Kind hearted musicians have created a Christmas charity single.

Music Performance students at West Suffolk College have produced the single to raise money for children’s charity Camille’s Appeal.

Fifteen students on the second year of an Extended Music Diploma have been involved in writing and producing the single, called This Winter.

It is a classic Christmas single with a feel-good lyric and catchy chorus line, which builds from a simple acoustic beginning to an impressive multi-layered ending.

All of the members of the band wrote their own parts. Chorus and backing vocals were performed by the rest of the Extended Music Diploma Year 2.

The students were given an assignment to create and market a charity Christmas single.

The group decided to support Camille’s Appeal, an Ipswich-based charity for children with brain tumours.

Working under the production name Decibell Pro, every class member was involved in the final product. The single was recorded in the College’s own recording studio.

‘This Winter’ will be distributed online via Facebook, Tumblr and YouTube. It can be downloaded for free and donations made via www.justgiving.com/Decibell-Pro.

Students from City of Bath College took part in a life-changing experience as they spent a week on a charity project in Africa.

The team of 15 students, plus staff, completed the community project in Gambia, where they built to a new grain store alongside villagers in Medina Salaam.

They spent a week adding the grain store to the village’s market building to provide a dry place to store rice and other perishable goods.

They also helped to improve the accommodation at Woulaba Garden – a locally owned and managed tourist lodge.

Trainee stonemason Luke Kingston said: “This was my first time abroad and it was a real eye-opener.

“Seeing life in a developing country really brought home how much we take for granted in this country.”

Carpentry student Chris Horler added: “It was an amazing experience, the kind of thing I never thought I’d do. To work somewhere so different to home was a great opportunity and I loved every minute of it.”

Project leader Lynne Scragg said: “The local village made the group very welcome and were really appreciative of the students’ commitment and effort.”

Carshalton College is celebrating after scooping a top award.

The college has won the Website Category at the College Marketing Network’s 2011 FE First Awards following the launch of its new website earlier this year.

They were congratulated on their strategy to engage key markets, relevant and up to date content and achieving the outcome under budget.

Rob Simpson, web and creative manager at the college, said: “It was an exciting project to be involved with.

“The preparation included a week filming at the college to provide a real insight in to college life with students and business partners talking about their experience and a virtual tour is now available

“We wanted to provide an interactive and fresh website to capture visitor’s interest and make information accessible to get all their answers about the college in one place.”

Students put on a dazzling display for their Christmas panto – oh yes they did!

Lewisham College last week played host to six shows of their stage showpiece, The Awe-Ful Tale of Cinderella.

The performance was made all the more impressive with the fact they have only been at the institute since September.

Drama tutor Karla Ptacek said: “The most important thing to remember is that the majority of our actors are first year students and they’ve barely been here 12 weeks.

“They’ve got to sing, act, dance and have the right comic timing amongst 70 other students

“To pull that off is an incredible accomplishment and the audience are really loving it.

“It’s a win-win. We perform these for the community and our local schools, especially in Deptford, come every year and these students get to partake in a Christmas celebration.

“It builds links and we’re really proud of it.”

York College has announced a partnership with a theatrical production company.

Over the coming months, students will be involved in supporting York Mystery Plays, using a variety of skills learned on college courses.

Liz Moon, head of marketing at the college, said: “York College can offer much needed support towards the 2012 production.

“To kick-start the process tutors and students will lead workshops during York Residents’ Festival weekend, highlighting a range of skills needed to bring the Mystery Playsto life.

“For example at the Yorkshire Museum residents can ‘Have a go’ at media make-up techniques, prop making and biblical crafts.

“Also, watch out for the College’s Performing Arts students who will be in the city centre engaging residents in a medieval dance flashmob experience.”

Liam Evans-Ford, community producer of the York Mystery Plays, added: “I am delighted York College has become a leading educational partner.

“The students’ many talents will benefit the production enormously.”

TV star Mathew Horne was on hand to open a college’s new £1.2 million centre.

The Gavin and Stacey actor offered words of wisdom to the students of Lakes College when he joined for the opening of a new 14 – 19 special education centre.

The centre focuses on enhancing the development of the provision and students with learning difficulties or disabilities.

It will be the main base for the college’s vocational arts offer which includes the college’s new performing arts programmes.

Mathew said: “I sincerely hope the work that is going to be here can give people the experience and creative satisfaction I had at a very young age and inspiration to believe it can be done – or, if not that, at very least a sense of friendship and fun.”

Principal Cath Richardson said: “We were delighted to welcome Mathew to join us in our celebrations for the launch of the new centre. His advice has proved to be very inspiring to the students.”

A college is celebrating the fact that a group of its rugby players were selected to join a national training camp.

Nine of Myerscough College’s Rugby Academy gained one of the fourteen places available in the Northern Region, to join the England Colleges’ Rugby Men’s Squad.

The England Colleges Men’s squad is made up of players who have successfully taken part in the regional trials process.

They represent the best further education colleges rugby has to offer and will represent their college and their country in internationals against the Portuguese U18’s, Irish Exiles and the Welsh Colleges.

Myerscough’s Academy course leader Rod Murray said: “Everyone here is so happy for the boys.

“We’re especially proud that nine out of the fourteen Northern Region places have gone to our Academy students.

“It shows the level of talent we have here at Myerscough College and proves that our training methods and techniques are working.

“Hopefully next year we can get a clean sweep with all fourteen places.”

An online portal for the teaching of guitar, bass and drums has been developed at Weston College.

As well as coming in to college for one-to-one lessons, students on Music Practice courses can experience tuition online and via an iPad app called iTutorus, developed by college music technician Richard King.

Music courses curriculum manager Paul Raymond said the online lessons and accompanying app were created in response to the demands of a growing number of students.

He said: “We know that many people, especially younger musicians, learn techniques from websites like YouTube.

“While these can be good they’re not always accurate and so we recognised the need to create something that was just as accessible but of exceptionally high quality.”

Students using the iPad app can watch the tutorial and upload their own efforts for marking.