Today’s Birthday Honours 2015: the Prime Minister’s list includes Trevor Pitman, Technical Manager, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading. For services to Higher Education.
Trevor catching up with current botany trends in Reading University Herbarium
Trevor has always been actively engaged in outreach work in addition to his job of managing technical staff. He has helped coordinate and plan the University of Reading displays at Chelsea Flower Show for 25 years including Gold Medals in 2007 and 2011. This includes interaction with typographers, growers and driving the display to London. Other outreach activities have included work placement s and training of visiting school children. He has an active and friendly approach to other technical, clerical and academic staff as well as students has helped to facilitate the extensive changes in Biological Sciences. Trevor has sat on University Senate and Council and represented his union, Unite. In addition to his day job Trevor has served for five years service as Chair of the Friends of the Harris Garden developing community involvement in the garden, coordinating the ca. 220 Friends’ voluntary gardening activities. He is an active chairman finding ways to do things rather than reasons they cannot be done at the same time successfully spanning the professional/amateur divide between volunteers and the professional grounds staff. He helps coordinate 6-7 charity fundraising open days per year for the garden. This attracts in excess of 1200 visitors per open day and raises more than £4000 per annum for various charities including the Red Cross and Berkshire Air Ambulance.
Congratulations Trevor!
