Retail student Mark Williams will be flying the Derwen nest at the end of term. We were honoured to receive an impressive hand-made wooden bird table and dovecote from him as a an early leaving present for staff and students.
Mark, from Powys, will be leaving College at the end of the summer term. And he already has employment lined up at Coed y Dinas, in Welshpool.
He’ll be working in the store using his craft and retail skills to build and sell garden furniture and sell garden machinery in his first paid job. Mark has been preparing for the next step in this career journey so has been practising his travel training and learning to travel independently to work by taxi.
Mark, who is autistic, is a talented craftsperson who has previously sold his wares in aid of Derwen Charity at the Derwen Christmas Fayre. As well as woodworking talents, he’s also a skilled knitter, and has sold hand-made gifts, ornaments and hand-knitted scarves.
The new bird table will be housed in the College’s Woodland Walk where students, staff and visitors can enjoy it. The dovecote will be fixed to the bungalow where Mark lives. The bungalow is his current home where he has learnt daily living skills – like cooking, cleaning, shopping and money handling – which will help him to be as independent as possible after College.
Learning Disability Week
This week is Learning Disability Week, where we’re busting myths about people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and highlighting the incredible things that our students go on to achieve.
Thank you Mark for your thoughtful gifts, and good luck in your exciting new adventures!