Help us save land-based education in Cumbria

Newton Rigg College  in Cumbria - one of the country's most important land-based colleges - is set to close in July 2021 after current owners Askham Bryan College (York) announced their intention to close the college and sell off its campus, land and educational farms.

This is a hammer blow to Cumbria's local communities, rural economy and to the future of land-management,  agriculture and land-based industries throughout the UK. 

Newton Rigg Ltd must raise urgent funds to cover: 

- Legal expenses associated with the fight to 'STOP THE SALE' and protect the Newton Rigg campus, land and farms
- Initial staff and administration costs to launch Newton Rigg training this year as the first critical step to rebuilding land-based education in Cumbria. 

With your support, Newton Rigg Ltd will start offering land-based training courses this year, re-introduce vital land-based apprenticeships in 2022, then develop  into a new, independent Newton Rigg College campus providing full-time Further and Higher Education.

This bold but achievable plan is led by influential members of the Cumbrian community along with leading experts in land-based and further education.

ABOUT NEWTON RIGG LTD (futureofnewtonrigg.co.uk)

Newton Rigg Limited is a not-for-profit company, set up by members of the Cumbrian community and experts in land-based education to save Newton Rigg College, and its assets, for future generations. So far, Newton Rigg Ltd has relied on donations from individuals and local organisations including Westmorland Ltd and Carrs Group. All funds are currently managed by the long-standing Newton Rigg Society.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NEWTON RIGG LTD'S URGENT ACTION PLAN: 

STOP THE SALE

While we await the outcome of the Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry, Askham Bryan College are at the same time preparing to advertise Newton Rigg’s campus, land and farms for sale.  Funded by supporters, Newton Rigg Ltd’s legal advisors have already played a critical role in challenging Askham Bryan College’s right to sell Newton Rigg, stripping these assets from Cumbria in order to save themselves from insolvency. Other legal questions relate to the acquisition of Newton Rigg by Askham Bryan in 2011, and Askham Bryan somehow releasing itself from an Asset Deed, of 2007, which was designed to protect Newton Rigg for Further Education.

PROTECT THE ASSETS

Newton Rigg Ltd have begun an initiative for Newton Rigg’s campus, land and farms, once saved, to be held in trust and therefore preserved for educational use, forever. They are working with legal experts on the most appropriate structure for this trust or foundation to ensure that the assets can never be threatened again.

“All local stakeholders and authorities must pull together to make this happen and we are calling on local and district councils, the LEP, Cumbria MPs, local businesses and other rural stakeholder organisations, such as the Farmers Network and the Foundation for Common Land to support this critical step for Cumbria. “ said Professor Cobb.

REBUILD LAND-BASED EDUCATION WITH TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS

A new initiative, ‘Newton Rigg Training’, being set up by Newton Rigg Ltd and advisors including Dr Jane Sullivan (Director of Newton Rigg College from 2015 to 2018, scientist, outdoor educator and educational consultant specialising in alternative and further education) and Andrew Counsell (Director of Newton Rigg Ltd, former principal of Duchy College, Vice Chair of Landex, member IFA Route panel for land-based,) will offer training courses this September and apprenticeships starting next year. 

Andrew Counsell, who now lives at Hawick, said, “As one of the top farming counties in the country, Cumbria needs to be proud of its own provision based at Newton Rigg, maintaining a long and outstanding history. We are creating a Group Training Organisation - a partnership between education and rural business and industry – that will provide education and training that will lead to employment. This is specifically aimed at local land-based businesses and the farming community. We will actively seek to become a main provider of apprenticeships for land-based and allied businesses in Cumbria, starting with agriculture, horticulture, agricultural engineering and forestry, expanding in time to other areas of land-based education. This will take up to a year and it is hoped that the positive support of the farming and rural communities will strengthen the process. We will also build upon this training offer with the development of the ‘Newton Rigg Rural Business School’, that will set the foundations for our future college by creating close and strong links between education and employers, rural businesses and farmers, and the rural community”

 
WELCOME NEW LEARNERS AGED 16 AND ABOVE TO A NEW, CUMBRIAN, INDEPENDENT NEWTON RIGG COLLEGE 

Once Newton Rigg Training has been trading as a training provider for a year, the organisation will apply to create an independent, innovative, “new model” Newton Rigg College, using technical innovation and partnerships.

Chairman, Professor Andrew Cobb, said, “With the continuing support of government agencies, incorporation of a new, Cumbrian and independent Newton Rigg College will be possible, providing short courses for skills development, apprenticeships and life-long learning programmes to Cumbria and beyond. We will deliver a range of Further Education programmes, leading in time to a Higher Education portfolio. Our aim is to welcome new learners aged 16+ to a new, Cumbrian and independent Newton Rigg College in September 2025. It will be a new dawn for this vital institution built on the strong foundations of expert-led training, robust community and industry links, and the very values upon which this unique land-based college was founded in 1896.”

PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TO #SAVENEWTONRIGG AND REBUILD LAND-BASED EDUCATION IN CUMBRIA!

Find out more about Newton Rigg Ltd: futureofnewtonrigg.co.uk