Newbury College has recently celebrated Adult Learners' Week, a national celebration of the benefits of lifelong learning. To recognise this occasion Newbury College organised a range of activities on the Open Day and throughout the whole week in support of the Alzheimer's society and the Dementia Awareness Week. .
The College raised over £200 from activities including interactive demonstrations of ACL classes, these included; pasta making, ballroom dancing, flower arranging, ceramics and upholstery, Family Learning arts and crafts workshops, and donations were collected at each activity. The college also arranged a raffle and cake sale, helping to raise funds further.
Community Learning Manager Sarah Hughes said, "I am pleased to announce we have managed to raise over £200 for the Alzheimer's Society through activities we held during Adult Learners Week. A massive thank you to all who supported us, our donation will pay for brain scans for two participants in a clinical trial to help improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer's".
Newbury College Health and Social Care students also got involved in raising funds for Dementia Week when they treated residents at Bayford House Residential Nursing to a flower arranging display. The event was organised by the students who had been set an assignment to carry out a voluntary project in the community, which will be marked towards their final grade.
Health and Social Care student, Rebecca Cannings said, "Working with residents at Bayford House was a great opportunity for us to learn more about our chosen career path whilst promoting Dementia Week".
Newbury College works closely with Bayford House, who offer placements opportunities to the College's Health and Social Care students as well as those studying Catering.
Alzheimer's Society is the leading support and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers. They provide information and support to people with any form of dementia and their carers through publications such as, National Dementia Helpline, their website, and more than 2,000 local services. The Alzheimer's Society helps to campaign for a better quality of life for people with dementia and a greater understanding of dementia.
Newbury College hosted the first training session for the South of England Junior Wheelchair Basketball team on Saturday 25 May at 10am-2pm. Newbury College is one of four Colleges' in the South East involved in supporting these sessions.
The team is getting ready for the, 'Sainsbury's UK School Games 2013', which will be taking place at the University of Sheffield in September. The Games will be held over four days and is designed to replicate the feel of a major event such as the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Kev Ogbourne, Head Coach of the British Wheelchair Basketball team who will be training the squad said, "The team was cut down to just 14 when we finish our training on the 25th, then we have a few more training sessions to get ready for the school games in Sheffield".
This will be the third successive year that Wheelchair Basketball has been chosen sports for the 2013 School Games. The event is held annually and is a multi-sport event for the UK's elite young athletes of school age.
Sara Taylor Team Manager, who organised the training sessions for the team said, "As Team Manager it was my responsibility to select training venues for the Wheelchair Basketball (South) Team, and I choose Newbury College for its location, enthusiasm of the staff, accessibility and its modern sports hall.
Alder Bridge School annually runs a creative event, pampering busy parents. Newbury College showed its support when Level 3 Art Students, currently in their second year at the College, held a fashion show for the finale of the event.
The College was approached by Alder Bridge School to put on a fashion show at the 'Ladies Indulgence Evening', an evening of demonstrations, pampering and alternative therapies. The art students had recently completed a fashion unit and showed a small selection of their garments together with a selection of fashions from across the eras from 1960s to today.
Jackie Heggs, Art lecturer at Newbury College said, "The Fashion Show at Alder Bridge School provides an opportunity for our students to contribute to the wider community whilst providing a showcase of their creative skills across the fashion and media industry. This type of event enhances vocational learning by giving a real experience of the responsibilities of work in the fashion media industry."
The College showed great enthusiasm with models made up of students from a variety of courses, and the makeup was provided by Level 2 Beauty Students. All of the fashion was provide by Level 3 Art and Design students, with a mixture designed and created pieces and purchased garments.
Motor Vehicle students from Newbury College took part in a visit to the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA). The visit was organised for the trainee mechanics to gain an insight into how the department of transport oversees the vehicle MOT system, and instigates road side inspections for cars and heavy vehicles.
Students took part in a discussion and presentation on the involvement of VOSA in their various rolls as administrators of the MOT test, vehicle inspections, roadside inspections and accident investigations before being shown around a current MOT test on a 7.5 ton commercial vehicle.
Newbury College Motor Vehicle Lecturer, Alistair Napier said, "It was a great honour to be the first College to visit the VOSA centre. The students all thoroughly enjoyed the day, and it gave them an insight into the importance of what the department oversees".
The students were all extremely positive after their visit to VOSA after learning more about an area of motor trade that they were yet to cover.