Sparsholt College is proud to announce Forestry and Arboriculture student Ben Cross has been awarded the prestigious Royal Forestry Society (RFS) Silky Fox Handsaw Award.
Awarded annually by the RFS, the Silky Fox Handsaw Award is awarded to stand-out students on practical Arboriculture and Forestry further Education courses across the UK, who have shown determination and perseverance to gain key skills in tree and woodland care.
Ben’s consistent hard work, significant improvement in both theory and practical assessments, and dedication to helping others on his course was recognised by his course tutors and the Learning Support Team at Sparsholt College, who put forward his nomination for the award.
Happy with his win, Ben said “I’m really happy to get this award. It has shown that my hard work has paid off and been recognised by others. It has given me a huge boost, at the right time of finishing up at college and going into Arboriculture. The award will be fantastic on my CV for future employers and customers.”
The prize for winning this award includes a Gomtaro Silky Handsaw and a year’s membership to the RFS. The award was presented to Ben by Assistant Principal in Landbased Courses Laura Black, and Arboriculture, Forestry, and Woodland Management Curriculum Leader Richard Rex, in a socially distanced presentation at Sparsholt College.
Richard Rex commented, “To be able to offer recognition for students that work to an exceptional standard, is a fantastic reward and helps to incentivise other students at the beginning of their courses. Receiving an award from such a well-respected independent body is a great reward and will carry substantial emphasis on a CV at the beginning of their career.”
Since completing his college-based studies, Ben has gone on to secure an apprenticeship role in the forestry industry and is continuing his career development and training at Sparsholt College.
Using a combination of on and off-site facilities, Sparsholt College provides training for the people who will manage and work in our forestry industries for timber production, as well as those who look after and manage individual trees in parks, streets and private gardens.
Learning from experts in the field, our students will acquire all the practical and scientific skills to work in the industry or to study at an advanced level. Find out more about this leading land-based course here.