Honour for orchid educator

Simon Pugh’s work in 'Education and the Orchid Project' has been recognised with an MBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List.

Mr Pugh said: ‘This is recognition for my fantastic team of students at Writhlington who have achieved so much over the last twenty years and for all those who have supported our work both in the UK and abroad.’

The West Country school WSBE orchids project involves propagating fragile orchids in a bid to save plants in the wild, and produce vital income for communities around the world.

The Writhlington School orchid project in Radstock is a fantastic example of education enabling pupils to learn laboratory skills and discover other cultures, along with business skills.

The Indian Himalayan state of Sikkim, Laos in South East Asia, South Africa, and now Rwanda, are just some of the countries to benefit from lessons learned in the school's laboratory and greenhouses.

The school recently hosted an international gathering of orchid experts when the British Orchid Congress held its triennial meeting and show at the school.

Wish there’d been a teacher of this calibre in my school.