Archives for July 2020

874-mile walk in aid of Derwen Charity

31st July 2020 by Eluned Watson

Intrepid teams of Derwen College Charity students, staff and supporters have signed up to a virtual walk which covers the length of Britain in just one month.

Teams of six are walking 874 miles in 31 days. That’s an average of five miles every day throughout August for every participant. Walkers are taking on the challenge to raise money to support students at Derwen College.

Each walker will be logging individual walks every day to make up the distance from Land’s End to John 0’Groats (LEJOG).

So far four teams of six are taking on the challenge to walk and raise funds to support students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at the Gobowen college. The funds help finance their learning, work placements and independence skills. And it’s not too late for anyone else keen for a summer charity challenge to join #DerwenLEJOG! Just email fundraiser Anna at anna.evans@derwen.ac.uk

Some of the teams are students and their families, keen to do their bit to support Derwen College Charity while keeping fit over the summer months.

Fundraiser Anna and daughter Gweni made it to the top of Oswestry Hillfort as part of the Derwen LEJOG Challenge.

Many of the walkers joined after a planned Snowdon charity challenge was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The charity has also suffered losses from the cancellation of its top fundraising events, the annual Sponsored Walk and Summer Fete.

Derwen College fundraiser Anna Evans is taking part, and is keen for supporters to join in the challenge or back walkers by making a donation.

She said: “Like most charities, we have felt the impact of the pandemic with a huge loss of funds in 2020. Sadly, we have had to cancel our main fundraising events. We estimate that we have lost more than £50,000 in donations this year.

“I am over the moon that students, staff and other supporters have agreed to take on this difficult challenge to help recoup some of our losses. With the backing of sponsors, we believe the blisters will be worth the effort.”

You can make a donation to Derwen College Charity LEJOG walkers here.
To find out more about entering a team or joining an existing team, email anna.evans@derwen.ac.uk

Pool makes a splash in building awards

31st July 2020 by Eluned Watson

Derwen College has been shortlisted for a prestigious building award for its innovative new hydrotherapy centre.

The Shropshire specialist further education college’s Bradbury Hydrotherapy Pool has been named as a finalist in the West Midlands LABC Building Excellence Awards 2020.

The pool and therapy building opened in September 2019. It has been shortlisted for Best Public Service or Educational Building award. The winners will be announced on Thursday, 10th September 2020.

The hydrotherapy pool building was designed by Gareth Edwards of local architectural practice DPA Design in collaboration with the college’s therapies team. It was constructed by builders Jones Brothers.

Derwen College estates and facilities manager, Paul Lindop said:

“We were delighted to be shortlisted in the LABS Building Excellence Awards for the Bradbury Hydrotherapy Pool. The state-of-the-art pool was opened in September 2019. It was built to support students in their physiotherapy and sensory needs. To create a building that was innovative in design and build, whilst focused on students’ and therapists’ needs, involved outstanding partnerships between architects, builders and therapists. We are very proud to be recognised for such a prestigious award.”

Thank you to supporters

College Principal Meryl Green said:

“These awards recognise high-quality design and build. To be shortlisted is testament to the work carried out by a dedicated team who went to great lengths to understand the needs of college and students.

“The hydrotherapy pool has benefitted from generous donations from many community groups and leading grant makers. These included The Bradbury foundation, St James’s Place Charitable Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation.”

Awards events co-ordinator Jodie Nash said that organisers were determined to recognise the finalists virtually.

She said: “Competition has been stronger than ever this year and being shortlisted is a great accomplishment. Our judges have seen a number of fantastic projects and we believe it’s still important to celebrate the projects completed throughout our regions. Therefore we’ve made the decision to celebrate our award winners digitally for 2020.”

The winners’ presentations take place on Thursday, 10^th September 2020.

Teresa takes on sponsored slim

17th July 2020 by Eluned Watson

Derwen College Teresa Richards sponsored slim Station Cafe — Teresa plans to lose four stones through healthy eating and exercise.

A Derwen College teacher is determined to lose more than four stones in a charity weight loss challenge, despite being surrounded by delicious home-made food and cakes in her daily job.

Teresa Richards works at the specialist further education college, near Oswestry. She is best known for supervising students in their work placements at Gobowen’s popular Station Café – which is temporarily closed. She is embarking on a sponsored slim to raise funds for Derwen College Charity. Money raised will go towards providing vital experiences, equipment and independence for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Teresa wants to become fitter for her own health, but is keen for supporters to encourage her in her endeavours. She hopes to raise £500 and even to recruit other slimmers who may want to shed a few extra lock-down pounds.

Teresa, from Oswestry, wants to lose four stones over the next 12-18 months through healthy eating and exercise. Her biggest weaknesses, she says, are chocolate, sweets and wine with friends. Being surrounded by the tempting home-made food that she makes in the Station Café and college Food Centre and bakery, make the challenge even more difficult.

She says: “I have been fighting with my weight for most of my life. My joints are failing and even doing the slightest physical activity has become challenging. My main focus is on my weight loss journey but I would love to see how much money I can raise for such a great charity which helps the fantastic students I work with in so many ways.

“I would to love to inspire others to make a donation towards Derwen College Charity. Or even to join me on this challenge if they want to lose weight and get healthy.”

Teresa Richards Derwen College Station Cafe — Teresa is a familiar friendly face at Gobowen’s much-loved Station Cafe.

High Sheriff Community Award

Teresa is a familiar face to many commuters and the Gobowen community. Last year she won a High Sheriff of Shropshire community award for her tireless work and continued commitment to the popular Gobowen Station Café.

She continues: “I am lucky to know many lovely people through the Station Café. Customers helped me to raise £300 for our annual sponsored walk two years ago. I hope they might support me again as the college’s usual fundraising events have been cancelled for 2020. I can’t wait to see all our customers again soon when we are able to safely reopen.”

You can follow Teresa’s weight-loss journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/troser64/ or support her efforts by donating at https://www.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/teresa

There are many other ways to support Derwen College Charity, including a challenging Virtual John O’Groats to Land’s End team walk which takes place throughout August. Find out more here.

Top award for innovative Derwen College

14th July 2020 by Eluned Watson

Derwen College has won national awards from Natspec and National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN) for its ground-breaking work supporting people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) into work.

Derwen College won a prestigious Natspec Award – awards which recognise excellence in specialist further education. The award was for ‘Innovative Use of Technology’ for a suite of apps that the college has developed to promote employability skills for students with SEND.

In October 2020, the college also received the Innovative Award for Technology from NASEN.

The project was funded via the Marches LEP Growth Deal with Government for capital skills projects, and focused on developing a suite of apps to help young people with learning difficulties and disabilities to gain skills in work placements and supported employment.

The apps include a Premier Inn app which takes students step-by-step through servicing a hotel room. Students use the app on tablet or mobile phone at the college’s on-site training hotel, at Premier Inn work placements and ultimately during paid employment at Premier Inn.

Other apps include a CV Builder app which enables people with SEND to create their own CV with minimal outside support. The ‘Support Work’ project also supports employers in their recruitment of staff with SEND.

Former student Adam used the Premier Inn app in his work placement at the college’s Hotel 751 training hotel, and in employment at Premier Inn.

‘Incredibly proud’

Derwen College Principal, Meryl Green, was delighted to hear that the College had won, during a virtual awards ceremony.

She said: “I’m incredibly proud that Derwen College has won the ‘Innovative use of Technology Award’ in the Natspec Awards 2020. Competition in this category is extremely tough and this accolade clearly demonstrates that Derwen College remains at the forefront of creativity and innovation within SEND education.”

Natspec Chair of the Judging Panel Nigel Evans praised the high standard of the award submissions which demonstrated the innovation, expertise and creativity within the specialist further education sector.

He highlighted the strong partnerships that Derwen College developed with Oswestry-based Hunter Bevan Marketing & Design, Starfish Labs app developers, as well as with Premier Inn, and Makaton. These relationships were vital in ensuring the apps were of industry standard.

He said: “This project showed a strong use of partnerships within the hospitality industry, a technology firm and funding from the local enterprise partnership resulting in products that are easy to use, professional in appearance and will be easy to transfer to other employment settings. The incorporation of Makaton increased the accessibility of the apps and broadened the range of students able to use it.”

Neil Bevan worked with Derwen College to create and develop the innovative suite of Support Work app.

‘Collaborative effort’

Neil Bevan, Director of Starfish Labs and Hunter Bevan said, “The Starfish Labs and Hunter Bevan teams are so proud to have been a part of this project, working in partnership with Derwen College. It’s been a great collaborative effort including research and development to identify student and employer needs, and how the students interact with different learning methods in the apps.

“The apps are unique in the way they combine video, photos, Makaton symbols, text and sound, and in the ability for the college staff to tailor content to specific course pathways. I’m delighted that the suite of apps has been recognised with such a prestigious award from an organisation as highly respected as Natspec. Well done to all involved, and we’re looking forward to developing the apps further with Derwen College, to take them into other colleges and employers, both in the UK and in exporting British educational tech expertise in overseas markets.”

Competition success for online learners

10th July 2020 by Eluned Watson

It was a testing time for students at Shropshire’s Derwen College when they competed in skills competitions against Sheffield-based Landmarks Specialist College this week.

Students at the specialist college, near Oswestry, competed in quizzes focusing on Hospitality & Catering, Customer Service and Travel and Road Safety in online competitions against Landmarks College.

The challenges were held virtually through Zoom via the Kahoot quiz app, and allowed students to take part whether they were currently learning from home or college.

Derwen College learners performed well despite the unusual circumstances. College Pathway Leads Alison Adams and Sioned Davies said they were very proud of their students’ achievements.

In the Customer Service competition Aaliyah James was first, Adehle Stafford was third, Sam Innes was fourth and Tom Alexander was runner-up.
In the Catering and Hospitality competition, William Chapple was awarded third place.
In the Travel and Road Safety competition, Millie Clarke was fourth.

Alison Adams, Hospitality & Housekeeping Pathway Lead, said:

“The competitions held via Zoom with Landmarks College were a great success. All students did extremely well to focus on competitions during what has been a very different Summer term for everyone. Credit should also go to the dedication of the staff and parents who worked with the students to prepare them for this week, and to our colleagues at Landmarks College for organising the event.”

Olive leads the way for Derwen College Charity

3rd July 2020 by Eluned Watson

An Oswestry pensioner has stepped up to raise funds for Derwen College Charity after embarking on her own sponsored walk after the college’s official walk was cancelled.

Olive Morris, aged 76, has raised £250 for specialist Derwen College, in Gobowen, by completing a 10km from her home. The route passed Babbinswood, Middleton and Aston Hall.

Ms Morris, who has completed 51 official sponsored walks for the residential and day college for young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), said she was determined to do her bit for the college.

“I had already raised a lot of money before the walk was cancelled because of the coronavirus. So, doing the walk on my own seemed the right thing to do,” she said.

Ms Morris started walking for Derwen College 52 years ago, and has taken part every year since.

She walked the 10km route on what would have been Derwen College Fete day, another charity event which unfortunately had to be cancelled.

“I’ve always enjoyed walking, and it has become a tradition that I enjoy. This year, was different with being on my own and taking a new route, but it was a lovely day to be out walking. I took some pictures around the route as proof I’d completed the 10km. I haven’t managed to raise as much as I usually do. I normally collect around £500, but it has been more difficult to see people.

“I’d like to thank everyone who sponsored me. I always said I would retire from the walk when I got to 70 but as long as I’m fit enough, I plan to keep on going.”

Olive has kept herself fit by walking and gardening during lockdown, regularly attending to her garden and allotment. Although she says she has missed many of her evening social clubs which include dancing, whist and gardening clubs.

Derwen College fundraiser Anna Evans said she was delighted that Ms Morris had raised such a lot of money for the college, despite the walk being cancelled.

She said: “Olive Morris is an inspiration. We are so grateful that she used her imagination and continued to raise money for Derwen College Charity even when the official walk had to be called off. It’s a difficult time for charities; we have had to cancel big fundraisers including the Sponsored Walk and Run and Summer Fete. We estimate that we have lost a potential £50,000 worth of charity funds due to the coronavirus. We hope that others might take inspiration from Olive to find new ways to raise money which supports students with SEND in developing their learning and independence skills.”

Derwen College is busy planning alternative fundraising events including a challenging virtual walk for staff and student families in August. Find out more about supporting Derwen College Charity here or contact Anna Evans at anna.evans@derwen.ac.uk for more information or to share your fundraising ideas.

Archives for July 2020

874-mile walk in aid of Derwen Charity

Intrepid teams of Derwen College Charity students, staff and supporters have signed up to a virtual walk which covers the length of Britain in just one month.