issue 5

SUMMER BALL 2015

MEET YOUR STUDENT

ASSOCIATION

PICTURE THISSocial events photos

RECORD RAG!Fundraising efforts reach over£20,000!

the reaseheath college student magazine Issue 6

introducing

2015

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED WITH THE STUDENT ASSOCIATION NEXT YEAR!

SA President

Robert Sparkes

Vice President & Academic Board Rep

Fenna BallRAG Chair

Katie GibsonPress Officer

Rhiannon WolffSecretary

Rosie Swain

Sports SecretaryCarl Feeney

College Board Rep HE

Nicole Duggan

Equality & Diversity RepJames Doodson

Sustainability RepLiam Brookes

College Board Rep FE

Charlotte Gunn

Under 18s RepPeter Hobbs

TreasurerKatie Massey

Health & Safety Rep Charlotte Bedford

Health & Safety Rep Connor Blake

Vice RAGJosh Bufton

Social SecretaryBen Lloyd

SPEAK TO JARED IN STUDENTSERVICES OR EMAIL

JAREDE@REASEHEATH.AC.UK

YOUR STUDENT

ASSOCIATION

2

2 Introducing Your Student Association Team

4-5 Picture This Social Events

6-7 RAG 2014/15

10-11 Summer Ball

12-13 Class of 2015

14 Vote of Thanks

15 Sporting Success

Welcome to the final issue of Coverage for this academic year.

It’s been an amazing year for the College and its students, so in this issue we would like to put some of your best bits together to summarise the achievements and great events that were fantastically organised!

Thank you all for your help and donations for our Raising and Giving (RAG) charity and other worthy causes throughout the year - let’s be just as enthusiastic next year!

Finally, thank you for reading Coverage!

Rhiannon Wolff SA Press Officer

To keep up with all the latest student news follow the Reaseheath Student Association on Facebook.

/reaseheathstudentassociation

or read the student blog, Coverage Xtra

reaseheathblog.org/coverage

CONTENTSYOUR STUDENT

ASSOCIATION

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15

6-7

10-11

pictureThis

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Social events

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Members of the Student Association (SA) presented the bumper cheque to representatives of the cancer charity at our

student summer ball.

Macmillan fundraisers have been so impressed at the success of RAG (Raising and Giving) activities this year that they have asked us to write a RAG Guide advising other colleges and universities who are considering supporting the charity.

Macmillan Cancer Support is one of Britain’s largest charities and provides specialist healthcare, information and funding to people living with cancer.

Student Association President Rob Sparkes, RAG Chair Katie Gibson and Vice President Fenna Ball hand over the cheque to Macmillan Fundraising Managers Louisa Walmsely and Mandy West, watched by members of the Student Association.

Students and staff from across the College have raised a record £20,380 this year for Macmillan Cancer

Support – with more to come.

Twenty four RAG Fundraisers!

Over the past 27 years students and staff have raised over £215,000 for local charities.

The Student Association organised 24 fundraising events in RAG week alone, including the well-attended masquerade RAG Ball, a staff versus students football match, a raft race on the college lake, a tractor pull and a Three Peaks Challenge organised by students and staff from the construction department. The public also had the chance to be a zoo keeper for a day.

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Student Association President Rob Sparkes 22, who has just completed his Foundation Degree in Zoo Management, said:

“We had a brilliant team of Student Association members who worked really hard to put together activities which everyone could enjoy while raising money for a good cause.

All departments and academic staff have supported us and I am so proud of what everyone achieved.”

In addition to fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support, students and staff raised a further £3,000 for the Poppy Appeal and £1,368.90 for the Epilepsy Society.

Further funds remain to be collected and it is hoped that the final total raised this year may reach an impressive £25,000.

An impressive £2,849 raised by Business and Events Management students and staff for this years RAG Charity.

RAG row and bike teams complete their marathon journey of 560 miles in 24hrs!

Our Extended Diploma Agriculture team are crowned winners of the RAG Week Tractor Pull.

Our RAG

mascot Daisy

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Talented landscape gardener Matt Beesley is to represent Britain in the WorldSkills finals in São Paulo, Brazil.Matt joins the GB squad to contest the global, Olympics style final, which runs from 11 – 16 August.

WorldSkills runs the competition bi-annually for students aged 23 and under to showcase the skills and value of young professionals across a host of industries.

Matt completed his horticulture diploma in 2012 and now runs his own successful business, Beesley’s Landscapes, in Winsford. He first competed in the British selection rounds for WorldSkills while a Reaseheath student and has continued to train intensively as a potential squad member, narrowly missing selection for the world finals in Germany in 2013.

In São Paulo he will be one of two British landscapers who will test their skills and stamina in hard landscaping, plant knowledge and management against the world’s best.

The former Hartford High School pupil said:

Catching up with...

Matt BeesleyLevel 3 Extended Diploma Horticulture, 2012Owner, Beesley’s Landscapes

“Competing and training on the WorldSkills programme has been a fantastic experience for me. I have learned so much and gained such a lot of confidence. I’d particularly like to thank my hard landscape instructor at Reaseheath, Jason Hinks, for his support. I’m now totally focused on the world finals. It would be awesome to bring back a medal.”

Is this your final year at college? Stay connected to Reaseheath by joining our alumni* network.*alumni is just a fancy term for ‘former student’

Sign up at:www.reaseheath.ac.uk/leavers

/reaseheathalumni

@RHC_Alumni

Find out more about Beesley’s Landscapes at: www.beesleysgardeningandlandscaping.info

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A word from

MeredyddDear students,

With summer now in full swing, I sincerely hope you have enjoyed and benefited from your time studying at Reaseheath.

This year has been one of exceptional success for our 7,000 students who come from right across the UK and beyond.

I am incredibly proud of you all, in particular the work of the Student Association whose fundraising efforts and hard work has exceeded all expectations for our nominated RAG charity, Macmillan Cancer Support.

It’s a really exciting time to be a student at Reaseheath, we’re currently investing around £10m to develop a National Centre for Horticulture, Environmental Management and Sustainability. This centre will play an important role in training and educating our new cohorts of young people, adults and those of you returning to Reaseheath next year.

You may be returning to the College in September on one of our further or higher education programmes, including our foundation degrees and degrees.

Some of you will move on to other higher education institutions to continue your studies or will be moving directly into careers of your choice.

Those of you who are moving to pastures new, I wish you all the very best for the future and hope you will keep us updated with your progress in the world of work by joining Reaseheath Alumni Association – our ever growing network of former students and staff.

Life is full of challenges and opportunities.

Embrace every challenge as it will enrich

your life, it will stretch and fulfil you.

Have a fantastic summer!

Best wishes

Meredydd DavidPrincipal

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ReaseheathSummer Ball 2015

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Photo Credits: Carys Jones

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Class of 2015

We recently celebrated the success of

1334 of our further education (FE)

students at the College’s annual

Presentation of Awards events on

campus. It was a fantastic two days congratulating

our 2015 cohort on achieving their industry recognised

qualifications.

Six outstanding students, including our very own

Student President Rob Sparkes and the whole Student

Association received special college awards.

It’s been a brilliant year with students excelling in all

sorts of spheres…from scholarship winners to top

apprentices, we’re incredibly proud - a huge well done to everyone!

Entry and Level 1 top students

Prize winning bricklayers are joined by their Course Manager Andy Gould

Jack Wootton, Wildlife Conservation and Ecology

degree student wins £1,600 scholarship to

explore fish behaviour

#RHClassof15

Floristry award winners Sophie Garratt and Carol Edgington

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Tweet us your pictures to

@RHC_Alumni

#RHClassof15

Forestry and Arboriculture’s ‘Best Practical Student’ Scott Smithull

Adventure Sports Student of the Year David Glover

Agricultural Engineering apprentice Paige Carter is crowned the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ by the Construction Plant Association

Chris Shore bag’s Best Horticulture Student’s award and is one of our WorldSkills UK semi-finalists

The Student Association wins The Beacon Trophy, celebrating excellence

Louise Jackson wins the food department’s Most Outstanding Student of the Year award

Motor vehicle’s Level 3 Best Practical Student Fraser Williamson

#RHClassof15

Agriculture’s Irene Lea Cup winner Charlie Yewer and Staff Prize for Endeavour and Progress Matthew Gilbert

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Student Association President - Rob Sparkes

I would like to congratulate you all. I have got to know many of you throughout the year. From the highs, lows and all those doubts, worries and issues you have faced, you should feel proud to finish the year not only collecting your qualification, but with the confidence that you can achieve anything - well done guys!

A big thank you to our Principal Mr Meredydd David for your constant support to all students and staff over this academic year, and a personal thank you for your advice and guidance with the Student Association. A special thank you to parents for supporting us throughout our time at Reaseheath. I would also like to give a massive thank you to the Student Association for their massive contribution to the fantastic fundraising events throughout the year, which have raised over £25,000 for a number of very worthy causes. A special thank you to business and bakery students for their contribution to this record breaking total.

It has been a challenging year being Student Association President, but I have loved every minute and look forward to carrying on my role next year. One of the year’s most rewarding events was our Summer Ball, over 800 of you attended, it was good to see how well you all scrubbed up, myself included. Like all events throughout the year, I hope you all had a great time. So a further thank you from myself and the Student Association for making this highly successful year a worthwhile one!! I wish you all the luck you deserve in yourfuture studies and careers. Take this advice from me; time is precious, don’t waste it hurting others

Vote of Thanks

- use it to accomplish great things, and if you fail, learn and adapt from it. Life has its bad times so I ask you to keep your motivation, and pass it on to others. You aren’t saying goodbye to Reaseheath, as I’m sure you will continue to carry your fond memories of college with you for the rest of your life.

Thank you again and all the best!

Rob Sparkes Student Association President

Take a look at our video round-up of the year at http://bit.ly/SA_video15

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Student Association President - Rob Sparkes

SP RTING SUCCESSSports award eveningOn Thursday 11th June we held a sports award evening to celebrate the success of the men’s rugby team and recreational football team who were both crowned winners of the Northern Counties league.

The men’s football team were undefeated throughout their campaign and the rugby team only lost once. It is hoped this success can continue next year!

Right: Reaseheath rugby and football teams joined by rugby coach Andy

Left: Reaseheath College women’s football team

Women’s footballOur women’s football team had a great season finishing second in a very competitive league. They finished 1 point behind the winners so will look to be crowned champions next season.

The sports teams have appreciated all of the support they have received this year and it is hoped this support will grow next year. Look out for more sports information in September!!

Sarah RuffCollege Sport Maker @RHC_SportMaker

Football team captain Connor McMillan with rugby team captain Freddie Morgan

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What’s your Stay

If you’re leaving us this summer, stay connected to the college by joining our *alumni network.*alumni is just a fancy term for ‘former student’

Sign up at:

www.reaseheath.ac.uk/leavers

www.facebook.com/reaseheathalumni

@RHC_AlumniWhy not consider staying on to study for a degree at Reaseheath?

- Adventure Sports - Agriculture - Animal Management - Countryside - Engineering - Equine

- Events Management (Rural)

- Floristry - Food industry - Horticulture

Visit www.reaseheath.ac.uk/higher-education or see your course tutor for more details.

If you would like to advertise here in the next issue please email: sa.pressofficer@gmail.com

Raising Standards Inspiring Achievement

Next step? in touch

2 015 LEAVERS HOODIE

STARTING IN SEPTEMBER

http://bit.ly/reaseheath_15

Buy your hoodie online via the Reaseheath College online store

FREETrampolining

tastersessionsFind out more by emailing sarahr@reaseheath.ac.uk or speak to Sarah in the Gym Office

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