Newbury College recently took part in World Book Night, an event run by The Reading Agency; a national charity that inspires people to become confident and enthusiastic readers.
Library staff at the College gave out copies of new book releases to share the love of reading with those who don't read regularly. More than 50 students attended the event to receive their copy of a book and library staff were able to highlight the fiction collection on offer to students at the College.
LRC Manager Fiona Lees who organised the event said, "I was delighted to be able to give the students a book. It was wonderful to hear them discuss which book to choose and arranging to swap books after they have read them. When you are studying at College it is easy to forget the pleasure that reading can bring transporting you to another place. Hopefully these students will be able to relax from their studies with a book".
Newbury College held a presentation for Thames Valley Air Ambulance recently in which the College presented John Sparrow from the charity with a cheque for £142.
Public Service students at Newbury College chose to raise money for Thames Valley Air Ambulance as part of their Skills Project, completing a number of charity events during the academic year including cake sales, student speed dating, and a hosting a variety of events at the College's family fun Open Day including a bouncy castle, face painting and a penalty shootout.
Skills Project Co-ordinator at Newbury College Sian Ellis, who helped students organise the event said, "the students put a lot of time and effort into coordinating these activities to raise money for their chosen charity, the Air Ambulance. I am really proud of what they have achieved as a team".
Public Services student Freya Cummins said, "we chose this charity because it is an excellent resource which saves peoples' lives!".
The Skills Project is compulsory for all Newbury College full time students. The project enables students to enhance their vocational and soft skills, preparing them for future employment.
Newbury College is holding a number of events on Saturday 2nd May (Bank Holiday weekend). The day will see the College hosting West Berkshire Green Exchange's 'EV-ENT', showcasing electric and plug-in hybrid cars; the first of this year's art exhibitions 'Parts of a Whole', as part of the Open Studios scheme; and a number of adult leisure courses.
In the main College building the Green Exchange will be running talks from 10.30am – 3.00pm. They will also be showing a number of electric and plug-in hybrid cars from companies including: Nissan, Volvo, Mitsurbishi Motors, Audi and Mercedes. Visitors will be able to view the cars in the College car park. The Green Exchange is a voluntary organisation which brings together people in West Berkshire who wish to take action on climate change.
Chairman of the West Berkshire Green Exchange Richard Foster who has been organising the event said, "Sales of electric and hybrid vehicles are rocketing and we are keen to showcase the features of these vehicles to the public on Saturday 2nd May, where there will be a wide range of manufacturers present. The West Berkshire Green Exchange is delighted to be hosting the event at Newbury College and using their excellent facilities".
Newbury College are also proud to be taking part in the West Berkshire and North Hampshire Open Studios Scheme again this year. The Art Exhibition 'Parts of a Whole' will take place in the College's Mezzanine Gallery. There will be an exciting fusion of art, design and crafts, contributed from the wide ranging talents of students and staff at the College. Students curate and support the exhibition as a demonstration of employment skills. Art works will include ceramics, painting, fashion, textiles, and photography.
The Art Exhibition at College will be open to the public on Saturday 2nd May and Saturday 16th May from 10.00am – 1.00pm and on Wednesdays – Fridays 6th, 7th, 8th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 20th, 21st and 22nd May from 11.00am – 4.30pm.
The College will also be offering one day courses on 2nd May including; Make your own Gnocchi, Reflexology, Bricklaying, and Art History – Impressionism. To book onto a course contact the College on 01635 845000.
The Easter holidays were unusually busy for Newbury College after the Monks Lane campus was approached by Carnival Films, the production company responsible for the popular ITV period drama 'Downton Abbey'.
The international phenomenon has famously been filmed at Highclere Castle for the past six years with various local sites used for location shoots, and as the show draws to its concluding series, producers took advantage of Newbury College's extensive campus and on-site facilities to create a temporary 'Unit Base' to house cast and crew during filming in the local area.
Dr Anne Murdoch, Newbury College Principal, said "We have a lot of interest from local businesses and community groups to make use of our campus and we always do our best to accommodate. In the past our sports hall, performance space and other excellent facilities have played host to the England U19 Cricket team, the Queen's Awards and the annual West Berkshire Work and Careers Fair, to name but a few, and we are really excited to be playing a supporting role in this global success."
Staff and students have become accustomed to seeing people in unusual costumes around the site since the reintroduction of the Performing Arts curriculum in September 2014 and The Watermill Theatre's use of the Forum space for Calamity Jane rehearsals last year.
With the introduction of Production Arts, Event Management, Music Technology, and 'A Levels' in Drama and Theatre Studies planned for this September, Newbury College is looking forward to working with even more organisations from the creative arts industry.