CONNECT - December 2022

Steph Lee-Vae has been officially declared as the Pearson Teaching Awards FE Lecturer of the Year 2022. Read the full story on page 5.

Ceidleigh Flynn Internal Communications Assistant communications@bedford.ac.uk

Editor’s Note

Your December Issue of CONNECT Magazine

In this last issue of CONNECT for the year, find out more about some of our national award recognition and success including the AoC Awards, Beacon Awards and Pearson Teaching Awards.

If you would like to share your news with collegues you can email communications@bedford.ac.uk

Dates For Your Diary

December Christmas at The Manor House Restaurant, Corby

Thursday 1 December (7.00pm - 9.30pm)

Thursday 8 December (6.30pm - 10.00pm)

Christmas at the Manor House Restaurant, Corby January

Thursday 15 December (7.00pm - 9.30pm)

Professional Development Day

Christmas at The Manor House Restaurant, Corby Tuesday 3 January

The Corby Sixth Form Open Day

Thursday 12 January (5.00pm - 9.00pm)

Shuttleworth Open Day

Saturday 14 January (9.30am - 12.30pm)

Bedford College Open Day

Wednesday 18 January (5.00pm - 8.00pm)

Curry Night at The Manor House Restaurant, Corby

Thursday 12 January (7.00pm - 9.30pm)

Quiz Night at The Manor House Restaurant, Corby

Thursday 19 January (7.00pm - 9.30pm)

Tresham College Corby Open Day

Tuesday 24 January (5.00pm - 8.00pm)

UCAS Deadline

Wednesday 25 January

Thursday 26 January (7.00pm - 9.30pm)

The Bedford Sixth Form Open Day

Burns Supper at The Manor House Restaurant, Corby Thursday 26 January (5.00pm - 8.00pm)

For more diary dates visit www.bit.ly/collegecalendars

Ian Pryce CBE CEO The Bedford College Group

Principal’s Update

Awards season

November always seems to be a month of celebrations. It was wonderful to be able to hold our college achievements evenings in person again after a three-year absence, in Kettering and Bedford.

At a national level it was also brilliant to see Tresham lecturer Steph Lee-Vae become Pearson FE Teacher of the Year, and featuring on the BBC One Show earlier this week. Both Steph and the Motor Vehicle Team at Bedford, who won Silver, have been invited to a glitzy ceremony in London to celebrate.

Meanwhile, two students were announced as Runners Up for the Student of the Year Awards at the Association of Colleges Conference earlier this month. We were also announced as finalists for The National Centre for Diversity Award for Inclusive Learning Leadership which will be announced in the Spring of next year.

Ministerial merry-go-round

It feels like every issue of Connect sees the introduction of a new Minister at DfE! We now have a completely new team in charge and thankfully two of the key changes bring in people with some knowledge and affection for our sector. Our new Secretary of State is Gillian Keegan who has been FE Minister before, and the Minister with responsibility for post-16 and HE is Robert Halfon, who has always been supportive of colleges.

Reflections on 2022

We should always take the opportunity at the end of both the calendar and academic years to reflect. 2022 marked the first real year where we have been able to operate more normally postCovid, though the period up to July was clearly affected by the Covid disruption at the start of 2021-22.

Student numbers have been less predictable during and post-Covid, with big positive and negative swings in some areas (challenging increases in Construction and A Levels for example). Students have also had to almost relearn to socialise and attend college, and many were affected by a loss of tuition at school in the preceding years. This has exacerbated the rising trend in mental health issues and created a big increase in catch-up and support needs. The costof-living crisis also means many adults are putting off doing expensive courses like higher education. Despite this, we remain strong in terms of educational and financial sustainability. If anything, we are seen even more as a leader in our sector. We continue to win major awards and major bids. We continue to invest very heavily in our buildings and infrastructure. We continue to make pay awards, and staff absence (excluding Covid) is now back below pre-Covid levels.

The Covid disruption has made us less organised. It also meant we had to focus almost entirely on trying to get people through their courses. We now need to focus on making the student experience richer and more exciting, tackle hangover student attendance issues, focus on student achievement and progression and where possible, correct any disorganisation this academic year if we can, rather than simply wait for next year.

Overall, we should be very proud of what we achieved for our students and communities in 2022, and make sure we take time to relax and switch off over the break. Thank you.

Guest Speaker Amani Simpson & CEO Ian Pryce CBE at the Tresham Achievements Ceremony

Rachel Nicol Group Director of Governance rnicol@bedford.ac.uk

Corporation News

The Corporation has had an extremely busy and productive term.

Joe Gallacher, the most recently elected staff governor has joined Amanda Wagstaff in ensuring the staff perspective is at the forefront of meetings.

We are delighted to now have two student governor nominations and Emelia and Emily were formally endorsed at the November meeting. The student governors provide a critical link for student voice at corporation level. We are also delighted to welcome Matthew Glass as a co-opted member of the Audit Committee.

As the new Strategic Plan for 2022-2027 is launched, key measures were agreed by the Corporation at their Strategic Development Day in October. The Corporation and Executive also welcomed external facilitator Pauline Odulinski who delivered an insightful and interactive session on unconscious bias.

Taking forward the strategic priorities the Corporation is holding a joint meeting of the QSA (Quality Standards and Achievement) Committee and the Board on 24 November. The agenda will focus on the Self-Assessment Report, Quality Improvement Plan, the student experience and the Sustainability Strategy.

Further meetings on 7 December and 8 December will, amongst other things, review the current financial position, consider the EDI (Equality Diversity and Inclusion) annual report and allow the Board a dedicated opportunity to review and raise questions on the financial and legal due diligence reports relating to merger.

Members of the Corporation and subsidiary company boards have enjoyed joining staff and students at the recent Achievement Ceremonies. For more information on Corporation matters please contact the Group Director of Governance, Rachel Nicol on rnicol@bedford.ac.uk

Caroline Biddle Executive Director of Human Resources cbiddle@bedford.ac.uk

Wellbeing

BECOME A MONEY SAVING EXPERT

I’m sure everyone will have seen, or heard of, Martin Lewis on a number of television programmes, giving advice on how to save money through the current cost of living challenges.

However, what some may not know is that he also has a website called MoneySavingExpert.com that continuously provides advice and offers on an ongoing basis.

Here are just a few samples of the resources currently available for free via the website:

• Top Bank Accounts that pay free cash for switching

• Top savings accounts offering the best interest

• 45 Money Saving Tips for Christmas

• Energy saving tips

• Two pairs of prescription specs from £14

You can also sign up for a weekly money saving tips email from the website via https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ latesttip/

So, take a look and see what savings you might be able to take advantage of for the New Year!

GOLD stars recognised at Pearson Teaching Awards 2022

Over the summer we were able to celebrate our staff who were included within a total of 80 Pearson National Teaching Award Silver Award winners across the country. This month it has been revealed that of all the entries across the UK, our very own Tresham College lecturer, Steph Lee-Vae, has been officially declared as the Pearson Teaching Awards FE Lecturer of the Year 2022.

Alongside Steph, our Motor Vehicle Team at Bedford won Silver for FE Team of the Year for their work in redeveloping a new centre to offer cutting edge training in electric vehicle maintenance.

Steph Lee-Vae was nominated for and consequently honoured as FE Lecturer of the Year for their boundless energy, prolific ideas and their track record of 100% retention and achievement over the past few years.

When the BBC arrived at the Tresham College campus earlier this month to film students and colleagues before unveiling them as the official winner of their category, everyone highlighted just how much of a difference Steph has made to their experience as a teacher, colleague or within local skateboarding park, Adrenaline Alley where they teach and support young people with their hobbies.

On Wednesday 23 November Steph featured on the One Show, where staff had worked with the BBC to arrange a surprise unveiling of their Gold trophy presented by Charlotte SallabanksBusby, mother of one of Steph’s students, Lee who died after being diagnosed with terminal cancer whilst a student at the College. Whilst continuing his studies as best he could, Steph supported Lee as best as possible around hospital appointments and on his last day at college they arranged a fancy-dress day along with his classmates and raised money for him to be able to do some of things that he’d always wanted.

Charlotte commented when presenting the award to Steph:

“Steph thoroughly deserves the award. My son came to college to do Graphic Design at 16 and Steph supported him through his medical appointments and diagnosis of Osteosarcoma of the sacrum when he was 17 and needed the break from college.

After his break, Lee didn’t want to come back to college as he had body dysmorphia and PTSD. Knowing Steph would be his tutor was massively important to him and I was included in making sure that Lee was able to return to the college knowing that whatever he needed would be available including space or me to accompany him to college.

Steph gave him strength when he most needed it. They gave him a few weeks of being an independent young man. Myself, my family and Lee will be forever grateful for Steph.” Educational Excellence

The BBC filming Steph in class

L - R: Richie Anderson from the BBC, Steph Lee-Vae from TBCG

AoC Students of the Year Awards Results

In last month’s issue we highlighted how two students from the Group were shortlisted in this year’s AoC Student of the Year Awards. Whilst at the AoC Conference, it was announced that both Ellen and Daniel have been named as Runners Up for their Student of the Year categories.

Ellen Stultiens, who studied on both the HNC and HND Art & Design courses was shortlisted for Higher Education Student of the Year. Overcoming both physical and mental challenges such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and anxiety, Ellen has gone from strength to strength due to the extensive support received at the College and their own sheer determination.

Daniel McAllister, who studied HND Electrical & Electronic Engineering, was announced as Runner Up for Adult Student of the Year.

Daniel, who is deaf and uses a BSL interpreter in class has worked extremely hard and became one of the top performers on his course, achieving six A+ grades and five A grades. Alongside his course, Daniel also worked full time and still found time to be the Diversity and Inclusion Champion for Network Rail and the Quadrant: MK Mental Wellbeing Champion.

His work ethic and dedication have been an inspiration to all who have worked with him, including Senior Trainer John Paintin, who said that Daniel had “produced some excellent presentations and posters that [he’s] definitely going to use in future classes to inspire students and give them examples of the sort of level of work they could be achieving.”

Educational Excellence

Ellen Stultiens

Daniel McAllister

Whilst members of the Executive were attending the AoC Conference in November, they were delighted to receive the news that the Group is one of two finalists in this year’s AoC Beacon Awards for The National Centre for Diversity Award for Inclusive Learning Leadership.

The National Centre for Diversity’s Award for Inclusive Learning Leadership category is one of 12 examined under the AoC scheme and all those commended have all demonstrated “a high level of innovation, impact and sustainability.”

Beacon Awards Campus Developments

The awards capture and celebrate the best and most innovative practice among our sector. The aim is to demonstrate and promote the farreaching impact of colleges on their students and the communities they serve. As a finalist we will be used to increase understanding of colleges’ contribution to educational skills policy and economic and social development.

Winners will be announced in Spring 2023.

The AoC’s report said: “For nearly a decade, this College has led the way in championing diversity and inclusion, putting it firmly at the heart of the organisation and embedding it within its corporate culture. In 2013 the College created its first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion role and by 2019 it became the only UK college to achieve the Stonewall Silver Award. In December 2021 it was the first college to be awarded Gold from Stonewall for its LGBGT+ inclusion work on campus and in the community.

“The extensive work this College has undertaken includes making EDI training compulsory for every new member of staff and providing all employees with ongoing access to professional development in these areas.

“The College is now using this best practice approach and applying it to inclusion work for other protected characteristics, focussing next on race equality.”

Our Deputy Chief Executive Em Lowe added: “This is a tribute to the commitment of everyone across all our college campuses to promote and embed inclusive values which support all our students and staff.”

Over the past year, we’ve had numerous different projects take place across the site to make it more carbon neutral. This includes our work with Salix that won us an award at the Decentralised Energy Awards back in June. The work consists of linking an existing river water connection to a new Water Source Heat Pump at the Bedford College Cauldwell Campus and re-furbishing the filter systems.

We’ve also started the refurbishment of the Bedford College Tower Block. This project includes a full remodel and modernisation of the ground floor and part mezzanine level. Ventilation and background cooling will also be introduced into most rooms. As well as these improvements, re-roofing works will be carried out over the refectory area. Finally, there will be a partial replacement and reinstatement of the existing window and walling of the existing Tower Block.

Alongside all of this, we’ll soon be starting works on The Corby Sixth Form, ready for it to open its doors to students in September 2023.

Skills for a Sustainable Future Strategic Plan 2022 - 2027 Summary

Earlier this year the Corporation launched our strategic plan which outlines what we will strive to achieve over the next five years to realise our ambition to be the best and most authoritative post-16 educator in the south east midlands. We aim to help individuals, communities and society flourish through education by raising aspirations and reducing inequality to create a sustainable future.

To read the full document and about these objectives in further detail, please click here.

The summary of our strategic plan below can also be downloaded from here.

Here is a brief explanation of our values:

Caring: We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other. One of the many ways we ensure that we do this is by having multiple trained staff in Mental Health First Aid.

Continuous Improvement: We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on best practice and learning from others. From dedicated CPD days for all staff to regular chances for staff to take up

role specific training we’re committed to encouraging everyone to continually improve.

Educational Excellence: We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

Inclusive: We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other. Our EDI Ambassador and EDI forums such as the Women’s Forum, LGBTQ+ Forum, Race Forum and Disability Forum are testaments to our commitment to inclusivity.

Student Centred: At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student as we would not be who we are without them. Everything we do leads back to them and we want to ensure that they feel like they are being prioritised and that they are being listened to.

Teamwork: We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.

STAFF AWARDS 2022

Each year we celebrate staff who have been recognised for going over and above in their role at the Group for colleagues and staff. This year we were able to celebrate the winners of our Staff of the Year Awards at our Achievement Awards 2022.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES STAFF OF THE YEAR

year, and again reached 1,000 students. Angela said: “I don’t have a traditional background in libraries or being a librarian, my experience has been in customer service, so I have used this to think about what the student would need and want when they first start at the College and how I can pass on that information in an engaging and meaningful way. So, for example, rather than handing students a book about referencing I felt a face-to-face session in a group or, if needed, one-to-one was much better.”

ANGELA HARDING Team Leader, Learning Resources Centre

Other new initiatives that Angela has introduced to encourage more students to use the library space include Mindfulness Mondays where students can take part in colouring, puzzles and competitions, and Safe Space – a tutorial room set aside for students who need privacy. Overall, the Shuttleworth library has transformed into a place that offers holistic support to students, not just books.

As someone who is new to working in further education, Angela has impressed not only by hitting the ground running in a new job within a new sector, but by helping to introduce some significant improvements to the services offered at Shuttleworth’s Learning Resources Centre and beyond.

Since Angela joined the College, she has introduced a comprehensive induction and study skills programme at Shuttleworth, elements of which have been adopted throughout the Learning Resource Centres across the wider Group. In September 2021, Angela single-handedly delivered 60 induction sessions to over 1,000 students including adult learners, apprentices, 16-year-olds and higher education students.

Each induction was planned and delivered at three levels of complexity, according to the group’s needs. Angela also helped to produce and deliver 12 study skills presentations on subjects including motivation, time management, note taking, critical thinking, planning research and formulating a research proposal. These were delivered single-handedly in classrooms across the site, throughout the

Angela has also fully embraced the community atmosphere at Shuttleworth College, becoming one of the Wardens that look out for the safeguarding and development of the residential students at the College. Angela has only been with the College for a year but already has become known and liked by all the students on campus.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES STAFF OF THE YEAR

MARTIN JOHNSON IT Technician

There’s no doubt that the IT department would have struggled to get through the past 12 months if it wasn’t for Martin’s outstanding contribution, continuous commitment, and hard work. After the IT team lost two senior members of staff and illness further reduced staffing numbers, the rest of the team were

plunged into survival mode. Everyone had to pitch in to pick up the pieces and keep the College’s IT infrastructure running. Martin led by example, researching and teaching himself new skills to fill the gaps that had been left and quickly became an expert in many new technical areas.

Not only did Martin’s initiative ensure that the IT team were able to respond to the usual, day-to-day demands but by the summer they were taking on one of the largest and most significant projects yet: the migration of the whole College to OneDrive. With a challenging project like this, the key measure of success is to ensure that staff can continue to go about their day-to-day work and with the minimum amount of disruption. This means that Martin and the rest of the IT team often had to work out of hours – evenings and weekends to rebuild the whole VPN so that when students and staff logged in, they could access their personal data from other locations easily and securely. Post-pandemic, this is absolutely crucial for the successful running of the College and was made possible due to all the preparation and extra hours that the team put in.

Martin’s manager Kevin Panter, Head of Digital Technologies, said: Martin has really stepped up to cover tasks while still remaining cheerful and accommodating any ad-hoc support requests from both staff and students. Many of the department’s technical achievements over the past year have been due to Martin, he has learnt new skills, made himself an expert in many technical matters and was at the forefront of most projects within the department. Martin has frequently been staying late to ensure that things are being carried out in a timely manner, truly going above and beyond!

Martin said: One of the best things about IT is that it’s always changing and every day is different. We are trying to take steps forward that haven’t been taken before and the College has been great from that point of view. This year has been particularly challenging with a lot of change for the IT team to deal with but I’m really proud of how we have thrived. When staff left at the start of the year, we could have fallen apart but instead we came together and put in an incredible amount of work - I don’t know any IT teams elsewhere who would have done that!

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

NATALIE MURRAY Lecturer in Foundation Learning - Maths Specialism

During a difficult year following COVID restrictions and staff shortages due to long term sickness, Natalie has been a key member of the Foundation Learning team stepping in to cover lessons, identifying potential problems and providing sensible solutions whilst supporting and encouraging their peers and students.

Colleagues Helen Wildman and Denise Page said: Natalie is such a crucial member of the team. She gets on with everyone – she is only too happy to cover lessons at the last minute and always goes out of her way to give everyone support and encouragement and she always has time to listen.

Natalie said:

“When you teach at a College, you don’t get gifts or cards saying ‘thank you’ at the end of the academic year, but what you do get is the amazing feeling of being rewarded when you see a student who is usually disruptive get through a lesson without being distracted, or when a student who wanted to give up in term one, progresses on the next level course at the end of the year”

Being a Foundation teacher combines four or five roles including offering support with mental health and wellbeing, helping to improve students’ confidence and self-esteem or working with other support teams across the College to achieve the best outcomes for each student.

Natalie added: “There’s never one day the same. I’ve been teaching in this department for quite a while now, and I lead maths teaching in the Foundation Learning Department at Kettering. No one day is the same and you wear many hats.”

For Natalie, it is not just students passing their academic qualifications that is important, but

developing other skills such as confidence, team building, and improving anxiety. Many students, with the support they’ve received from Natalie have developed the skills, knowledge and confidence to progress on to a mainstream qualification

THE ELIZABETH NASH UNSUNG HERO AWARD

JESS DAY

Practical Instructor - Outdoor Adventure

need for praise. She radiates positive energy, passion, and has a unique sense of humour. If this isn’t everything this award should be celebrating, then I don’t know what is.”

The Bedford College Group Social Media

Jess is someone who sets the bar high, who goes above and beyond every single day. Based at Shuttleworth, Jess is an instructor on the Outdoor Adventure course, and she is continually looking at ways to improve the student experience across the whole of the campus.

In the last year Jess has given up her own time to help decorate the Halls of Residence, painting the windowsills and spending hours in the summer break decorating the fisheries mobile classroom - turning it into a bright informative and vocationally relevant teaching space.

Jess has also represented Shuttleworth College at several events in her own time at schools, agricultural shows and events such as the Bedford River Festival. In addition, Jess set up an Instagram account for Outdoor Adventure students to share their experiences, and as a member of the Shuttleworth Warden Team she is always there for any of the students who need support or someone to listen to them.

Jess has recently had to undergo significant surgery – an operation that she chose to put off until after term had finished, so as not to affect the student experience.

Jess’s line manager Helen Day, Head of Land & Environment said:

“Jess is the heart and soul of the Outdoor Adventure course and integral to Shuttleworth College as a whole. She is so student focused and committed to ensuring that every student reaches their potential. Why Jess deserves this award more than anyone else is because she is so humble and does everything without the

Do you follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn yet?

If not, then you can find our Group Twitter account over at @TBCG_Official where we’ll be sharing stories from across the Group to reach our students and engage a wider audience.

If Twitter isn’t your social media of choice and you prefer connecting with others in your area of expertise, then you can find our LinkedIn here, where we’ll also be sharing stories from across the Group to reach stakeholders other than our students and the wider public.

You can also share posts from our LinkedIn Page by using the Repost feature to share what we’re doing with your network.

Year in Review

2022 has been a very busy year for the Group. so join us as we look back on some highlights of the year.

January

To kick us off in January, Paul Hamblin received an award for his work with the Prince’s Trust.

February

In February, two of our Bedford College IT Lecturers were featured in a Government-sponsored Guardian newspaper “Top 100” FE teachers campaign.

March

In March, our CEO, Ian Pryce CBE was appointed as a National Leader of Further Education (NFLE) by the Government.

April

In early April, we announced our plans to merge with Central Bedfordshire College.

L - R: Cheryl Needham and Paul Hamblin from TBCG, David Benge and Fiona Bradley from the Prince’s Trust.

Daniel Hulatt, one of the IT Lecturers featured.

CEO Ian Pryce CBE

May

In May, the Pearson National Teaching Awards announced the Motor Vehicle at Bedford College as a Silver Award winner for FE Team of the Year.

June

In June, the Group won the Heat and Efficiency Award for Design and Innovation 2022 at the Decentralised Energy Awards for our work with Salix on the Bedford College Cauldwell Campus water source heat pumps.

July

In July, we became officially recognised as a University Centre.

Back row L - R: Nick Haywood, Sheraz Amin, Dave Wilkins

Middle row L - R: Saeed Keynejad, Petra Williams, Sarah Baxter, Toby Clarke

Front row L - R: Charles Whewell, Alex Mortby, Ian Pryce CBE, Mohammed Milani

August

In August, a series of changes to our Group Leadership Team was announced, including the creation of two new Principal posts and a number of Vice Principal posts to help support the new Principals.

Pictured in the image are all of the new Principals and Vice Principals, which you can view in an earlier issue of CONNECT.

The Motor Vehicle Team

A representative from Salix and Ian Pryce CBE

September

In September, we were recognised as an Equality Trailblazer by the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce.

October

In October, Dr Mahruf Shohel, our new Research and Development Manager, and his colleagues Alex Mortby (Vice Principal) and Charles Whewell (Head of Higher Education and Partnerships) won the prestigious British Curriculum Foundation’s grant.

November

In November, we were announced as a finalist for an AoC Beacon Award Commended College in The National Centre for Diversity Award for Inclusive Learning Leadership category.

December

And finally, in December, progress continues to be made on the many campus developments that have been taking place over the year, such as the refurbishment of the Bedford College Tower Block and the preparation of The Corby Sixth Form.

L - R: Ashley Spiers and Em Lowe from TBCG, Justin Richardson from the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce.

L - R: Alex Mortby, Mahruf Shohel, Charles Whewell

Job Opportunities

Engineering Lecturer

Location: Corby, Permanent - Part Time Salary: Associate - (Unqualified) £20.50 per hour. (Qualified PGCE/Cert Ed or equivalent) £21.50 per hour

Application Closing Date: 01/12/2022

Marketing Manager

Location: Bedford, Permanent - Full Time Salary: £35,000 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience Application Closing Date: 01/12/2022

Marketing Manager

Location: Kettering, Northamptonshire, PermanentFull Time Salary: £35,000 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience Application Closing Date: 01/12/2022

Associate Student Support Assistant

Location: Bedford, Sessional - Hourly Paid Salary: £12.00 per hour Application Closing Date: 16/12/2022

Associate - Invigilators

Location: Bedfordshire, Sessional - Hourly Paid Salary: £10.00 per hour Application Closing Date: 31/12/2022

Associate - Invigilators

Location: Northamptonshire, Sessional - Hourly Paid Salary: £10.00 per hour Application Closing Date: 31/12/2022

» View and apply for our full-time and parttime vacancies via The Bedford College Group vacancy portal which can be found on CONNECT staff intranet.

Welcome to the group

Paolo Capoluongo

Technician - Motor Vehicle

Marco Carofalo

Trainee Lecturer - Art & Design

Jessica Fraser

Customer Contact Adviser

Jennifer Hardie

Trainee Lecturer - Art & Design

Muhammad Islam

Trainee Lecturer - English

Michael Lynch

English Catch-Up Tutor

Freya Martin

Training Coordinator - Early Years & Teaching Assistant

Mikolaj Nowosad

Apprentice Technician - Construction Konor O’Hanlon

Leisure & Bookings Manager

Abbie Paramor

Technician - Art & Design (Digital Specialism)

Kai Taylor

IT Technician

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION December 2022

Getting Pronouns Right

We recently celebrated International Pronouns Day, and this topic continues to be the thing I am asked about most by both staff and students. The use of pronouns is becoming much more prominent across the Group, as we have seen a rise in the popularity of email signatures which point out someone’s pronouns (usually He/Him, She/Her or They/ Them). We have also introduced pronoun pin badges for staff and students which can be worn proudly on lanyards if the person chooses to do so.

Students feel that this helps staff avoid misgendering in the classroom, as unfortunately many of us make the mistake of assuming someone’s gender based upon how they appear to us. We can also order bespoke pin badges for people whose pronouns are not represented by he/him, she/her or they/them. This might include mixed pronouns (he/them for example) or for those who have their own unique identities. Some areas of the college have also started using pronoun stickers for ID badges. These are much more subtle but allow the ID wearer to have their pronouns recognised around their campus.

‘They/Them’ seem to be the trickiest pronouns for some people to get on board with because of the plural nature of the words. I always think of it as if I was talking about someone I was about to meet but I hadn’t been told what gender they were. It makes it much easier!

Pronouns are the hallmark of an inclusive environment. They allow trans and non-binary staff and people to feel welcome and included at our organisation. Pronoun usage is the first step in allyship/advocacy for those who are not trans or non-binary. Using the pronouns someone wants for themselves shows respect for the person. Equally, we can just use the person’s name!

It is never appropriate to make someone use their pronouns (they may not wish to) but they should have the opportunity to do so if they want. There are many ways you can ask someone’s pronouns; and there is EDI training for teams and groups specifically about this topic. You can contact me to arrange this or with any questions/concerns you have.

Ashley Spiers

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager aspiers@bedfordcollege.ac.uk

Diversity calendar in November 2022

1 December World AIDs Day

2 December International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

3 December International Day for Persons with Disabilities

8 December

Rohatsue (Bodhi Day) - Buddhist Feast of the Immaculate Conception – Christian

18 December International Migrants Day

19 December

21 December

24 December

Chanukah begins –Judaism

Winter Solstice, Yule – Wiccan/Pagan

Christmas Eve –Christian

25 December

Christmas Day –Christian

Feast of the Nativity –Orthodox Christian

26 December Saint Stephen’s Day – Christian Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra) –Zoroastrian

Kwanzaa begins –African (various faiths)

28 December Holy Innocents –Christian

30 December Feast of the Holy Family – Catholic Christian

31 December Watch Night –Christian

Lynsey Travers HR Manager - Human Resources ltravers@bedford.ac.uk

STAFF PERKS TOP OFFERS THIS MONTH

5 ways you can save today

Many of us would like to be more on top of our budgets, but it can be difficult to start saving, especially when it feels like there is always another unexpected cost and the bills keep coming.

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1) Keep track of your savings

This one might seem obvious, but many people struggle to keep track of their expenses and earnings. Because of this, you might find yourself in a situation where you thought you had more money left than you do and you have no idea where it went. A simple spreadsheet, notebook, or even a banking app that allows you to set budgets for every category can help you get a clear overview.

Next to keeping track of your spending, it can also help to keep an eye on your savings. Seeing how much you’ve saved every month helps you stay motivated. On The Bedford College Group you can do that too! You can see a summary of your total savings, which retailers you saved at and when you saved the most. There is also a separate balance that shows you how much Cashback you have saved up. This is a great reminder that our Discount and Cashback deals really add up!

2) Get the SmartSpending™ Browser Extension

Because we have so many amazing offers on our platform, it can be difficult to keep track of exactly where and how much you can save. Wouldn’t it be great if you got notified every time you visited a retailer who offers a discount through The Bedford College Group? Well, it’s perfectly possible! The SmartSpending™ Browser Extension is your best friend when you’re shopping online.

To download the SmartSpending™ Browser Extension, go to the search bar on your platform and search ‘browser extension’. A link to download will come up. Once you’ve downloaded the extension, all you need to do is activate it (sign in with your platform details and make sure the logo is displayed in colour) and you’re good to go. Every time you’re browsing and you come across one of our Discount retailers, you will get a notification of exactly how much you could be saving. The extension is available for Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge!

3) Get new and improved deals in your inbox and on-the-go

Did you know that we have a weekly newsletter to let you know about the most exciting savings? Every week different retailers increase their discounts or add extra promotions, and you don’t want to miss when that happens. Just toggle on the weekly newsletter in your account settings on The Bedford College Group Perks and always be the first to know about impressive deals!

If you want to have access to your Discount and Cashback deals no matter where you are, definitely download our SmartSpending™ App. This is an invaluable tool if you’re serious about getting the most out of your offers.

4) Make sure you’re always prepared to save

Have you ever been at a store and, right after you paid, you realised that this retailer offers a discount on The Bedford College Group Perks?

For example, if you know that you will spend about the same amount on groceries every month, set up the Auto Top-up for a fixed amount every month. That way you never find yourself in the grocery store with an empty balance on your Reloadable Card. You’re always able to add more manually, or you can freeze Auto Top-up if you know you won’t be using your card that month.

If you’re not sure which Reloadable Cards to get, start with one from your local supermarket. Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco all have one. Second, there is the EasySaver™

Card that helps you save 7% at over 40 high street stores including M&S, Boots, Iceland and Currys. If you’re a regular at Nero or Costa, get their Reloadable Card and save 10% on every visit, and if you’re a book lover you need the National Book Tokens Card in your wallet.

5) Switch to The Bedford College Group Perks suppliers

There are some things that we just need to pay for every month, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t save on them! The Bedford College Group Perks has Discount and Cashback deals with electricity suppliers, broadband and phone providers, insurance companies and much more.

You can even check out Uswitch to find the right provider for you. The website asks you a couple of questions and then offers you options that would suit you best. You can use them for all kinds of utilities and earn up to £30 of Cashback.