Archives for January 2021

Derwen College, near Oswestry, is looking for volunteer Board trustees.

If your New Year resolution was to get involved with your local community, and do some volunteering, then perhaps consider applying to join the Board of Trustees of Derwen College, the well-known and long-standing charity and further education (FE) college near Oswestry. If you have experience in the FE or Care sectors, or of SEND, or if you are a qualified accountant, and you would like to volunteer in the area of governance, the College would like to hear from you. 

Trustees attend six Board and six Committee meetings a year, held on weekday afternoons. There are opportunities to get more involved if individuals wish to do that. 

Derwen College is a charity that runs FE courses for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Students come from Shropshire and across the UK. The College also provides supported living for older people. 

Enriching lives

Kathleen Kimber, Board Chair, said, “Derwen College is a fantastic organisation and our students never fail to impress. Seeing their progress is what drives us as trustees: we ensure the College is well-positioned to serve its students today and into the future, to give them the best experience and to prepare them for the next stage in their lives. Derwen is also home to a number of clients and we work to provide them with the best environment and activities to enrich their lives. 

“Having trustees from a broad range of backgrounds helps the Board to carry out its role effectively. New members bring fresh ideas and perspectives, which are invaluable. We are very interested in hearing from those who think they might be able to contribute to the discussion and decision making.”

Specialist further education college Derwen College, near Oswestry, is delighted to announce its Spring Open Day will take place on Saturday, 6^th March.

At Derwen College Spring Open Day events, potential students and their families will be able to find out all about life for the day and residential students who attend the Ofsted Outstanding-rated College or one of its smaller Shropshire satellite sites.

There will be two separate Spring Open Day events: one for Derwen College’s main Gobowen site for residential and day students from 10am-11am, and another for day students at the College’s Telford, Baschurch and Craven Arms campuses from 11.30am-12.30pm.

The Open Day will include video tours offering insights into the College’s Hospitality & Housekeeping, Retail, Horticulture, Performing Arts and Work Skills pathways.

Learning at Derwen is not just about work; visitors will gain an insight into what students do in their sport and leisure and social time, in their accommodation, and in their independence skills and work placements. There’ll also be the opportunity to hear directly from some of the students about what Derwen means to them, and what they’ve learnt during their time here.

Families from Shropshire and surrounding counties will also be able to discover more about life as a day student at the satellite sites.

With a live introduction, and the chance to ask questions to expert staff, the Open Day is the ideal introduction for families looking at post-16 education options for a young person with special educational needs, autism, and/or disabilities.

Principal, Meryl Green, said that the College was pleased to be able to offer an invaluable Open Day experience, albeit differently from previous years.

She said: “This is our third virtual Open Day where we’ve been able to welcome young people, their families and carers to discover more about Derwen College.

“We’ve had excellent feedback regarding our summer and winter open days, and learnt a lot about how people like to view our facilities and ask questions.

“Whilst it’s a shame that we can’t currently welcome visitors on site, we are determined to offer families the next best thing. We are very proud of our College, and are always keen to show it to prospective students and their families, and answer questions from them.”

Watch an introductory tour of the college, previous Open Day videos and a host of videos highlighting our students’ work, skills and leisure time on Derwen College’s  YouTube channel.