120 first year agriculture students from Kildalton College in Co. Kilkenny will soon be heading out for more practical work, having recently returned from their eight-week work placements.
As part of their Personal Effectiveness module, the students will head to the village of Rathgormack in north Co. Waterford to assist in an amenity project that is currently underway there.
At the moment, it is envisaged that the 120 students would be on-site between May 1 and May 8.
The students will organise themselves into 12 groups, each of which will elect: a leader to “organise and motivate their team”; and a public relations officer (PRO) to record the team’s activities on social media and to put together a presentation on the project.
The students will be working with the Rathgormack North Waterford Community Development (RNWCDL) committee which, in 2013, set out plans for a multi-use games and community amenity area near the heart of the village.
The project, which is close to being finished, will feature a floodlit all-weather 4G astro turf games area about 70m long and 40m wide. A floodlit walking track and outdoor entertainment area are also set to be installed.
The RNWCDL committee is looking forward to welcoming the students from Kildalton to Rathgormack during May.
“We are thrilled to have so much help available to us at this stage of the project; it will be a huge assistance as we near completion of the amenity area,” said Tony Bolger, chairman of the RNWCDL.
Meanwhile, James Ryan, vice-principal of Kildalton College, said: “This is a great opportunity for the first year agriculture students to share their skills and entrepreneurial talents for the benefit of a local community and I think it will be a very rewarding experience for them.”