David Cockburn, has received the Festival of Learning’s Social Impact Award Highly Commended individual, for outstanding achievements in adult learning. It recognises individuals who have used learning to change their lives but who have also been proactive ambassadors and inspired others to embrace the benefits of learning.
A wheelchair user for 8 years, David, had a large garden at home which he had not been able to use. He wanted to learn how to grow his own vegetables, and although very nervous about joining a course with people he didn’t know, he signed up for ‘Plot to Plate’ at Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP).
When David signed up for the gardening course, little did he know those initial 12 weeks would turn into years of learning, volunteering and peer mentoring.
Since then David has attended numerous gardening and horticulture courses and transformed his own garden from a barren area into a thriving accessible garden with ramp, paved paths and raised beds packed with fruit, vegetables and flowers.
David is now a PCP volunteer, supporting other course attendees, some with learning or physical disabilities. He also gives talks and guided visits, extolling the benefits of gardening for physical and mental health and has taught himself how to set up and maintain blog, to further spread the word about the community garden.
David said of his learning journey, “I hope that with this confidence I have gained through learning that I can make a difference to other people.”
David’s mentor, Liz Godfrey, Learning for Health Co-ordinator, Pioneering Care Partnership said, “He has overcome so many physical and mental barriers and is an excellent role model for anyone who wants to learn but feels unable or incapable.”
Carol Gaskarth, Pioneering Care Partnership Chief Executive, added: “David is an inspirational learner and a well-respected volunteer. His passion and enthusiasm for developing his own knowledge and skills whilst encouraging others to participate is admirable. When David first joined PCP he was worried about speaking in groups, so much so that he hoped the fire alarm would go off rather than having to introduce himself! Now his confidence has grown so much he delivers talks to large groups. He really has changed his outlook and has a new-found enthusiasm for social media to share his experience even wider. We are very proud of all he has achieved.”
