Former Derwen College student Mark called in to see us this week, and it was wonderful to catch up with him.
Mark, from Powys, is now 25 and thriving in work, independence and community life. His visit, with his mum Fiona, gave us the perfect chance to hear how he is getting on, and to see the confidence and skills he has continued to build since leaving College in July 2023.
Mark told us about his job at Coed y Dinas in Welshpool. He works two days a week in the Country Store, after impressing the team during his final term work experience placement. As a skilled craftsman, he enjoys putting garden furniture together and assembling seasonal products such as children’s toys and ride on tractors. Mark told us it is “a great place to work with a great team.”
Alongside his paid work, Mark volunteers every Tuesday at the Severn Hospice charity shop in Welshpool. This builds on his College work experience at Nightingale House Hospice charity shop, Derwen College’s Garden Centre Shop and The Vintage Advantage charity shop.
He said: “At College, I had work experience at Nightingales charity shop and The Vintage Advantage shop. Now I volunteer every Tuesday at the Severn Hospice shop in Welshpool which I enjoy. I am very familiar with working in charity shops and they all need volunteers.”
Living independently and staying connected
Mark was proud to share how well he is settling into his supported living house, which he moved into in November 2024. He lives with three other young men his age, two of whom he knew from school and from College. They share cooking and shopping, and plan social activities together.
“We all get on well. We take it in turns to cook and do our shopping together,” he said. “We all went on a short holiday to Blackpool recently and stayed in an Airbnb. It was a lot of fun and I saw the illuminations. It is one of my favourite places!”
Mark now walks into town independently to shop or meet friends. His home is close to his family, close to his workplace, and not too far from Derwen, which means he can still pop in to say hello.
“If I am ever passing by the College, we always call in and get a warm welcome,” he told us.
Skills, hobbies and giving back
Outside work, Mark enjoys making things out of wood in his workshop. Recently, he built two large tables for Montgomery play park, using his crafting skills to support his local community.
Mark looks back on his time at Derwen College with real fondness. He progressed to living more independently in the Agnes Hunt Village Bungalows, enjoyed Lego therapy sessions, played indoor cricket and completed a range of external work placements including Nightingales charity shop, the Spar in Llanfyllin and Derwen’s own outlets.
“I would recommend Derwen College to others,” he said. “I learnt a lot and had a lot of fun, but most of all, it got me ready for work!”
His mum, Fiona, added: “We feel Mark had the best possible experience at Derwen. He improved his independence skills and grew emotionally, particularly in resolving problems and issues himself. We have no hesitation in recommending Derwen College to other families. Mark enjoyed the work and social life and built very good relationships with staff, who were an example of excellence in their field. We feel incredibly lucky that Mark was given this wonderful opportunity to flourish.”