Update
the latest news from around your College
July 2014
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Illustrator extraordinaire
Principal update
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Corporation news
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Centre for the Creative Arts news
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Centre for Enterprise & Technology news
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Centre for Professional & People Services news
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Shuttleworth College news
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The Bedford Sixth Form news
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Bedford College Services (BCS) news
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Sales & Marketing news
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Apprenticeship vacancies
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People news
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www.facebook.com/bedfordcollege www.facebook.com/shuttleworthcoll www.facebook.com/bedfordsixthform
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Adult Learners’ week
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Dates for your diary SSG End of Term Staff Social Cauldwell Street Campus Friday 4 July 2014, 4.00pm-6.00pm
24+ Advanced Learning Loans Information Events
Cauldwell Street Campus Thursday 10 July 2014, 5.00pm-7.00pm Wednesday 6 August 2014, 5.00pm-7.00pm Thursday 21 August 2014, 5.00pm-7.00pm
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Sustainability news
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Bedford College Open Day
Cauldwell Street Campus Thursday 21 August 2014, 12.00pm-7.00pm
Shuttleworth College Open Day Shuttleworth College Thursday 21 August 2014, 5.00pm-8.00pm
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/bedfordcollege www.twitter.com/shuttleworthcol www.twitter.com/thebedfordsixth
Want to contribute? If you have something to contribute, please email ttebbutt@bedford.ac.uk by Thursday 11 September 2014.
Principal update
Corporation news
Brit wins in Europe!
Board update
Staff member Jim Bateman has proved more adept than our Prime Minister in winning in Europe by scooping the British Council European eTwinning Award for his project ‘Beware! Codebreakers!’
Since the last update Governors have had several committee meetings and are getting ready for the final Board meeting of the academic year in July. The Finance, Estates and Strategy Committee met in May and looked at an early draft of the budget. 2014-15 seems to be shaping up to be a challenging year financially, but Governors support the College’s plan to avoid major redundancy programmes by making sure we are all working as efficiently as possible and focusing on the right area to protect our student numbers and outcomes for students.
Arts and minds June is always a great month if you have a passion for the arts. I hope many of you were able to consume at least some of the amazing exhibitions, shows and performances of our students (below), including some new ventures, such as a partnership with Rock City Photography and the use of shop space in the Bedford Arcade as a venue for our HE Arts Exhibition.
Safeguarding was discussed at the Quality, Standards and Achievement Committee meeting in early June: Governors were pleased to hear of the continuous improvement in this area. The Committee also discussed retention of students, while our tutorial system works well and supports retention and attendance. There is still more to be done and the Committee will monitor the College’s strategies in this area over the coming year. The Human Resource Committee met in June and discussed the College’s health and safety policy: the Committee has recommended the policy to the Board for approval in July. The Committee also reviewed the staff procedures and our pay and pension arrangements.
1234 – Employer engagement by numbers At the start of this teaching year we celebrated record numbers of employers served, crashing through the 800 barrier. The improving economy coupled with our reputation means that in recent weeks the number of employers we work with had leapt to 1,234, an astonishing success, demonstrating that we are the number 1 choice for employer training.
Ambitious for Bedford Recent government data on destinations shows that only 42% of Bedford school leavers go on to University, compared with 61% in Luton, 51% in Central Bedfordshire and 48% nationally. 0% of Bedford leavers go to Oxbridge. The figures are a few years old but they show why the development of The Bedford Sixth Form was so important. Hopefully figures for future years will show the impact the Sixth Form has on local ambition.
A turbulent start, a very strong finish 2013-14 started with a tough funding settlement, job losses and a turbulent autumn term. We finish though with record income, record 16-18 full-time numbers, record apprentice numbers, record numbers of employers served, record forecast success rates, and cash balances and College surplus above plan. The summer break is well deserved, thank you.
Update July 2014
Balbir Hundal will be retiring as a Governor in July after 14 years of service. I am sure you will all join me in thanking Balbir for his contributions and wishing him well for the future. If you have any questions about the Board’s work please feel free to contact me on ext. 5003 or eheaney@bedford.ac.uk or speak to your staff governors (Denise Troughton and Noki Nyoni).
Centre for the Creative Arts news Travelling tales As part of the 2014 Bedfringe festival Bedford College will be hosting an original production by Kempston Community Theatre. Taking place on Wednesday 16 July and Thursday 17 July at the South Bank Arts Centre’s Studio Theatre, ‘The Canterbury Tales and Other Travelling Tales’ features an original adaptation of the Canterbury Tales based on masks, storytelling and journeying. Tickets are available from the main Bedford College reception – for more information call 01234 291000 or visit www.bedfringe.com/whatson.
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Blood, Sweat & Tears (of joy) On Friday 13 June the South Bank Arts Centre opened its doors to another grand finale of creative art and design student work. An appreciative audience helped us celebrate the creative endeavours of our impassioned Art & Design students as they complete a variety of creative courses ranging from levels 1-3. The breadth of ideas and individuality of creative outcomes never fails to inspire and delight.
In the last few years he has illustrated for The Beano, The Telegraph Newspaper, Anorak Magazine and Flamingo Magazine. He is also a regular contributor to Creaturemag and the Bedford Clanger newspaper and has recently exhibited his illustrations in both solo and group shows in the UK, Europe and America. Receiving the commission gave David the impetus to give up his full-time teaching job at Bedford College and concentrate on illustration, but we are delighted that he continues to teach on our HNC/HND Graphic Design programmes.
Five in a row The College has won yet another YCN Award, this time for a Standard Life campaign to persuade young people to save money.
Yellow Pencil Student Awards were presented to Connor Brkljac (Level 1), Dell Nisarut (Level 2) and the following Level 3 students: James Feaver (Graphics), Ellie Potter (Textiles), Jackie Worth (Animation), Rebecca King (Fine Art), Nicki Dickens (3D) and Molly Brawn (Photography). Students studying Fashion & Textiles provided a stunning fashion show during the evening, with models supported by Media Make-up and Hair students.
This is the fifth consecutive year we have won one of these National Awards. This winning creative team are Hannah Hughes and Tiffany Trethowan, who are completing their HND Graphic Design course this summer. The Awards evening will be held at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel, London in September.
Illustrator extraordinaire Art & Design Lecturer and Illustrator David Litchfield has been commissioned by Centre Parcs, Woburn Forest to create his interpretation of the planned Subtropical Swimming Paradise housed within the village (below). David’s work will feature on Centre Parcs’ promotional material. David is also a regular contributor to The Clanger, Bedford’s Arts Newspaper. The illustration, which was created last year, will be used on gifts during the launch of Woburn Forest and on guest welcome communications during the spring. Lee Jakubik, Senior Designer at Center Parcs, said “We were keen to get the talent and inspiration from a local artist to help us create an image for Woburn Forest. David’s work is amazing and really fits with our brand: lively, creative, fun and family-friendly. We had considered a number of artists from across the UK but the style and quality of David’s work really stood out!” David said, “I couldn’t believe it when Center Parcs contacted me; it was completely out of the blue!”. David’s work has appeared in magazines, national newspapers, books and on T-shirts.
Update July 2014
If only...
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Centre for Enterprise & Technology news Learning Centres update Bedford Learning Centre has had a busy few weeks of events, beginning with the Bedford High Street Showcase which took place on Saturday 14 June. This community event saw over 40 businesses trading outside in the High Street for the day, including the Learning Centre, who promoted their courses to passers-by.
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The Bedford Learning Centre also celebrated Adult Learners’ Week, which took place from 12 to 17 June 2014. Adult Learners’ Week is a national celebration of lifelong learning. The Learning Centre, along with main College, had a stall at the Adult Learners’ Week event on Harpur Street, outside the Library. We spoke to members of public about the courses on offer and heard some inspirational stories from individuals who had gone back into education later on in life. For more information about Bedford Learning Centre, and to book onto one of our courses, please contact the Centre on 01234 269137.
It was a very hard decision to make: all Engineering staff met and gave names of the deserving students, taking into account attendance, attitude, and handing assignments in on time – eventually a decision was made. The Winner was James Killacky (below), who won a cheque for £500, a week’s work experience, and a guaranteed interview with Mercedes AMG in the Spring for their 2015 apprenticeship scheme. 1st runner up was George Costin, 2nd runner was up Luke Steel, and the most improved student was Jahangir Miah.
Luton Learning Centre has also been celebrating Adult Learners’ Week this month: the Centre attended events at Dunstable Library on Wednesday 18 June 2014 and Luton Library on Friday 20 June 2014 to promote the courses on offer to the public. There was a good turnout and many attendees were interested in the courses on offer at the Centre; visitors were also surprised at how flexible the Learning Centre is. In July the Luton Learning Centre has the following courses on offer: • Touch Typing (Tuesday 22 July 2014, 11.00am-1.00pm) • Award in Introduction to the Supply Chain (Monday 7 July to Wednesday 9 July 2014, from 9.30am – 3.00pm) For more information about Luton Learning Centre, and to book onto on of our courses, please contact the Centre on 01582 414178. Rushden Learning Centre will be having an exhibition stall at the biggest event in Rushden, the Party in the Park, on Saturday 12 July 2014 from 1.00pm-5.00pm. This event sees thousands of people from the local community – as well as charities and different organisations – coming together in Hall Park for a fantastic day of entertainment and fun. For more information about Rushden Learning Centre, and to book onto one of our courses, please contact the Centre on 01933 358684. Milton Keynes Learning Centre is extremely busy, and the word is definitely out within the community about the fantastic flexible courses on offer. Every day individuals are either coming into the Centre or calling up to enquire about the courses on offer, and dozens of people are being enrolled on to courses each week. For more information about Milton Keynes Learning Centre, and to book onto one of our courses, please contact the Centre on 01908 666929.
Student of the Year Stuart Boyer from Mercedes AMG presented the Engineering ‘Student of the Year’ award to Bedford College Engineering students on Wednesday 4 June. He also presented certificates and prizes to the 2nd place, 3rd place and to the most improved student.
Update July 2014
Bedford College receives a prestigious eTwinning Quality Label College teachers and students have been celebrating after being awarded the highly regarded eTwinning National Quality Label. To secure the Quality Label, the Computing Department worked in partnership with the Lycée du Haut Barr in France to create an outstanding project using digital collaborative tools. The project entailed working as a European team in the UK’s National Cipher Challenge run by the University of Southampton. Students and staff at Bedford and in the French school worked together to ‘crack’ encrypted messages against the clock in this annual competition run by the University’s Mathematics department. eTwinning, the digital community for schools and colleges involving almost 250 000 teachers in 32 countries across Europe, is funded by the European Commission as part of the Erasmus+ programme and managed in the UK by the British Council. The National Quality Label is issued to schools that produce outstanding work as part of their eTwinning partnership. Jim Bateman, Lecturer in Computing, said: “We are delighted to have been the awarded the eTwinning National Quality Label. Staff in the Computing Department at Bedford College have enjoyed working with Lycée du Haut Barr on ‘Beware! Codebreakers!’ To secure the National Quality Label is a real honour for the students and teachers who participated in the project. The eTwinning project has helped provide a sense of European community and competition to the staff and students at the College.”
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Centre for Professional & People Services news Prizewinning students at Cranfield Business Challenge Bedford College Business Students had a successful outing at the recent Cranfield Business Challenge 2014, where they had the opportunity to get a real insight into the way a market can grow and develop. Feedback from students was positive: ‘The competition was coordinated extremely well and was a challenging and thoroughly enjoyable day!’ The department is really pleased and proud of the students’ achievement, and is looking forward to the next challenge.
level recognised qualification in Maths/ Numeracy. This qualification will allow the teacher to register with the IfL as a Maths subject specialist. The course is one year part-time, with attendance required and lessons running from 6.00pm7.30pm on a Tuesday evening. We have 20 places available on our Level 3 course and anyone interested should complete the Bedford College Application Form (which can be found at www.bedford.ac.uk/downloads). This should also be accompanied by an additional statement clearly expressing why the grant should be awarded to the applicant and the impact it will have. We have 10 places on our Level 5 course and anyone interested should complete a University of Bedfordshire application form. This should also be accompanied by an additional statement clearly expressing why the grant should be awarded to the applicant and the impact it will have. Please return applications for the attention of Mark Brookes (mbrookes@bedford.ac.uk).
Functional Skills newsletter
Training boost for Maths teachers Bedford College has successfully bid for funding through the ETF Maths Graduate Recruitment Incentive Award to develop skills of existing and potential Maths teachers by offering ‘free’ places on the courses below for September 2014-15. We will run two courses and you are entitled to apply for either:
To coincide with this year’s international evening, the Functional Skills (for adults) English and Maths department produced its first newsletter. The newsletter contains details of learners receiving accolades for outstanding achievement at the College’s annual awards ceremony (below), examples of learners’ work, the rationale behind functional skills, details of the new traineeships, reasons why learners chose to study functional skills at Bedford College, details of this year’s maths and English summer school, a quiz and details of a proposed chess club for learners and staff. Copies of the newsletter can be found at the reception area in Roger’s Court.
The City & Guilds Level 3 Maths (Award in Maths for Numeracy Teachers) – normally £475 This is Ideal for teachers (qualified or not) who already have Level 2, or GCSE Maths, but want to improve their Maths skills. This is an attendance-based course and sessions will run on a Thursday afternoon from 3.00pm-5.00pm. The assessment for the course is a series of assignments – there is no observation of practice. This course is perfect for teachers who are thinking of developing into maths teachers, or for Functional Skills teachers who want to improve their subjectspecific knowledge. The course can also be seen as a bridging qualification to the Level 5 Subject Specialism Diploma. The awarding body is City & Guilds. The University of Bedfordshire Level 5 Numeracy Certificate – normally £1,125 This 45-credit ‘in-service’ Skills for Life (SfL) Certificate is designed for practicing Maths teachers. It is an ‘in-service’ course and there are four Observations in Teaching Practice through the academic year. It is Ideal for those teachers who already have Level 2 or GCSE Maths and can show Level 3 competency either through previous qualifications or the initial assessment tasks. It is recommended for those teachers of Functional Skills or GCSE Maths who do not have a high
Update July 2014
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Shuttleworth College news TV spotlight shines on Shuttleworth Shuttleworth has been lucky enough to grace the small screen twice this year, with two TV programmes featuring the College and its grounds. Don’t Tell the Bride recently filmed an episode at The Mansion House to be screened later in the year. Without giving too much away, the bridegroom was a former student of Shuttleworth who longed to see his bride in the beautiful house and grounds here. Earlier in the year Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty were here filming their Friday Night Feast (right) – complete with ‘clanger wanging’ and tractor races. Shuttleworth Executive Director Mike Johnston was roped into MCing the sunny afternoon of fun and games, with Farm Manager Robert Coles doing all the groundwork leading up to the event. In return for the occasion a donation was made by the production company, which was used to secure the purchase of Zulu the Bull – now a proud father of many Red Poll cattle.
The Bedford Sixth Form news London calling CamTec Business students took part in a two-day visit to London in June, with trips to Lloyds, the Museum of Brands, The Bank of England and the LME (London Metal Exchange), giving the students excellent empirical knowledge for their second year units. With our eyes on 2015, all the second year students participated in ‘Life After The Bedford Sixth Form in June, and the Health & Social Care students visited Anglia Ruskin University for a higher education event that set them thinking about all their options for next year.
Exam season at the Bedford Sixth Form Life at the Bedford Sixth Form is summed up by just one word at this time of year: exams. Good use has been made of both the Trinity Sports Hall and the Main Hall, but we have also had over 50 students with special exam arrangements, which has necessitated the use of endless small rooms, clashes and supervisions to organise, and we have also had a student who has been home invigilated. In total over 115 exams will take place. We have been able to provide a very efficient and caring environment at this challenging time, and we are grateful to Tony Burke for all his excellent organisation with his army of invigilators.
Update July 2014
A visit from Hollywood Hollywood producer Paul Brown gave Bedford Sixth Form students an insight into successful film making when he visited on Thursday 19 June. The award-winning producer, writer and director delivered a lecture on screenplay and narrative writing, ‘The Secrets of Great Stories’, to AS/A2 Film Studies students. Paul is based in Los Angeles but also lectures at the New York Film Academy. He was accompanied by his colleague at the Academy, Jazmin Donaldson, who gave a talk on international study opportunities in the second half of the session.
Hollywood producer Paul Brown (front, centre) with Bedford Sixth Form Students and Head Gail Cocozza (front, right).
Teacher Jo Done, who set up the event, said: “We were extremely lucky and privileged to welcome Paul to The Bedford Sixth Form as he gave his time free of charge whilst on business in London. The timing was perfect as this was the second week of our current AS students’ introduction to their A2 courses of study for September 2014.” Paul has worked on shows such as Star Trek, The X-Files and Quantum Leap, and been nominated for Golden Globes and Emmy Awards. He lectures all over the world and regularly visits the UK, but this was his first time Bedford College. “The secret of a great story is the character transformation. The more personal an idea is, the more universal it becomes. The students at Bedford Sixth Form were great, really willing to open up and explore new ideas,” added Paul.
Bedford College Services (BCS) news The Mezz and Mezz coffee shop at Cauldwell Street The current Mezz and Mezz coffee shop will be getting a full refurbishment over the summer, and will be closed from Tuesday 24 June. Where can I eat? The Coffee Pod in the South Bank will be open from Tuesday 24 June from 8.30am-2.00pm and you will be able to purchase, coffee, cold drinks, grab and go sandwiches and snacks.
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What about Staff Conference Day? During staff training week we will be operating from the 5th Floor kitchen and will be able to deliver your hospitality orders. Tea & Coffee breaks will be in the South Bank Wednesday 2 July and Thursday 3 July. On Friday 4 July it will be served in 25 Restaurant on the 5th Floor.
Race for Life Congratulations to Sustainability Administration Coordinator Wallis Lord-Hart, who recently took part in the Race for Life and raised a total of £76.50 for walking 10k in 1 hour 47 minutes. Wallis is also selling eggs to raise funds for cancer research throughout the summer; for more information get in touch at wlordhart@bedford.ac.uk
What about the Staff Social? This will be going ahead as planned. We will issue more information to showcase our new facilities ready for our planned opening. If you have any questions or concerns please contact BCS General Manager at akeen@themansionhouse.org
Sustainability News Surplus stationery clogging up your office?
Sales & Marketing news Research services updated The Marketing department has set up a research library to group all marketing research projects together – you can find the latest examples of completed work at: www.bedford.ac.uk/researchlibrary We will keep you informed about new documents added to the library – recent course demand analysis available includes:
In partnership with the Learning Resources Centre, the Sustainability team is organizing a Stationery Swap Shop, to be permanently located in the Learning Resources Centre as of Monday 30 June 2014. Any items of stationery that are no longer required can be dropped off at the Learning Resources Centre to be made available to the rest of the College in an allocated location within the LRC. This area will be made available to all staff to drop off or collect items every Wednesday and Friday from 9.00am-12.00pm. The donated items could include:
• ‘HNC/HND Outdoor Events Management’ – completed for the Business department
• Ring binders
Apprenticeship vacancies
• Wallet folders • Hanging files • Copying paper
• ‘Level 3 Award in Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation’ – completed for the Electrical Installation department. If you are thinking about adding new courses to your curriculum offer we can support your decision and provide course demand analysis. Please contact Agi Wroblewska for more details on ext. 5392 or awroblewska@bedford.ac.uk
The following apprenticeship vacancies are currently being advertised on the Bedford College website:
• Notebooks
• Acuigen - IT & Software Apprentice
• Pencils
• Avalon Tree & Garden Services - Groundsman/Climber Apprentice
• Paper clips • Blue tac • Pencil sharpeners Please speak to a member of staff upon arrival – each user will simply be required to log their donation and/or items taken. If the scheme gets sufficient use we aim to start the same scheme at the other campuses. With this arrangement we aim to reduce waste, as well as helping departments save money – we very much hope that you will support this initiative. If you have any questions about the scheme, please contact Wallis at the Sustainability office (wlordhart@bedford.ac.uk) or any member of the Learning Resources Centre team.
• Axis Electronics - Engineering Apprentice • BBAK Control Panels Ltd - Apprentice Sheet Metalworker/ Welder • Bedford and District Citizens Advice Bureau - Administration Apprentice • Bedford Hospital NHS Trust - Apprentice Chef • Bloor Homes - Apprentice Bricklayer • Bloor Homes - Carpentry Apprentice • Dalroad Norslo - Apprentice Warehouse Operative • Dalroad Norslo - Business Administration Apprentice • Dawn Cardington - Maintenance Apprentice • Emerson Network Power - Apprentice UPS Field Service Engineer • Frosts Garden Centre - Apprentice Customer Services and Admin Support • Green Planet Fire & Security - Security Engineer Apprentice
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• Haines Watts Flitwick - Marketing Administration Apprentice • Healthwatch - Administration Apprentice • Howbury Hall Farm - Agricultural and Livestock Apprentice • IMC Group Ltd - Electronic Engineering Apprentice • John O’Gaunt Golf Club - Apprentice Chef
We are saying hello to: Sales and Marketing Andrew Bridges Samantha Bennett
• Knorr-Bremse Rail Services (UK) Ltd - Advanced Craft Engineering Apprentice
Student Services Adele Raper Lesley-Ann Spacey
• Knorr-Bremse Rail Services (UK) Ltd - Business Administration Apprentice
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Lafarge Aggregates - Mechanical Maintenance Apprentice • Lockheed Martin - Engineering Apprentice • Mars Horsecare - Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship • Oktober Hair Salon - Apprentice Hairdresser • St Helena Restaurant - Front of House/Hospitality Apprentice • Stomor Ltd - Civil Engineering Apprentice • Stratford Tools Ltd - Apprentice Sheet Metalworker • The Automated Technology Group Ltd - Engineering Apprentice • The Blue Skies Partnership (Universe) Limited - Accountancy Apprentice • The Blue Skies Partnership (Universe) Limited - Administration Apprentice • Toddington Medical Centre - Medical Receptionist/ Administrator Apprentice • WSP Global - Building Services Engineering Technician Apprentice
The EAP is a source of help and support available to all College employees from 1 September 1998. It is a free confidential information, advice and counselling service designed to help College employees and your family household members deal with personal problems, some of which may be affecting work, and with work-related concerns which staff do not necessarily wish to discuss with someone from the College in the first instance. The EAP is operated by PPC, an independent organisation, who provide professional counsellors to discuss problems in complete confidence outside the working environment. To use the service, any College employee and family household members can call the confidential freephone number on 0800 083 7400. This is operated by PPC and answered in person 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• WSP Global - Civil Engineering Technician Apprentice
Bedford Belles did it: Race for Life Bedford 10k! If you have any friends or family members who may be interested in applying for any of these roles more information can be found at www.bedford.ac.uk/apprenticeships
People news Starters and leavers Since we last reported there have been a number of changes in staff. We have said goodbye to:
Anna de Fortuna, Christie Illingworth, Lynsey Travers, Nicola Beacon and Tyesha Inniss would all like to say a BIG thank you to everyone for their support: “We feel overwhelmed by everyone’s generous donations. We have so far raised £596.32! “Our finish times ranged from 1 hour 8 minutes to 1 hour 26 minutes, all under our original target of 1 hour 30 minutes. We felt so proud to take part in the Race for Life as it is such a worthy cause, and would recommend taking part next year!”
Brian Cullip Martin Spearman Alison Barradell Sue Harris Dan Preston Robert Coles Rosalina Lionetti Charlotte Squires Shola Giwa Ali Saker Tim Walker Lynn Archer Vince Howell Claire Wood Marian Stagg
Update July 2014
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