Newbury College officially opened its brand new state of the art Plumbing Workshop Centre on Wednesday 5 March, with special guest, Dr Steve Ingle President of the Institute of Plumbing.
Following a welcome and introduction to the official opening by Newbury College Principal Dr Anne Murdoch OBE, Dr Steve Ingle cut the ribbon to officially open the workshop. Guests had the opportunity to view the purpose built training facility, see the equipment in use and sample refreshments in the new restaurant made by the College catering students.
Principal Dr Anne Murdoch is excited about the new development and said, "We would like to thank Dr Steve Ingle for opening the state of the art plumbing workshop. We are delighted with the workshop which was built to a very high standard. Our aim is to educate, train and supervise students in dedicated work areas and recreate the conditions they will experience in the Building Services Industry. The plumbing workshop now has the space and equipment to ensure that the training we offer gives our students and trainees the skills to equip them for a future in the plumbing industry by providing them with Industry standard work experience".
The new Plumbing Workshop, allows students to undertake a diverse range of plumbing training. Students will learn about installation tasks including guttering, central heating systems and a complete bathroom suite. The centre houses four bathroom suite areas, three airing cupboards along with visual learning aids all designed to improve and build the knowledge of students.
Curriculum Manager for Technology Brian Evans said, "The new workshop will give young people the opportunity to experience first-hand the type of activities a domestic plumber would carry out and at the same time achieve a nationally recognised qualification".
Budding Entrepreneurs from Newbury College have set up a jewellery company as part of the National 'Young Enterprise Programme' which teaches young people about business.
The team, made up of Art and Design students, attended the Young Enterprise Annual Trade Fair on Saturday 8 February 2014 in Newbury's Kennet Centre.
Young enterprise companies across West Berkshire showcased their businesses and sold their goods. The students' business, named 'Idylic', sold refurbished and upcycled jewellery and other individual handmade pieces for both men and women. The 'Young Enterprise Programme was founded in 1962 by merchant banker Sir Walter Salomon and allows students to take on business roles, and selecting and sourcing a products using innovation before selling to the public.
Course Leader of Art and Design and Young Enterprise Link, Jackie Heggs said, "Young Enterprise has given the students the opportunity to acquire business skills alongside their main programme. The Trade Fair supports students in developing customer service and selling skills and really helps to develop learner confidence. The students have had a brilliant experience and have been supported with practical advice by business advisors and volunteers from local businesses. They really enjoyed the challenge of selling their jewellery at the Trade Fair and competing against other Young Enterprise Companies for sales".
Other Young Enterprise companies from schools across West Berkshire were selling goods and services at the Trade Fair and competing to be the best 'Trade Stand'. This was judged by people from local businesses including the manager of the Kennet Centre.
Young Enterprise is the United Kingdom's largest business and enterprise education charity. Every year Young Enterprise helps 250,000 young people learn about business and the world of work in the classroom under the guidance of a network of 5,000 volunteers from 3,500 companies. The programmes range from the Primary Programme and Company Programme to the university-level start-up initiative with many variations in between. Young Enterprise offers programmes for a variety of age groups, from the age of four-25 and is one of the UK's leading figures in enterprise education delivering over four million learning hours each year. Since they were established, 3.8 million young people have taken part in Young Enterprise programmes in the UK. One million of these have run businesses for a year on the Company Programme.
Berkshire Community Foundation has launched The Berkshire Flood Recovery Fund' in response to the hardship being suffered by communities as a result of the recent extreme weather conditions.
Chris Barrett, chair of trustees of BCF, said today (Friday): The devastation floods have caused in Berkshire, and the practical help we have received from the Armed Forces and today from The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry in Datchet have made headlines around the world but here at BCF we know that the impact will be felt by our communities for months to come and that is why it is so important that we set up a sustainable fund to help people long after the headlines move on.
We are about local giving and we are calling people and businesses to give their support to our local communities by contributing to the Berkshire Flood Recovery Fund.
BCF is uniquely placed to make sure that the right help gets to the right people at the right time.
The Berkshire Flood Recovery Fund will support Berkshire community groups and charities that are helping individuals across the county.
Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF) will support community groups who in turn support individuals when they are most in need and at their most vulnerable.
BCF is also working in partnership with others to develop longer term support for affected communities, as they recover from the immediate impact of the floods.
Please donate online at www.localgiving.com/berkshirefloodfund. A telephone line will be open in the near future. Cheques can be sent to (and made payable to) Berkshire Community Foundation, 1650 Arlington Business Park, Theale, RG7 4SA.
Newbury College welcomed a record number of people to their Open Evening last night with over 600 people attending the event which showcased the variety of courses the College has to offer.
The open evening was more interactive than ever with curriculum areas demonstrating their courses with fantastic displays and have a go activities. These include a climbing wall, wire a plug, piping hot carpentry, seated head and neck massage, manicures, Photoshop techniques and many more. A number of the 'Have A Go' activities were set up as part of the, 'National Skills Show'. The Skills Show inspires and transforms young people's lives through a series of interactive events held across the UK, changing the way we think about skills, training and apprenticeships.
Newbury College Principal Dr Anne Murdoch said, "The evening was a great success. We are delighted with the record numbers that attended our Open Evening and pleased that so many people are interested in the courses we offer".
Local businesses that are involved in course programmes including The Ambulance Service and Adventure Dolphin showed their support on the night offering advice about careers and providing activities.
The evening was a fantastic opportunity for the local community to view the College's state of the art facilities, including the brand new training restaurant and state of the art plumbing workshop, which is due to be officially opened later next month. Potential learners had the opportunity to see the many courses on offer and speak to subject specialists. Current students were also on hand to talk to prospective students and their parents and show them around while talking about their College experience.
The College's 'Young Enterprise' team, named Idyllic, also attended the event where they were selling refurbished and upcycled jewellery and other individual handmade pieces.
For those in Year 11, the evening was a chance for them and their parents to discover the options available to them after GCSEs. Meanwhile, adult learners attending the event had an opportunity to find out more about Newbury College and explore ways in which to further their career or to develop a new hobby.