The event was organised by S & A Produce and held at their soft fruit farm in Marden, Herefordshire. Part of St Michael’s Hospice summer season of ‘Big Tea’ fundraisers, the visit to one of the UK’s largest soft fruit growers gave the students a chance to meet employees and learn about how strawberries are grown and prepared for sal
.0e in the nation’s supermarkets.
S & A staff from Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria welcomed the children with a selection of traditional Eastern European teas, gateaux, cakes and sponges.
Schoolteacher Elizabeth Collingwood said, ‘The day has been an excellent opportunity for children to learn about life on a modern fruit farm. Having the chance to meet people from Eastern Europe has been a worthwhile experience, especially as the day was so close to the EU Referendum.’
Year 6 pupil Issac Lloyd said, ‘It’s been great fun tasting the different cakes and flavours of tea. We also had a tug of war competition, and a strawberry and spoon race and learned games like these are also played in Eastern Europe. It’s been a very memorable day.’
Jude Norcott from S & A, sponsors of St Michael’s Big Teas, said, ‘We are always looking for new ways to engage with our community. This has been a perfect opportunity to support our local Hospice and give a group of children a unique taste of Eastern European culture. Our seasonal workers also appreciated spending time with the children and answering questions about fruit farming and their lives back home.’
Gaynor Warren, Big Tea Coordinator at St Michael’s Hospice, said, ‘We would like to say a massive thank you to the S & A Group for all of their support with our 2016 Big Tea events. The campaign is all about putting the kettle on and meeting new people while having fun and sharing tasty treats. S & A is one of the biggest employers in Herefordshire, and it’s been wonderful to have a very Eastern European event for St Michael’s. It was a cultural experience for all involved.’
If you would like to organise a Big Tea for St Michael’s Hospice, please call Gaynor Warren on 01432 851000.
