New BBC series Countryside College to feature Portrush student

CAFRE’s motto is to ‘learn by doing’ and this series follows a selection of students who thrive on cutting edge practical studies and getting their hands dirty, whether that’s in farming, food, flowers or foals. During the series viewers get exclusive access to the three college campuses based at Enniskillen, Loughry and Greenmount to find out what it really takes for these students to become qualified ‘custodians of the countryside’.

Filmed from September 2019 – June 2020, each episode concentrates on the chronological seasonal unfolding of the college term and captures the huge impact of the Coronavirus pandemic mid-way through the academic year. The series tracks the experience of seven students of different ages and from different backgrounds as they get to grips with college life before and after lockdown.

On the Greenmount campus, 17-year-old Charlotte Houston from Ballyclare is in the first year of her Agriculture course. She’s from a non-farming background and is getting to grips with farm machinery. In contrast, 20-year-old Jack Nevin is already familiar with the tools of the trade having come from a long-established dairy farm outside Portrush. He’s in his final year studying Agriculture but his passion for fitness has him wondering what career he really wants.

The series uniquely captures first-hand how college life takes a dramatic twist for the students when Covid-19 strikes midway during second term and for the first time since World War Two all campuses at CAFRE are closed. The students are forced to say goodbye to their classmates and find themselves having to adjust to learning from home while taking on challenging new roles as essential workers. As the country gradually eases out of lockdown the students reflect on their remarkable rollercoaster of a year at Countryside College.

The series is narrated by County Tyrone actor Fra Fee and was made by Waddell Media for BBC Northern Ireland. Countryside College begins on Wednesday, August 26 on BBC One Northern Ireland at 10.45pm.