Paul Atkins, Leicestershire Live
The agricultural training college dates back to World War II and sits in an impressive 850-acre estate alongside Brooksby Hall, a Grade II listed 16th-century manor house.
A Leicestershire training college with a long and rich heritage has pledged to bolster British agriculture over the next decade and beyond.
Brooksby Campus, part of SMB College Group, boasts truly excellent facilities and resources, including a working commercial arable and livestock farm with its own flock of sheep, a herd of cows and hundreds of acres of arable land.
Facilities at this specialist land-based campus also include state-of-the-art glasshouses and formal gardens, purpose-built land-based workshops, and an Equestrian Yard equipped with a Rehabilitation Centre.
It provides the perfect learning environment for Agriculture, Horticulture, Countryside & Environmental Management, Equine, Land-based Engineering, Animal Studies, Sport, Uniformed Services and more.
The campus sits in an impressive 850-acre estate alongside Brooksby Hall, a Grade II listed 16th-century manor house.
It's been an agricultural training college since World War II but certainly isn't resting on its laurels.
Principal Dawn Whitemore explained: "We really consider ourselves honoured custodians of this wonderful building and site, respecting the past history while developing the skilled workforce our country needs."
Decarbonisation journey
Indeed, SMB College Group recently secured £2.7m funding from the Government to make positive environmental changes in the Brooksby Hall area of the estate.
The college will replace the current oil-fired district heating system, introduce solar power and upgrade windows and building fabric to improve efficiency.
Dawn said: "This investment is highly important as we continue to work towards becoming more sustainable as an organisation.
"Our 850-acre estate is already benefiting from some excellent sustainability initiatives, spearheaded by our fantastic lecturers and land-based students, including a regenerative agriculture project and a river restoration scheme.
"We're looking forward to our exciting decarbonisation journey, making the campus a greener place for future generations to study and work."
Rich history
It's no wonder Brooksby Hall needed a bit of a glow-up. The core of the present hall dates to the Jacobean era in the late 16th century but there's been a building on the site since 1066.
In 1235, the Villiers moved in, a noble French family granted lands in Leicestershire and stayed there for almost 500 years.
Perhaps the most famous of the Villiers line is George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628), advisor Charles I.
Unfortunately, he became unpopular during the reign of Charles II and he was assassinated by one of his own men in August 1628.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Brooksby Hall was owned and leased by many well-known names, each of which played significant parts in history.
For instance, Admiral David Beatty and his wife Ethel purchased Brooksby in 1903.
Beatty was Commander in Chief of the Grand Fleet, receiving the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet at the end of World War I.
He was then named 1st Earl Beatty, Viscount Borodale and Baron of the North Sea and Brooksby in 1919.
An agricultural rebirth
The next chapter in our story begins on June 1, 1945, shortly before the end of World War II.
Leicester and Rutland County Councils jointly purchased the hall for £20,000 for use as an agricultural training college.
It became the Brooksby Hall Training Centre for ex-servicemen, who were trained in farming methods under the auspices of the Leicestershire Agricultural Executive Committee.
The centre became a Farm Institute in 1950–51 and was converted into an agricultural college in 1961.
Further teaching blocks and a hostel were constructed in 1970–72 and a range of modern workshops have been added in the last decade.
While the actual hall is often now used for weddings and conferences, the hall and the rest of the estate forms part of the recently merged SMB College Group (previously Brooksby Melton College).
Achieve your full potential
SMB College Group boasts a variety of courses at both Post-16 and degree level for those who are interested in forging successful careers in agriculture, sustainability, the environment, habitat management and more.
It offers subjects ranging from Agriculture to Countryside & Environmental Management to Horticulture.
The majority of its full-time study programme students study at level 3, which is equivalent to taking three A-levels.
The group recently added T-levels to its curriculum and plans to introduce land-based T-level programmes from September 2024.
Dawn smiled: "At SMB College Group we want to support and inspire each one of our students to achieve their full potential.
"We aim to provide the very best routes for their future, ensuring we have the best equipment, facilities and staff, and working closely with local employers to deliver the skills needed.
"Whatever your age, interest or ambitions, we offer a variety of specialist vocational qualifications right through to degree level, allowing you to develop your skills, knowledge and confidence and, most importantly, help you secure the future you want."
See for yourself
Discover everything you need to know about college life at Brooksby Campus at a special Agriculture, Land-based & Equine Open Day on Saturday 22nd April (9am – noon).
It's a great opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art facilities, meet the friendly expert lecturers, and discover more about this Spring’s lambing, calving and arable activities at the farm, in addition to learning all about the college’s exciting sustainability projects covering regenerative agriculture, river restoration, the re-introduction of native species, and more.
Dawn concluded: "Lots of potential students already have their dream course picked out and that's great.
"Equally, they may think they know what to do to reach their future career but when it comes to the real thing it could be a completely different idea from what they imagine.
"Sometimes we find students come in thinking they're interested in one subject but then decide they want to have a go at something else.
"That's why these open events are so vital. They offer a great chance to discover your next move in education."
See more photos from Brooksby and read the original article here: Charming look back at the local college teaching rural skills since the war - Leicestershire Live (leicestermercury.co.uk)