juliet Colledge:  2021 from the University of Bath.  Chosen Category: Habitats and Wildlife.  Subject: How to Build Animal Homes.  Documents submitted:  •Hedgehog House.      •Bird House.      •Bug Hotel.     •Toad House

Jess Beattie: from the University: Bristol.  Chosen Category:   Conservation.    Subject:  Climate Change/Species Decline.    Document submitted:    •Carbon And The Future

Tammy Sisodiya: Southampton University.   Category: Conservation.   Subject:  Landscape/Environment  Problems

Articles written:  •Costs of Urbanisation

Callista White:  University of the West of England.   Category: Wildlife & Habitats.   

Articles written:    •Wildlife Friendly Spaces

Hannah King   University: Southampton.   Category: Conservation.   Subject: Landscape restoring/protection/wildlife enhancement

Articles written:    • Value of Hedges.    • Guerrilla Gardening.      •Road Verge Wildflower Meadows

Maticia Onyuta:  Bournemouth University.

Category: Conservation.

Subject: Water.

Articles written:    ●Wetlands.    ●Flowing Water. ●Upward Ecology of Water in Gardens.    ●Ponds.    ●Waterfalls.

Tom Millar-Azuelos: University of West of England

Category: Wildlife & Habitats

Subject: Badgers

Shaska Nicholson: Southampton University.

Category: Conservation.

Subject: Mitigation Measures

Finnaeus Hammond: Bath Spa University

Category: Conservation.

Subject: Wolf Rewilding