Footballers tackle men’s health issues

November becomes Movember for many men as they valiantly grow moustaches to raise money for charity. Staff at Middlesbrough College got in on the action — with support from two Middlesbrough Football Club players who helped to raise awareness of men’s health, including prostate and testicular cancers.

No subject was too tough to tackle for players Rhys Williams and Curtis Main.

Changing room banter, team talks, the size of the crowd and away fans’ chants were just some of the subjects covered during a question and answer session.

“I’ve known a few Aussie footballers who’ve had scares relating to testicular cancer, and I’d tell anyone to get themselves to the doctor when they first suspect something might be wrong,” said Rhys, 24.

Middlesbrough College FC coach and former Boro player Neil Maddison also pitched in at the event, with comedian John Ryan.

The get-together featured moustaches of every shape and size, including impressive facial adornments sported by Tom Metcalfe, college project manager, Alister Wrigley, commercial catering manager, and Steve Ankers, deputy director of construction — all members of the college’s “Mo Bros”, a group who started November clean-shaven but who have groomed their facial hair for the past month.

Sports hall renamed to honour Olympian

A sports hall at Chesterfield College has been renamed to honour Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis. The heptathlete, who visited the college for the first time this month to open its new “heart space”, library, and guidance centre, said that she felt “very special”.

The college’s performing arts students gave a concert before Jessica took part in a question and answer session. She then toured the new building that will provide students with a space to study, eat, socialise and receive advice on their studies and career path.

Then it was a case of seeing double at the renamed sports hall when former art student Pete Barber of Urban Canvas presented his mural of Jessica for the hall corridor (see picture).

She ended her visit with sports staff and students who were holding athletics sessions with local primary pupils. Jessica said she was impressed by the new building — “it looks really bright and modern. It’s nice to see what they’ve done, it looks amazing.”

Principal Trevor Clay said students would now have a bright, modern, informal space in which they could study and socialise. “It feels like the heart of the college, hence its name ‘heart space’. Everyone is delighted that Jessica was able to launch the facility for us.”

Chef wants ‘seafood coast’ put on the map

A food writer and chef has helped to set up a seafood academy at a college on the south coast.

The Mitch Tonks Seafood Academy has been opened to inspire young chefs and is set to put South Devon College on the map for seafood excellence.

“I’ve long been a believer that the south west has the best seafood in the world and this academy will really develop the potential of young chefs to help them to become some of the best seafood chefs in the country,” said Tonks, who owns three restaurants, one this year’s Best Seafood Restaurant.

“One of my own goals for my businesses is to promote the whole area as Britain’s seafood coast — an area where people from all over world will travel to enjoy it’s famed seafood.

“One of the challenges with this, and one we all face within the restaurant industry, is a skill shortage of properly trained staff, especially of chefs that have a good understanding of seafood.”

College gives all students a sporting chance

Colleges from across the North East were on to a winner when Sunderland College organised a five-a-side football tournament for students with learning difficulties and disabilities.

A group of student volunteers organised the contest as part of a Together Activity Group (TAG) scheme.

Project coordinator Rachael Smales said the tournament had been a huge success. “Many of the students taking part have not got involved in organised sporting activities before,” she said.

“They all really enjoyed the experience and it is great the other colleges from across the region are willing to get involved.”

She said that Sunderland aimed to give students the best college experience possible, “no matter what their interests or attainment level”.

The student volunteers have also organised Zumba classes, breakfast clubs and gym sessions. Former student Konnor McCully is a TAG project volunteer who became involved through Durham FA’s Football Foundation Programme. “The whole day has been fantastic, it could not have gone better,” he said.

“I love volunteering with the TAG Project; it is fun, exciting, and great teaching the students skills within football. I have learnt a lot too.”

Tyne Met College won the tournament final, beating Sunderland College 3-1.

Fundraiser was icing on the cake

Cupcakes were at the centre of Colleges Week celebrations at Richmond upon Thames College.

Visitors who made it to the catering department during an open evening were encouraged to roll up their sleeves and practise their icing and decorating skills — with the promise of a tasty treat at the end. Pre-decorated cupcakes were sold to raise money for Children in Need.

“It was great fun learning how to pipe the icing, and I was really pleased with the result as it looked and tasted delicious,” said Georgia Petrou, 16, from Sunbury Manor School.

Richmond’s catering department is home to Merits, a training restaurant where students gain the skills to become the chefs and food service staff of the future. Helping at the Colleges Week event were students Laura Bamford, Rosie Buckle, Ben Harris, Marion Kamau Njoki and Scott Tuckwell.

“It was fun being the teacher instead of the student,” Laura said. “And the cupcakes decorated by the guests looked brilliant. They were really enthusiastic and it was nice to show off some of the skills that we’ve been taught.”

Marmite artist spreads some inspiration

You either love it or you hate it. Former Coleg Gwent student and artist Nathan Wyburn loves it – and so he should. The 23-year-old is best known for his portrait work produced by spreading Marmite on toast…

Nathan recently visited current students at the college’s Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone to teach them about using alternatives to paint, such as sugar, chocolate or ketchup.

Inspired by everyday objects that most people take for granted, Nathan has also used snow, pen lids, soil, newspaper cut-outs and candles to produce his art. He also films the process and broadcasts the time-lapse videos on his YouTube channel.

Nathan showed A level and BTEC art students a variety of his work commissioned for big name brands such as Marmite, BIC, Costa and Hovis, as well as for charity projects.

“Coleg Gwent have always been really supportive of my work, so it’s great to speak to art students here. Hopefully it’ll inspire them to try new things,” he said.

Motivated by Nathan’s radical approach, students experimented with toast and marmite to produce an impressive mosaic of British singer songwriter Tulisa Contostavlos.

Nathan Morgan, 20 from Tredegar, said: “It’s brilliant to learn from someone successful, but also approachable and friendly. Nathan’s from our local area so we can really relate to him.”

The session was part of students’ enrichment programme, which provides extra opportunities for students to improve their skill and experience.

Business Busters offer advice to companies

Students at a Teesside college have made a film to stop companies starting out from making costly mistakes.

Ten Prior Pursglove College students wrote, filmed and starred in Business Busters, with help from writer and director Laura Degnan and support from the Redcar and Cleveland Enterprise Team.

The film features a city girl who is given the chance to follow her dream and run a cake shop. She stumbles across problem after problem until the Business Busters swoop in to help her find solutions.

Laura, a director at Writers’ Block, a North East company that runs writing, drama and film-making workshops, worked with the students for several weeks.

Student Zoe Dean, 19, from Brotton, said: “We’ve all had the chance to take part, by either directing, starring or writing. We hope it will be helpful for anyone who is starting their own business or expanding current enterprises.”

The film was unveiled to an invited audience, including local MPs, at a red carpet premiere at the Guisborough college.

Laura said: “The students were able to learn not just from me but from one another. They developed some really creative and extremely funny ideas and delivered them in a very
visual way.”

New live room is ‘investment in the future’

Chart-toppers of the future will receive a head start at MidKent College with a new soundproofed live room.

The facility will give music students the opportunity to practise in private while their music technology counterparts can use the latest high-tech equipment to ensure the quality of performances shines through.

Sevenoaks musician and former college lecturer Dan Clews, who performed alongside Tim Minchin during Children in Need, officially opened the room during Colleges Week.

“The UK is the second largest music exporter in the world behind America; it’s important we continue to invest in the future of the industry,” he said.

“I came across some talented musicians during my time at the college and it’s great they now have a room of exceptional quality to practise that talent in.”

Louise Molton, head of the creative and visual arts faculty, said: “This room gives the musicians their own self-contained area to perform in, and will really help to raise their performance levels.

“But it’s not just music students who will benefit. Our performing arts students can also use the room, and our creative media students can film the various events that go on here.”

Students’ work crashing on to screens with new road safety awareness drama

Sheffield College photojournalists helped with the filming of a new drama that highlights the dangers young people can face on the roads.

“Crash,” which shows a serious accident and how the three emergency services respond, is due to be screened in South Yorkshire schools early next year.

Students on the press photography and photojournalism course helped the film crew on location earlier this term.

Tom Maddick, 26, said: “I had the chance to take some good photos of actors and trainee surgeons in an intensive care unit mocked up at Sheffield Hallam University and I lent the crew some of my lenses for filming. The two days on set also gave me the chance to capture a number of images for my portfolio.”

Diane Malpass, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue group manager, said: “Some of the material in the film will be shocking but is designed to have a strong impact on the youngsters to bring home the consequences of careless or reckless driving.” Nationally, road accidents are the biggest killer of young people aged 17 to 24. The film’s main message is that they could often be avoided by simple changes in behaviour.