Newbury College took part in Barclays Money Week last week, a national event, sponsored by Barclays Bank which teaches the importance of managing money effectively. Activities and events were held throughout the week cumulating with a Fashion Show on the final day.
Barclays Money Skills Week is a money management programme which has been designed to strengthen financial skills of further education students. The events help build knowledge and confidence; reduce financial stress and increase chances of achieving their goals. The week comprised of several financial based activities which included, 'Too good to be true?' which focused on raising awareness of the different types of scams and how easy it is to become a victim of one. Another event was the 'Taste Test' which compared supermarket value brands against the branded equivalent of everyday food we love. The fashion show on the final day was part of the 'Style on a Budget' activity, which the students planned and organised, including the financial budgeting for the event.
Business Course Leader, Catherine Jack, who organised Newbury College's Barclays Money Skills Week said, "Barclays Money Week is a popular programme on our calendar. Business students look forward to it with a great deal of excitement. It was amazing to watch the Business students perform so well in lessons and lunchtime activities. Their energy and enthusiasm are inspiring. The students worked directly with lecturers and classes providing activities for other students, booking events, rooms and organising resources. I am very proud of all the students."
During money week, students from a variety of courses took part in the 'Style on a Budget' tutorial where students were given £20 per group to go out and buy a suitable outfit for a job interview. They then put together a catwalk show to display what they have bought. The event saw more than 150 students take part and was judged by Communications Officer Shaun Daubney, HR Services Officer Rebecca Ebdon, Tutorial Team Leader Lorna Sherlock and Level 3 Business students, Luke Bellinger and Jack Lynch. After gathering fame on the College runway, the winning students, Rebecca Ford Level 3 Art and Design and Jake Kidd Level 3 Interactive Media, were able to keep their £20 outfit for future interviews.
One of Newbury College's business students, Lyndon Parry, who has an article featured on Barclays Money Skills website, said, "Organising events to take part during Barclays Money Week has been an exciting challenge! It is a brilliant opportunity to educate others whilst learning about dealing with money myself. Something that is sure to be useful to us all in the future".
Newbury College welcomes k9ztgeph Pegg to the role of Sports Maker where his objectives will be to develop sports in West Berkshire. The new position has been made possible from the College winning a bid for a sports grant, thanks to new National Lottery funding from Sports England.
The position will see Joe working within both the College and the local community to promote sports, and will be overseen by the National Governing Body of Sport. This will be a perfect opportunity for Newbury College to utilise their recently opened state of the art Sports Hall.
On his appointment, Joe Pegg said "I am delighted to be working for Newbury College as their College Sport Maker. My role allows me to focus on student demand and provide a comprehensive timetable of sport and activities. Since the Olympics we have seen a significant rise in activity and it is imperative that this continues. Having a College Sport Maker in post provides sustainability and a clear pathway of opportunity of participation which in turn will create a sporting habit for life for these young people."
Newbury College will be seeing a number of sporting events taking place, promoting different sports and raising money for charity. It is also hoped that local sporting teams will be getting involved.
Joe has as strong sporting background, previously worked for Wycombe District Council as their Sports Development Officer, London Irish RFC as their Independent Schools Coaching Officer and the Rugby Football Union as a Community Rugby Coach. These roles included work such as developing an Olympic legacy programme, developing and managing the Independent Schools programme in Berkshire and Hampshire and delivering an extensive coaching timetable to schools and community clubs.
Ian Raynes, Manager for Sports and Services at Newbury College said, "We are very excited to be one of the first colleges selected to start the Sports Maker scheme. It will be a great way to show both our learners and the local community the importance of sports and we look forward to seeing the benefits."
Newbury College re-launched its Calcot IT Training centre on 15 February at 12pm as a new Community Learning Centre. The event recognised the investment received from West Berkshire Council, which has provided new equipment and resources for the centre. Councillor Irene Neill, West Berkshire Council's Portfolio Holder for Education, opened the newly furbished Community Learning Centre by unveiling a commemorative plaque.
West Berkshire Council saw the opportunity the centre has, and working with Newbury College, has invested resources to make it a centre that can be utilised and a benefit to the local and surrounding communities of West Berkshire. The centre will now be able to offer a wider range of courses and training programmes, including Business Workshops, and a wide range of the College's professional programmes as well as leisure and IT courses.
Councillor Irene Neill, was delighted to open the refurbished centre and said, "The Council has invested in a number of Learning Centres across the district which has proved invaluable for those looking to access learning locally. The facilities at Calcot will provide an excellent opportunity for residents and businesses to develop their education and training in the heart of their community."
The funding from West Berkshire Council has meant the College has been able to purchase brand new state of the arts facilities. The equipment included in the refurbishment includes, PCs and WAP for Laptops, printers, monitors, new licences resources to deliver the latest technology training and new interactive whiteboards for the conference rooms.
Principal of Newbury College, Dr Anne Murdoch OBE said, "We are delighted to re-launch the Calcot Centre with the support of West Berkshire Council who saw the benefit that a centre like this can offer all members of the local community. The facility will be used by both individuals and businesses to access training at a location convenient to both the Reading and the Newbury areas and very close to the M4 corridor. The new equipment and resources being invested in the centre means we are able to offer a broader range of both vocational and professional training for young people and adults in this part of West Berkshire."
Calcot Community Learning Centre will service the West Berkshire community and surrounding areas offering training opportunities on peoples' doorsteps and a local space for businesses and professionals. The centre is also available for room hire, perfect for meetings. If you should be interested in finding out more about the training and courses that the Calcot Community Learning Centre has to offer, or are interested in hiring the facilities please call us on 01189 427040 or pop in to the centre above Sainsbury's off the M4, J12.
Four teams of eager students, braved the freezing conditions and represented the College this year as teams from across the town battled it out for a place on the annual Pancake Race podium.
Students from Child Care, Public Services, FENNS (Functional English for Non-Native Speakers) and First Steps competed against tough opposition from Ross Brooke, English Provender, Charles Lucas & Marshall, John Lewis, Newbury Building Society, Swift Couriers, Swings and Smiles, The Breeze and Thomas Eggar.
Although no Newbury College team was fortunate enough to get the top spot, all was not lost. After the running race, pancakes were then tossed into the crowd from the town hall balcony by the mayor of Newbury, Arthur Johnson. The winning pancake was caught by the Newbury College First Steps team.
Course Leader for Child Care, Julia Reveler said "The students have been practicing really hard and have all thoroughly enjoyed the event. Next year we want to put a staff team together as well and show them how it's really done!"