MPs open new school at Bicton College

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Owen Paterson, MP, and local MP for East Devon, Rt Hon Hugo Swire, MP, opened the new Animal Husbandry School at Bicton College this week to offer their support for a new era of animal care education which includes the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

A £2,880,000 grant from the Skills Funding Agency has paved the way for the build. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is the leading national charity working to conserve and protect the United Kingdom's rare native breeds of farm animals from extinction.

RBST Chief Executive, Tom Beeston, says of the development: ‘The RBST is delighted to be involved with Bicton’s ground breaking animal husbandry school and the work the college is doing in partnership with the Trust to introduce rare breeds into the curriculum.’

The new development cements the partnership agreement between the RBST and Bicton College to deliver education and training, support breeding programmes and activities that help conserve rare breeds’ genetics for the benefit of future generations.

The facility provides an outstanding teaching environment for animal care and conservation, with a rare breeds incubation room, paddocks and shelters to support breeding programmes, as well as related enterprise activities, including access to the general public as a visitor attraction.

Hugo Swire, MP for East Devon, adds: “I am very pleased that my colleague, the Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson has taken the time out his busy timetable to visit East Devon and Bicton College to open the new Animal Husbandry School. I have long supported the excellent work of the College and congratulate it on becoming the first RBST College in the UK.”