The Master and Mistress continue in the true spirit of “Root and Branch!”

With his year almost complete the Master, John Warner, together with his Mistress, Mavis, has continued in the true spirit of “Root and Branch” by planting fruit trees, branching out and making fruitful donations to deserving charities on behalf of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers.

Recent visits included RAF Halton, Hackney City Farm, Treloar College and HMP Send (Clink Gardens).

On the recommendation of our Air Force “Musketeer”, Sir Stephen Dalton, RAF Halton was awarded £750 to put towards an initiative for Service Children with Special Educational Needs, SEN. Following the closure of the Children’s Centre in the local village of Wendover, the Station launched a new club called ‘The Jigsaw Club’ in April - a SEN based activity club that will enable SEN children to improve their fine motor skills, overall motor function, self-control, auditory, visual and tactile skills. It also seeks to engage the parents of these children who often need as much support as do the children.

For over 20 years, Hackney City Farm has been giving the local community the opportunity to experience farming right in the heart of the City. It also has a thriving primary school and many outreach initiatives and a beautiful tranquil garden where local residents can sit and escape the hurly burly of the area, if only for a short time.

The Treloar Trust provides education, care, therapy, medical support and independence training to young people with physical disabilities from all over the UK and overseas. Their, and our, aim is to prepare these young people for adult life, giving them the confidence and skills to achieve their full potential.

The prisoners working at The Clink Gardens grow, cultivate and harvest crops and rear free range organically fed chickens for eggs that are used within the prison. In addition, seasonal fruits, speciality and heritage vegetables and salad items are then transported to The Clink Restaurants at HMP High Down, HMP Cardiff and HMP Brixton where they are used to create fresh, seasonal dishes for The Clink Restaurant menus by their kitchen trainees. Also, many of us will have sampled their produce at the City Food Lecture where they do the catering. The clink Garden also runs educational programmes that allow the inmates to gain qualifications that will help them get employment on release.

The Master selected all these charities to make good his promise in his Banquet speech to reach out to those who are disadvantaged, and he has been humbled by the reception he has received.