News: Celebrating a year of Social Action Projects 2023/24!

Empowering people, enriching communities: together, we make a difference — Social Action project graphic

Last month we held our Social Action Celebration, to celebrate the outstanding contributions and efforts of our students. The event brought together students, parents, staff, and representatives from external charities and businesses for an evening of recognition.

The event was a chance for guests to look back on all the projects that took place this year and included a presentation of awards.

Highly Commended: Level 2 Nail Enhancement students — Christmas Tree Gift Campaign

The initiative involved students donating gifts to local care homes and schools in Nottingham.

Winners: Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery students – Working alongside Headway Nottingham

Students worked with Headway Nottingham’s service users to build their own bird boxes.

The students liaised with Headway staff to understand user challenges and disabilities, interacted with service users, considered accessibility needs and provided clear instructions.

Sustainable Change Award : Sponsored by Atkins Realis

Highly commended: Level 2 Animal Science working with Carpentry and Joinery students – Animal Home Structure

Students worked together to make bug hotels and then went and spoke to Year 2 students at the Nottingham Academy Primary School, to introduce them to what a bug hotel is and involved them in the finishing touches.

Winners: High Pavement Sixth Form students – creating a green space with Grow Notts

Students worked in their own time to make sure all tasks were properly completed to create a green space on campus for staff and students to enjoy. They have implemented plants which are currently growing to soon become edible produce.

Fundraiser of the Year : Sponsored by EDGE

Highly Commended: Students working with Notts County Football Foundation to Support Maggie’s Cancer Care

A group of students held a fundraiser at Notts County Portland Street Centre venue which involved Henna art, refreshments and other activities. They raised an impressive £412.

Winners: Level 1 Catering students – raised money for Rainbows Charity through a litter pick walk

This project was in support of a fellow student after sharing a personal story of him and his family receiving support from Rainbows. Students collected over 6 bags of litter during their walk from the City Hub to Attenborough Nature Reserve. They even spoke on Notts TV about the project.

Attendees had the opportunity to explore the diverse range of student projects and achievements displayed across all campuses in a vibrant fringe-style marketplace.

Inspiring speeches highlighted the evening, with Pete Rogers of Nottingham Citizens discussing our collaborative efforts throughout the year, including MP meetings and the Mental Health Ambassador rollout in schools and colleges. Additionally, Luke from Change Grow Live shared insights on their impactful work at Basford and Adams, expressing excitement for future progress.

Janet Smith, CEO and Principal, was also in attendance for the celebration event. She said:

I was delighted to attend the Social Action Celebration Event recently. It truly was a celebration of the fantastic volunteering and charity projects our students have been undertaking within and for their local communities. The projects were varied and imaginative and they not only achieved positive impact for a wide range of local causes but clearly brought added benefits for the students themselves, who talked about how they had become more confident, improved their communication skills, enjoyed working as part of a team and learned so much about planning and delivering a project on time and to budget.

Thank you to all of the staff who supported the students throughout. I felt very proud to be part of this emotional and positive evening, which demonstrated the power of social action and citizenship, and showcased Nottingham College at its very best.
Janet Smith — CEO and Principal at Nottingham College

The event was a testament to the dedication and passion of our students, showcasing their commitment to making a positive difference in the community.