It gives me great pleasure in congratulating two bricklaying students Leo McLoughlin and Bradley Robertson. Bradley and Leo participated in an external Brickwork competition organised by the Guild of Bricklayers at Liverpool Community College on the 4th April 2008. Competitors where from the following Colleges: Blackpool & The Fylde; Preston; Blackburn; Accrington & Rossendale; St Helens; Liverpool Community College and Carillion Construction. All competitors provided very high standards of work which were a pleasure to observe.

The students attended the competition in the Easter break on a voluntary basis and where released from work commitments by their employers. Bradley works for Redrow Construction (Construction Skills) and Leo’s employer is C & G Clark (Scientiam).

Both Leo and Bradley gave 100% effort with Leo winning second place in the senior event which is a fantastic result!!

Again well done to both Brad and Leo, their employers and the Bricklaying Team at Wirral Met! 

Leo McLoughlin is pictured above. 

Colin Campbell,  Programme Team Manager Construction

Please support our student, Debby Henery, an Access to Health student, who is having her head shaved in aid of McMillan Cancer Support and the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit at Clatterbridge, on 21st June 2008.

Debby has already raised over £1,400 and hopes to raise much more for these worthwhile causes.  Debby will be donating her hair to The Little Princess Trust, http://www.littleprincesses.org.uk.  The charity has been set up to provide wigs and hair pieces for children who have suffered hair loss due to Cancer treatment.

If you would like to sponsor Debby please visit www.justgiving.com/debbyhenery  Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor her: Macmillan Cancer Support will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Please support Debby by donating as much as you can.

Seven students from across Merseyside have received awards in recognition of their outstanding voluntary activities and community support.

The students were presented with trophies and certificates at the Further Education and Sixth-Form Colleges Citizenship Awards held by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).

Sponsored by the Merseyside Colleges Association and O2, the awards recognise the achievements of college students who offer their own time to become caring, compassionate and tolerant individuals who have a real sense of civic responsibility.

Each college has the opportunity to nominate a student to attend the awards ceremony and receive an award in recognition of their achievements.  Students from King George V College, Knowsley Community College, Liverpool Community College, Riverside College, St Helens College, Southport College and Wirral Metropolitan College were all selected as Citizenship Award winners for 2008 and were presented with their bronze award – enscribed with the words ‘Men and Women for Others’ – at a ceremony in the Roscoe Room on Rodney Street by Lord Alton, Director of the Foundation for Citizenship, and Professor Michael Brown, Vice Chancellor of LJMU.

Lord Alton explained that, now in its tenth year, the awards: “Promote the good news stories on Merseyside and highlight the incredible voluntary work, leadership and generosity of young students.”

He added: “ Albert Einstein once said that we are most at risk from good people who do nothing. With the extraordinary selflessness and huge amount of altruism shown by the young people whose achievements we are recognising today, we have little to fear.”

The students who received awards were nominated by their college for a range of heart-warming actions.  Jenna Higginson, from Birknehead, a BTEC National Health and Social Care Student at Wirral Metropolitan College, is a keen community worker who is one of three Young Advisers attached to the “Community and Local Government Scheme” and is a member of the consultancy scheme looking at what improvements young people want in the Rock Ferry and Tranmere Alliance areas.

The awards form part of the Liverpool John Moores University Roscoe Foundation for Citizenship, which involves more than 1,000 schools across the North West.  The College is very proud of Jenna’s achievements and are pleased that her valuable contribution to the community has been recognised.

Pictured From Left to Right: Professor the Lord Alton of Liverpool; Director of the Foundation for Citizenship at Liverpool  John Moores University, Jenna Higginson, Professor Michael Brown; Vice Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University.

For further information contact Barbara Mace, Manager of the Foundation for Citizenship at Liverpool John Moores University, on 0151 231 3852, or Andrew Molyneux, Coordinator of the Merseyside Colleges Association, on 0151 252 3071.

Jason Savage and the Prince’s Trust Volunteers, Team 94, recently handed over their completed Community Project to the staff and residents from The Safe Harbour Residential Home, Bebington.  The team have completely renovated the garden area for the residents so that they have a pleasant place to sit and enjoy with their relatives and visitors.  Before the Prince’s Trust Volunteers renovated the garden area the only place visitors were able to sit outside, was in the car park.  The residents are delighted with the garden and are looking forward to spending lots of time there.

There was a lot of work to be done to renovate the garden, the whole area had to be cleared of several tons of earth.  The task was made even more challenging because the skips to remove the excess earth were unable to be delivered near to the building, the team had to remove the earth by the barrow load and push them up a hill to the skip.  After removing all the earth, by hand, they then brought stone chippings to the garden, this time downhill! Many hours were spent working in some very unpleasant weather, but the team overcame the weather and worked through with determination until the job was finished.  Jason and Jody, The Prince’s Trust Team Leaders, are very proud of the team’s efforts and are glad that the residents now have a lovely garden to enjoy. 

The Prince’s Trust programme is a 12 week course to develop personal skills, working as part of a team within the local community. The course includes outdoor pursuits, work placement opportunities and a one week residential, leading towards a final presentation of the students’ achievements, at the end of the programme.  If you are aware of a person who would like to develop their personal skills, working as part of a team within the community please contact Learner Services for details of how to join the course.

Congratulations to ‘Bookends’, the winners of our first Quiz night in aid of Clatterbridge Cancer Research.  The team, (pictured; left to right, Rear: Jeff Ashcroft, Steve Cropper, Allen Dunn and Front: Shirley Jones, Pat Roberts, Ann Jones) were presented with the winner’s trophy by Sue Higginson, Assistant Principal.  £420 was raised for Clatterbridge Cancer Research, many thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the evening, either by attending or supporting the charity by buying a raffle ticket.  Many thanks too to everyone who kindly donated raffle prizes, including Total Fitness, Unilever and The Birches Restaurant.