As part of our continuing programme of updating the CRES Certificate course we are pleased to announce that we now have a new module available in Rural and Environmental Theology. This was written by John Whitehead and Lizzie Rushton, and we are grateful to them both. The module will be available immediately to the current first year students as an option, and will become part of our new theological core for students entering the course from September 2010.
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Summer Field Trip to Whetstone Fruit Farm, Leicestershire.
20th February 2010- CRES day conference at Ripon College Cuddesdon For some time now the CRES web site has been looking a little tired. Fortunately for us John McKeown, the JRI webmaster has designed us a nice new site. We are still getting used to the site and it is not yet perfect, but it is a lot better. Thanks very much John! We are pleased to announce that the new external examiner for CRES will be Rev Dr Shaun Henson, Chaplain of St Hugh’s College, Oxford. We look forward to working with Shaun over the next three years. CRES recruited eight new students over the summer of 2009, including one to the final year, one to the Diploma, and our first student from the Netherlands. This is almost a record. We hope the new students soon get going and feel at home on the course.
a On Saturday 12th September 2009, another four students on Christian Rural and Environmental Studies (CRES) graduated at Ripon College Cuddesdon, nr. Oxford. Simon Brown, Hazel Byford and Alison Hudson all gained Certificates, and Jean Lorimer had a Diploma. Congratulations to all four! This brings the total CRES graduates to 17 since the course started.
The Annual CRES Residential took place this year at Offa House, Offchurch, nr. Leamington Spa on 15th /16th September 2006. The meeting began on the first day with the AGM of Christian Rural Concern (CRuC), followed by lunch. The four 1st year students then gave short talks on the modules they had taken in the past year. After tea we discussed a whole range of issues concerning the future development of the course. Before dinner Rev. Margot Hodson led us in a time of informal worship. The invited speaker for the evening was Dr. Peter Thomas (Keele University), a noted expert in trees, who gave an excellent talk “Rural New England”. The day closed with Compline led by Joy Gadsby. After a good night of sleep we were up for Morning Prayer led by Rev. Philip Wagstaff. The morning was devoted to the four presentations from our 2nd year certificate students. The topics varied from tourism in rural churches to lifestyle issues, and the standard was very high indeed. After lunch our one completing Diploma student looked at the topic of land in the Bible. The examiners then retired for their deliberations, and for brief interviews with the five completing students. A short time later and the external examiner, Rev. Dr. Richard Clutterbuck announced the results. He was pleased to announce that the five CRES students had completed their studies successfully. Timothy Fox, Martyn Johnson, Paul Rathbone and Tony Roper were all granted Certificates. Paul Rathbone was commended for the exceptionally high standard of his work, and was given a distinction by CRES. John Kirkby completed the work for his Diploma. Many congratulations to all five students, and we hope you will keep in touch with CRES, CRuC and JRI!
Successful CRES graduates. Left to Right. Back: Timothy Fox and Tony Roper. Front: Martyn Johnson, John Kirkby and Paul Rathbone |
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How does CRES run? Every six months we hold a Steering Group meeting somewhere in the UK (currently Warmington, nr. Banbury or Haddenham, Bucks). This time five of us met at John Neal’s farm at Warmington (we had two apologies) on April 19th 2010. The meeting takes a good four hours to cover what is always a fairly packed agenda. On the agenda we have fairly standard items like student progress, student admissions, publicity, a review of previous course meetings, planning the next meetings and so on. We look at what our parent bodies CRuC and JRI are doing, and check our finances (OK, we were pleased to hear!). This time we were also progressing the new modules that we hope to have out for the autumn. It was a particularly pleasant day at John’s farm, and we were able to have lunch outside. The meetings are chaired very effectively by John Neal, and we et through a lot of work, but there is a lot of fun as well. The picture shows four of the group l. to. r. : Dr. John Lockwood; Mrs Lizzie Rushton; Revd Dr. John Reader; and Mr. John Neal. Dr. Martin Hodson was taking the photo!
For some years now CRES, in association with JRI and CRuC have run summer field trips around England. These visits have varied from farms to woodlands, from urban to very rural, and we aim to vary our content every year. The visits are run by the CRES distance learning course, but anyone associated with CRES, JRI or CRuC, plus their friends and family will be very welcome. This year we are visiting Anthony & Sandra Herbert at Whetstone Fruit Farm in Leicestershire. Anthony & Sandra are looking forward to our CRES visit, and say. “We run a pick your own fruit enterprise (with tearoom & playbarn) in addition to 600 acres of arable crops. We are in two agri-environmental schemes and have ponds, woods, a brook, and disused railway line. We host a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) scheme called Community Harvest Whetstone – the first vegetable crops should be visible at your visit. We are active further afield - both of us involved with the charity Send a Cow (which includes goats, poultry, bees and sustainable natural agriculture!). Sandra is chair of Leicestershire Food Links – Leading the Field in Local Food, besides being part of the Christian Muslim Forum. We will give you a warm welcome, a stimulating day, some fresh air – and the chance to pick very tasty strawberries!”
Every few months the CRES course meets at Ripon College Cuddesdon. Although we are a distance learning course we do like to get together. It means students and tutors can meet each other and we can update on things that have been happening. We always try to get at least one visiting speaker, with talks ranging across the range of rural and environmental issues and theology. So here is a typical day:
