Ex-Head Boy Praised by Sir Alan Titchmarsh Wins Silver at World Skills Competition
STORY EXCLUSIVE By Jill Dando News
Archie Matthews, 18, former Head Boy at Worle Community School Academy (WCSA) in Weston-super-Mare, has added yet another accolade to his impressive resume.
Archie recently won a silver medal at the prestigious World Skills competition, where he competed against seasoned professionals—some nearly twice his age.
The recognition comes three years after Archie first caught the attention of TV gardening legend Alan Titchmarsh, who sent him a personal letter and signed autograph in praise of his heroic environmental work. In his letter, Sir Alan said:
“I’m absolutely delighted that you have taken to gardening, especially since it involves the school of someone I know and admired—Jill Dando.
“Do keep on growing things. It is so important, and I am cheered to think that you have decided to join me on my mission to spread the word about its importance to others. Good luck in all you do.”
Archie, then Eco President at WCSA, was stunned and inspired by the message from his hero.
At the time, he had already made a name for himself by leading environmental projects, such as clearing eight bin bags of rubbish, rubble, and weeds from his local park and straightening paving slabs to make pathways safer for the elderly and families with buggies.
He also cleaned up over 100 private gardens during the COVID-19 lockdown, funded through a business he started as a teenager.
Archie’s silver medal at the World Skills competition is the latest achievement in his remarkable journey. Held in Oldham, the competition challenged participants to construct a garden from scratch over 16.5 hours.
Tasks included laying paving, building block walls with porcelain cladding, creating a block-paved path, and constructing a composite fence—all while undergoing a rigorous plant identification exam.
“It was five long days, working from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., often fine-tuning my plans late into the evening,” Archie said.
“I am incredibly proud to have walked away with silver. The experience has already opened so many doors for me, and I’m going for gold next year!”
Archie’s achievements during his time at WCSA include serving as Chair of the Climate Justice Revolution from 2021-2023, where he secured 100 plants for the school from the SEE MONSTER project and led their planting.
He also conducted a live podcast with Professor Richard Herrington, further establishing his role as an environmental advocate.
Worle Headteacher Mark Tidman said: “This is a wonderful achievement by Archie, who excelled while at our school and is clearly an outstanding person with a great future ahead of him.”
Archie has to travel to Preston regularly to fulfill his required studies in landscaping.
Despite his accolades, Archie highlights challenges in the landscaping industry. He notes that the only apprenticeship opportunities available locally are for supervisor roles, saying, “To be blunt, I can’t imagine anyone wanting an 18-year-old as their boss!”
