Foundation Learning students at Newbury College held a charity fundraising summer fete on Wednesday 1 July in aid of Scope. The event was held as part of the students' Skills Project, a programme of extracurricular activities they are required to take part in for their study programme.
Students organised a number of activities to take place on the day including, cakes sales, and a 'coconut shy and hoopla' stand (donated by Berkshire Wedding and Event Hire). Jokers Masquerade in Newbury donated Teletubbie costumes to entertain people on the day! There was also a raffle where local organisations donated prizes including a cut and blow-dry; and a back, neck and shoulder massage (from IStyle). While Newbury College donated bite size courses including chocolate making and a Latin American dancing session.
Foundation Learning Team Leader Louise Campbell, who helped students organise the event said, "The event has been a great success and we would like to thank all of the local employers who donated activities for the day and prizes for our raffle. I'm very proud of all the students for their hard work and commitment to the event. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves".
Newbury College recently held an event to thank local employers who have supported them with apprenticeships and work placement opportunities for Health & Social Care and Child Care students. Over the past two years more than one hundred employers have hosted students. The majority of full time students secure permanent employment before completing their qualification and apprentices are often offered permanent positions once their apprenticeships are completed.
Principal Anne Murdoch formally opened the event which included talks by current students, College staff and the manager of Sandleford Nursery, Katie Noonan. This was followed by a cream tea made by students from the Catering department, and an opportunity to network.
Curriculum manager for Care Alan Cracknell said, "We greatly appreciate the support we receive from local employers. The evening was a chance to celebrate students' successes and to thank those who have shown commitment to the College and helped our students over the past few years".
The manager at Teddy Bears Pre-school in Boxford, Sarah Phillips, who attended the evening and works closely with the College said, "As an employer it is always good to support the students and apprentices within your local area while having a chance to meet other employers within your field".
Health and Social Care student Charlie Waddington said, "The evening was a really nice opportunity for us to thank the people who offered us a place in their settings. Placement has given us a valuable insight into how organisations work which helps us when we actually go into employment".
With the examination period in progress and the end of term looming, Newbury College welcomed Team GB 400m champion Lesley Owusu to motivate and inspire students.
Lesley gave a presentation about her sporting journey and how sport has shaped her life. Following the presentation students were able to take part in a question and answer session and fun activities involving team work.
Sports Maker at Newbury College, Aimee Kaur, who organised the event said, "It was hugely inspiring for Lesley to share her sporting journey with us. She is an extremely passionate athlete with the ability to influence the lives of many young people given her experiences. One of the key messages from the day was that hard work and dedication will lead to success; everyone has the ability to fulfil their potential. Sport isn't just performing better physically, it has the ability to bring people together, build confidence, and overcome barriers faced by many".
Raised in Ghana, Lesley felt a sense of isolation when she came to England and could not speak the language. The power of sport helped Lesley overcome many childhood barriers including racism, low self-esteem and bullying which encouraged her to pursue her dreams and achieve on and off the track.
Lesley has gone on to represent Great Britain at European, World and Commonwealth levels. She has not only excelled in sport, but along her inspirational journey has also achieved a BA degree in Broadcast Journalism and Literature and an MA in Mass Communications and Political Science.
In celebration of Adult Learner's Week, on Saturday 6th June Newbury College held a free 'Adult Taster Day'. This was a fantastic opportunity for adults to explore the wide range of learning opportunities on offer at Newbury College. Visitors tried out leisure courses via interactive workshops and 'have-a-go' activities or discussed their learning next steps with tutors.
Adult learners can enrol now for leisure courses (from Art & Craft through to Upholstery), for professional courses (from Accountancy through to Web Design), or for free Distance Learning courses (from Common Health Conditions through to Safe Handling of Medicines). It's also easy to improve your English, Maths, ICT and language skills via Newbury College.
Sarah Hughes, Community Learning Manager at Newbury College said, "This was the first Adult Learning Taster Day that the College has held and hopefully it will be the first of many. Over half of our attendees enrolled for a course on the day. Via a raffle the event raised £190 for the Alzheimer's Society."