August 2014
The best of dance, music, fashion, animation, games design, graphic design, film and art at Uxbridge College was showcased during this year’s Creative Week, dubbed the ‘Invasion Exhibition’.
The annual event brings together students from across the College in a series of exhibitions and shows.
Many of the creative students are going on to study at degree level including at London College of Fashion, and the Universities of Greenwich and Bournemouth.
Events included a fashion show with clothes and accessories designed by the students modelled on the catwalk. The dance show, at Uxbridge College in Hayes, included originally-choreographed ballet, tap, rock and roll, commercial and street dance, as well as performances from the musicals Annie, Chicago and The Lion King.
A range of art works including photography, installation, montage and sculpture were exhibited, and media students were honoured for their work at an awards night where their films were also shown. Creative work by computer games designers, such as animated environments (imaginary worlds) and characters for computer games, was also on show.
Nicola Holmes, Head of Creative Studies at Uxbridge College said: “It’s been an impressive year across all the creative subjects, with students showing an extremely high level of professionalism. We have seen some terrific work this year including some beautiful tailoring and design on the catwalk, inspiring animation from games designers, industry-standard logo design, and some really original mixed-media artworks to name but a few. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this such a success.”
The fashion show was attended by the Mayor of Hillingdon Councillor Catherine Dann and the Mayoress Mrs Rita Kilroy, in one of their first functions since being elected to office earlier this month.
Pictured in the garden at Michael Sobell Hospice: Melissa Bridge, Travel and Tourism lecturer; students Chloe Cody and Leah Kiss; Sharon McCann, Volunteering and Citizenship Co-ordinator at Uxbridge College; Geraint Hughes, Corporate and Trusts Fundraising Manager Michael Sobell Hospice; Carol Weston, Nurse Team Manager at Michael Sobell Hospice; Jackie Bowden from Basepoint; student Thuraiya Hadji, & Eva Christodoulou, Basepoint Centre Manager.
Students who helped raise a total of £1,074 to support people with life-limiting illnesses presented the money to staff at Michael Sobell Hospice.
The three students were members of one of 15 ‘Max the Cash’ teams from Uxbridge College who set up fundraising businesses supported by sponsorship funds of £750 kindly donated by Basepoint Business Centres, which also match funded the profits. Basepoint provides flexible workspace at locations around the country, including Field End Road, Eastcote.
Travel and Tourism students Leah Kiss, Thuraiya Hadji and Chloe Cody raised money through activities including car washing and selling ice cream and raised the highest amount out of all the teams – around £250.
The money will support the work of Michael Sobell Hospice at Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, which provides end of life care for the local community. The students visited the hospice to present the cheque, along with their tutor Melissa Bridge and Uxbridge College’s Volunteering and Citizenship Co-ordinator Sharon McCann, and Basepoint’s Eva Christodoulou and Jackie Bowden.
Geraint Hughes in the hospice’s Fundraising team, said: “We are so pleased that Uxbridge College students have again employed their energies on our behalf with Basepoint Eastcote’s financial backing for their enterprise. This is a fine example of how different sectors of the local community can come together and produce such a positive outcome and a helpful boost to our fundraising.”
Eva Christodoulou from Basepoint said: “All the students should be proud of their success. Basepoint are extremely happy to be match funding their total money raised, with their ‘Max the Cash’ scheme. Sobell House is a wonderful hospice; it gives us great pleasure to be involved with the charity and help raise donations. Well done to all the students at Uxbridge College, for all their hard work and enthusiasm.”
Sharon McCann said: “All the students involved did a fantastic job coming up with ideas, running sales and events and supporting this very valuable charity. It was particularly impressive to see how Leah, Thuraiya and Chloe used their creativity, motivation and skills to raise the highest amount from each of the teams. Uxbridge College runs a very varied range of community-based activities and continues to welcome new organisations to work in partnership.”
This is the second year that Uxbridge College and Michael Sobell Hospice have been partners in the Max the Cash challenge, this year kindly supported by Basepoint.
Pictured: Demi Phillips (centre, wearing stripes) was awarded a Jack Petchy Award for her outstanding performance as an individual and a team member. She is pictured with her tutor Anisa Kazmi (left of certificate) and her class.
A childcare student who has inspired her classmates has been chosen to receive a Jack Petchey Award.
Demi Phillips, age 16, who has mild cerebral palsy, has gone from strength to strength academically and personally, and is considered a lynchpin of the group by her peers.
She was presented with a certificate and won £200 to be spent on something which will benefit the College. Nominees for the Jack Petchey awards at Uxbridge College, funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation as part of a national scheme, are elected by their peers and then chosen by the Student Council.
Demi said: “I knew I had been nominated but I didn’t think anything would come of it. I’m really surprised to be chosen and really happy too - it is nice to have recognition and feel people are proud of me. I love my course and I am so passionate about it, a few years ago at school I wasn’t that focussed or that interested in learning, and I could never have imagined being where I am now. Now I feel like I have got so much to look forward to.”
Anisa Kazmi, Demi’s tutor, said: “Demi is an asset to the group, and involves everybody around her in any task. To say thank you for her nomination Demi would like the £200 prize to be spent on a meal for her group and tutor.”
The nomination by her classmates recognised Demi’s part in keeping her group on task, her enthusiasm, and her commitment to achieving even with some additional challenges resulting from having cerebral palsy. She also created a business plan to fundraise for Great Ormond Street Hospital and hopes to put this into practice at some stage.
A student has found confidence and a route to self-expression on his music course at Uxbridge College.
Ruben Sewkumar says his stammer, which he has had for as long as he can remember, has sometimes made it hard for him to communicate – but rapping has helped him find his niche. He has written and recorded his own tracks and can perform without completely stammering, which is not possible for him when he speaks.
Ruben said: “Rap has helped me a lot. When I rap I don’t stammer at all and that’s a pretty amazing experience. It’s one way I can express how I am feeling when that doesn’t always feel possible. When I express myself and say what I want to say, it’s like a release.”
He says he has also found a supportive environment at college where he can be himself. For instance, people who stammer sometimes need more time to say what they need to say, and if others understand he needs more time, it makes communication easier.
He said: “I get on with everyone here, teachers and the other students are supportive and understanding. Being at college suits me better than school - I have got more of a social life and I’m really enjoying myself. It’s a nice place to be and a nice environment. Talking is still hard but it helps if people understand. I may take longer to say what I have to say, but I may still have something to say.”
Music lecturer Ray Griffin said: “We are really pleased with how well Ruben has done this year and we look forward to seeing what he will produce in the way of original material next year.”
Ruben has learned various techniques to help him deal with having a stammer, including at the Michael Palin Centre which provides therapies for young people and adults. He still feels less confident about speaking than he would like to and hopes he will find ways to change this.
Pictured: (L-R) Student Divya Bajaj; Kathryn Underwood, Harlington Hospice's Office Manager; Enkema Futsum, Festival Organiser; Steve Curry, CEO of Harlington Hospice; Lorraine Collins, Executive Director - Enterprise & Development at Uxbridge College and student Isra Iqbal.
A school reunion and a community festival held at Uxbridge College in Hayes netted nearly £300 for Harlington Hospice.
The money was raised through a combination of donations from the Townfield Reunion, and events at the Hayes Summer Festival. The campus is built around the former Townfield School buildings, so old pupils gathered there to revisit their old classrooms and reminisce. They also enjoyed traditional school meals provided by the College’s catering and hospitality students.
The festival for adults and children, supported by a grant from Heathrow Community Fund, offered a range of activities including face painting, bric-a-brac and cake sales, games, sport, and a design-your-own-t-shirt workshop. Music was also provided by the Schools’ Community Choir Hayes and College students on courses including hairdressing, beauty therapy, childcare, and sport took part in running activities.
Childcare students Divya Bajaj (19) and Isra Iqbal (19) met Harlington Hospice’s Office Manager Kathryn Underwood and CEO Steve Curry to present the donation.
Lorraine Collins, Executive Director Enterprise & Development at Uxbridge College, said: “These two very successful events and the money raised show what an important part of the community Uxbridge College in Hayes is. Both these events offered something unique to the people who attended them, as well as supporting Harlington Hospice and enabling students to showcase their skills to a new audience. We plan to work more closely with Harlington Hospice both to support their fundraising and to continue engaging our students in volunteer activities.”
Steve Curry, CEO of Harlington Hospice, said: “We were delighted to receive this donation and really touched that the students chose Harlington Hospice to receive the money they raised. One of our current projects is to make it possible for more people to use our services, and this money will be very helpful in supporting this work.”
Enkema Futsum, who managed the festival as part of her apprenticeship in Business Administration at Uxbridge College, said: “It was lovely to see so many members of our local community getting involved in fun activities at Uxbridge College in Hayes, and it also gave them a chance to find out more about what we have to offer. Thanks to the festival, the reunion and the support of Heathrow Community Fund, we are fortunate to be able to make this donation to Harlington Hospice.”
The money, a total of £280, will go towards funding care and support for people at the end of their lives, and families experiencing bereavement and loss.
Uxbridge College has been recognised in the national Green Gown Awards for its commitment to the environment.
The College is a finalist in the ‘Best Newcomer’ category in the awards, which are run by The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC). The Green Gown Awards recognise exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities, colleges and the learning and skills sectors across the UK. The College, nominated for its ‘E-Collegey’ initiative, now goes through to Stage 2 of the competition when the final winners will be selected.
E-Collegey was launched at Uxbridge College in 2012 to boost participation in green activities and encourage awareness of sustainability issues. The initiative has covered a range of activities for staff and students, including a student competition to choose a name for it and design a logo. Campaigns were run to encourage staff and students to recycle more materials and switch off lights and computers, a photographic competition was held on a green theme, and a fashion show staged using recycled materials. Teaching about sustainable technologies and practices has been included in the curriculum wherever possible, a car-sharing and cycle purchase scheme set up for staff, a bike workshop held, and an ecology area created on campus. The College has also invested in cutting carbon emissions and saving money by maximising the use of sustainable materials, systems and practices in campus building and improvement projects.
Sara Sands, Vice Principal Finance & Corporate Services, said: “Uxbridge College is delighted to have been shortlisted in the Green Gown Awards in recognition of our efforts to be as environmentally responsible as we can. E-Collegey has made a real difference, increasing recycling and cutting energy use both on and off campus, and helping students create sustainable habits which can make a huge difference across their lifetimes.”
Iain Patton, Chief Executive of the EAUC, said: “It is fantastic to see more institutions than ever being finalists – the strength and quality of applications is truly inspiring. The breadth of activity within the sector shows that sustainability really does bring positive impacts, both on the institution, their staff and students and the wider community. These finalists are proof that where institutions take sustainability seriously they are reaping the benefits.”
Stage one applications for the Awards closed in June and a judging panel chose a list of finalists who are now asked to submit their Stage 2 applications with a deadline in September. The winners of the Green Gown Awards 2014 will be announced at the Green Gown Awards’ Ceremony to be held at Whitworth Hall, The University of Manchester on Monday 3 November 2014.
In its 10 year history the Green Gown Awards has recognised 93 winners, 130 highly commended, 553 finalists and 1,412 applicants. This year the competition has attracted 180 applications across 14 categories.
EAUC is a not-for-profit charity with a membership of over 220 universities and colleges, supporting sustainability within the UK tertiary education sector.