On Thursday 20 December, as part of their staff training day, staff at Newbury College held a 'Tuckers Treats Tombola' to raise money for the Duchess of Kent Hospice in memory of Suzanne Tucker, a long standing member of the College team who sadly lost her brave fight with cancer in November.
College staff were generous and kindly donated all sorts of prizes for the tombola which included bottles of wine, homemade cakes and jewellery, perfect for over the Christmas period, and the theme 'Tuckers Treats' was a real reflection on Suzanne's girly character, who loved treats. Cakes were freshly baked and brought in for sale on the day, and the great efforts of the College staff raised over £300 for the Duchess of Kent Hospice.
Emily Chandler, who organised the event said, "Working with Suzanne was a real privilege, she was a very positive person to be around, and fought her illness with real courage. The event was our way of giving something back to this wonderful charity that helped a dear friend and colleague".
Duchess of Kent House was opened 20 years ago and has cared for over 15,000 patients and their relatives and friends in that time. The money it raises goes towards funding the psychologists, the dietician, the chaplain, patient transport, diversional therapy, complementary therapists, the Befriending Service and the Bereavement (family support) Service and to provide outings and treats for patients. Duchess of Kent House Charity can only continue to support the Hospice through the generosity of its sponsors and donations. To find out more please visit their website on www.dokhc.org.uk.
Newbury College has won a bid to receive a sports grant, thanks to new National Lottery funding from Sports England to develop sports in West Berkshire. The funding will be used to appoint a new sports specialist who will work within both the College and the local community to promote sports. This will be overseen by the National Governing Body of Sport, and is a perfect opportunity for Newbury College to utilize their recently opened state of the art Sports Hall.
The £1.7 million investment in sports came about after the success of the Games Makers at the Olympics in encouraging sports. The opportunity is being given to 500 colleges around the UK to recruit a full time sports professional, a 'Sports Maker', to help get students interested in sport. Only 150 colleges across the UK have the chance of being successful of which Newbury College is one of them.
The announcement was welcomed by Maria Miller, Secretary of State of Culture, Media and Sport, who said: "Following the success and enthusiasm generated by the summer, I am determined to keep up the momentum of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and get more people playing sport. Raising participation levels among young people is absolutely crucial. This £20 million investment from the National Lottery will help do exactly that, getting more students in colleges up and down the country involved in sport. It will also create 150 new jobs, and these 'College Sport Makers' will make a real difference in helping young people develop a sporting habit for life".
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. 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 Makers 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."
As George Osborne announced his Autumn Statement on Wednesday 6 December, BBC South Today broadcast live from Newbury College. Broadcaster Alistair Fee interviewed Dr Anne Murdoch with regard to growth strategies and investment into the construction industry.
The College was the ideal location for the feature as it has recently launched its new state of the art Construction Skills Centre. Dr Murdoch explained how the new construction centre would benefit young people with training opportunities using industry standard equipment and industry-experienced lecturers. Learners will gain the skills needed for the future growth of West Berkshire housing and construction development projects.
The Government's economic strategy is focused on reducing the deficit, restoring stability, rebalancing the economy and equipping the UK to compete in the global race. In his statement, George Osborne set out how this strategy will be maintained by taking further action in three areas: Protecting the economy; Growth; and Fairness.
Newbury College received a record number of people attending its recent Open Evening showcasing the variety of Apprenticeships, A Levels and vocational courses that the College has to offer.
Curriculum areas demonstrated what their courses entailed by putting on fantastic displays and exhibitions, which included creative media work, digital photography, CAD displays and motorbikes. Current students talked to parents, helped to show them around and discussed their College experience. Organisations such as Hitachi Capital displayed their Hybrid Electrical car and Gamma Telecom Limited attended to talk about Apprenticeships.
Newbury College Principal Dr Anne Murdoch said, "The evening was a great success. We are delighted with the number of visitors who came along to our Open Evening and very pleased that so many people are interested in our courses. We are also most grateful to Hitachi Capital who loaned us a hybrid car which was the centre of interest for many visitors keen to find out about our Motor Vehicle courses. The evening was also very well attended by staff and current students who acted as ambassadors for Newbury College."
The evening was a fantastic opportunity for the local community to be taken on a tour of the College's state of the art facilities, and to see the many courses it has to offer. The College's Business students helped to organise activities and attended the event to help out on the registration desk, giving guided tours and chatting to prospective students.
For those in Year 11, who will be the first cohort of learners required to stay in education until they are 17, the evening was a chance for them and their parents to discover the options available after GCSEs. Meanwhile, adults 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.