In what has now become an annual event, Newbury College have once again taken on Newbury's local radio station The Breeze in support of Comic Relief.
This year's game of choice was an indoor cricket match where students from BTEC Level 3 Uniformed Public Services and BTEC Level 3 Business competed against presenters and crew from popular station including Drivetime Host, Dave Trumper and Journalist, Emily Tolloczko.
Sports Maker, Joe Pegg who organised the event said, "The cricket match against the Breeze radio station was a great way to bring students from different courses together. We are trying to engage more students into sports and running these one off charity events are essential to developing this new sporting mind set".
It was a close but a well fought battle between the two teams with The Breeze narrowly taking the victory with 86 runs to 73. The event is just one of many fundraising activities taking place over the fortnight around Red Nose Day.
Dr Anne Murdoch OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Newbury College, has been appointed one of two new board members for Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)
Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has announce the appointment of, Dr Anne Murdoch, Co-opted Education Sector Director and Deputy Chair and Cllr David Lee, Public Sector Director and representative of the Berkshire Leaders' Group.
Dr Anne Murdoch OBE has been Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Newbury College since 2001. During that time she has overseen a total new build and move to a new site as well as the development of a wide range of other new facilities for Newbury College students. On receiving the role Anne Murdoch said, "I am really pleased to be working with the LEP in the role of Deputy Chair. This shows the importance The Thames Valley LEP places on education and skills and its role in economic growth."
Dr Murdoch has spent most of her career in education and training, working in schools, University and FE Colleges and during that time has demonstrated a commitment to raising standards and engaging with employers to ensure training programmes meet their needs. Dr Murdoch has worked locally, regionally and nationally on representative groups in education including the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Berkshire.
Steve Lamb, Chair of the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP said: "We are delighted to strengthen our board with two appointments that will support key sectors identified in our Growth Strategy. Anne and David are not only experts in their field but also have a real interest in helping the sub region thrive. Their appointment will significantly strengthen what is already an excellent board of directors who are driving the LEP forward successfully."
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."