12 minute read
Education & Training
Record-breaking visitor numbers for Lambing and Animals Weekend
A record-breaking number of visitors have flocked to a popular annual event to meet the first lambs of spring as they were welcomed into the world.
More than 4,000 people visited Moreton Morrell College’s annual Lambing and Animals Weekend, held at WCG’s Nether Moreton Farm, making it the event’s busiest year to date.
Visitors were able to meet and hold the new-born lambs, with a lucky few even seeing some being born, as well as sit on a tractor and speak to farm manager Henry Dingle.
The college’s Animal Centre also opened its doors for people to get up close to meerkats, porcupines and other exotic animals, and families enjoyed taking part in a special adventure trail around the grounds of the college.
The event’s new farmers’ market was also a hit with visitors, giving people the opportunity to sample a range of local produce and purchase goods from local small businesses.
Peter Husband, WCG Group Principal and Moreton Morrell College Director, said: “It was incredible to welcome so many people to our Lambing and Animals Weekend after Covid forced us to hold the event virtually for the last two years.
“It was clear that everyone was keen to be back at in-person events, and what better way to spend a weekend than meeting our new-born lambs at the farm.
“We also had a lot of questions about land-based careers and the industry courses which can be studied at WCG.
“We now hope to see some of those who made enquiries visit our upcoming Degree Level Open Event at Moreton Morrell College on June 18 to find out even more about the courses on offer.”
The Degree Level Open Event at Moreton Morrell College is set to be held from 10am to 2pm on June 18. To book a space, visit wcg.ac.uk/degreeopenevent
WCUC launch leads to surge in degree course applications
Applications for degree courses at a leading college group have seen a significant boost since the launch of its new university centre.
WCG launched Warwickshire College and University Centre (WCUC) in December and saw a 15 per cent rise in overall applications for degree-level courses to the end of January.
The first UCAS deadline of the year has now passed and applications have risen from 480 in 2021 to 551 in 2022 for the college group.
It is the first recruitment cycle for WCUC and also comes after the college became the first college group in the UK to be granted Bachelor degree awarding powers by the Office for Students, alongside the Foundation degree awarding powers already in place.
On UCAS applications alone, the college group has seen a rise of 21.85 per cent in applications – with all universities nationally only experiencing an average growth of 2.1 per cent.
Compared to 2020 figures the applications across the college group for degree-level courses are up 42 per cent.
Courses including Veterinary Nursing and Equine Therapy and Rehabilitation at Moreton Morrell College have seen substantial growth.
While Computer Networks and Cybersecurity applicants at Royal Leamington Spa College and Rugby College have risen from two to 18.
Since the launch of WCUC, students are able to study and complete a Foundation degree or Honours degree awarded directly by WCUC. It is registered with the Office for Students and meets the requirements for course quality, academic standards, student support and student protection.
WCUC delivers Higher Education courses from Royal Leamington Spa College, Evesham College, Rugby College, Moreton Morrell College, Pershore College, Warwick Trident College and Malvern Hills Centre for Digital & Cyber Technology.
To find out more about Warwickshire College and University Centre and upcoming open days visit wcuc.ac.uk "On UCAS applications alone, the college group has seen a rise of 21.85 per cent in applications – with all universities nationally only experiencing an average growth of 2.1 per cent."
Coventry students rocket to finals of space competition
Team Boreas is gearing up for launch after reaching the UK finals of the CanSat competition run by the European Space Agency (ESA).
The student team, from WMG Academy Coventry, have designed and engineered a can-sized satellite to be deployed in the Arctic Circle to monitor climate change.
The ESA’s CanSat competition has seen Team Boreas compete against 100 other teams to be one of ten competing in the UK finals from at the STEM Centre and Elvington Airfield in York. They will see their satellite launched by rocket, with the winners progressing to the European finals later in the year.
Speaking for the team, Joshua Watson, 17, said: “I’m very happy that we made it to the finals and it wouldn't have been possible without everyone’s team work. We all hope that we do well in the UK finals and make it onto the European finals.”
Team Boreas have constructed a suborbital satellite, which contains a two-stage parachute activated by an altimeter, as well as a solar-powered environmental sensor all contained within a satellite the size of a coke can. After a test launch in March, the team are fine-tuning the satellite ahead of the finals in early May.
Team Boreas is made up of students aged 14-plus from WMG Academy Coventry, where they study a combination of science, engineering and maths. This allows them to apply theoretical and practical skills to build their satellite in the academy's bespoke engineering hall.
Mr Fiesal Mahroof, principal of WMG Academy Coventry, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the hard work the students have put into the CanSat project over the last six months. Their efforts are a testament to their dedication and we all wish them every success at the finals in York.”
For more information visit www.wmgacademy.org.uk
Carpentry students at Moreton Morrell College are using their skills to make products to raise funds for a charity appeal that’s supporting those living in Ukraine.
Level 3 carpentry students held a stall at the college’s annual Lambing and Animals Weekend, held at WCG’s Nether Moreton Farm, in aid of Oxfam’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
The group of nine students designed products including planters, bird boxes, garden benches, candle holders, welly hangers and outdoor storage before working out the cost of the materials and what they should be priced at.
Two students then ran the stall at the event, which was attended by more than 4,000 people, taking £800 worth of orders from customers and raising money by selling raffle tickets.
The group is now busy making the products to fulfil the orders, supported
From left to right - Ben Boswell-Brown, Noah Williams, Jareth Brazier, Aled Thomas and Connor Lyne.
by the Level 1 and 2 carpentry students who are making some of the small planters, and 40 per cent of the money raised will be donated to the appeal.
John Billings, WCG carpentry and joinery lecturer at Moreton Morrell College, said the project is an excellent opportunity to give students real-life experience of running a business while raising money for charity.
He said: “The students have had to do everything from designing the products and working out costings to marketing these and fulfilling the orders, so it’s a great experience for them. They also decided which charity they’d like to support.
“The students who ran the stall did a fantastic job speaking to customers and taking orders, and their confidence grew as the event went on.
“We also had a lot of questions from parents about the carpentry course which has really helped to raise its profile.
“The planters proved the most popular product on the day and everyone is now busy producing all of the orders.”
Further information is available at www.wcg.ac.uk/carpentry
WCG Wellbeing Programme
Jo Hodgson, Tori White and Kirsty Dimopoulos, of WCG which has joined the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) network as part of its Wellbeing @ WCG initiative.
A leading college group has become a member of a network which raises awareness and provides resources for employers to play their part in tackling domestic abuse as part of its commitment to creating a healthier environment for employees.
WCG, which includes six colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, has joined the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) network.
It comes as WCG announces the launch of a new domestic abuse awareness and support initiative for staff as part of its Wellbeing @ WCG programme, which is offering tailored support to its 1,400 employees on a number of different topics throughout the year.
EIDA works with employers to enable the implementation of effective internal policies on domestic abuse, as well as providing awareness and signposting to updated resources.
The initiative will see WCG launch a video to educate staff about spotting the signs of domestic abuse and how they can respond and offer support.
It will also share posts on its intranet platform to raise awareness and signpost people to services where they can receive support with domestic abuse, and there will be posters in areas such as toilets to help start conversations.
WCG includes Royal Leamington Spa College, Rugby College, Warwick Trident College, Moreton Morrell College, Evesham College and Pershore College, and the initiative is being run by the college group’s Human Resources Department.
Jo Hodgson, Head of Human Resources at WCG, said: “WCG is committed to supporting its employees and we are proud to join EIDA as part of this.
“Domestic abuse is a complex issue so we are taking a sensitive approach by raising awareness and signposting people to resources where they can get further help and support, and we are working with EIDA to ensure the information we are sharing is relevant and will meet the needs of our staff.
“We want employees to know that they are safe to talk at work and anything we are told will be treated confidentially. We are also stressing that we understand that domestic abuse is not always gender specific and can affect anyone.
“Another aim is to also educate staff about spotting the signs and how they can help others experiencing domestic abuse.
“It is an extremely important topic, particularly at a time when pandemicrelated restrictions have seen a rise in domestic abuse globally, and we want to provide as much support as possible to our staff through our Wellbeing @ WCG programme.”
Lorraine O’Brien, CEO of The Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse, added: “We are delighted to welcome the WCG team to our network, particularly to expand our network deeper into the education industry.
“The role of employers in tackling domestic abuse has become even more apparent during the pandemic and ongoing commitment from local employers provides not only support for their own workforce but adds value to the wider sector aim of stopping domestic abuse in all its forms, once and for all.”
Further information about careers at WCG is available at https://wcg.ac.uk/jobs
New research could help detect circulatory diseases much faster
New research from Coventry University could help detect circulatory diseases in patients much faster through novel imaging and sensing techniques.
The University’s Centre for Intelligent Healthcare (CIH) has established a specialist research facility at its Technology Park which is investigating the benefits of new equipment and techniques that could be used for microvascular imaging – generating pictures of the body’s smallest blood vessels.
The research will focus on how changes in our circulatory systems can be linked to early-stage disease including diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions and ageing of the arteries.
Researchers will investigate how different colours of light can accurately assess blood flow, its temperature and composition, which can all help to detect circulatory problems noninvasively and cost-effectively.
The research will investigate new ways to assess the severity of the Raynaud’s phenomenon – a circulatory condition which causes fingers and toes to change colour when cold or anxious.
While rarely considered serious on its own, it can sometimes be the first sign of more severe conditions.
Professor John Allen, Professor of Biosensors and Bioinstrumentation at the CIH and a former senior Clinical Scientist at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, is leading the research at the new facility.
The research will be carried out in collaboration with consultant clinicians including rheumatologists at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire and will look at how practical applications of the research could be used in the NHS.
Prof Allen said: “Detecting Raynaud’s quickly and taking subsequent tests to determine if a patient has a more serious condition, such as Systemic Sclerosis, is incredibly important.
“Such conditions should not be left undiagnosed, as they can significantly affect the internal organs of the body as well as the skin. Raynaud’s can be an early symptom of such an underlying condition.
“The new technology will also help us to study conditions such as diabetes and cancer in novel ways.
“Our tests are not only about the diagnostic techniques themselves, but also to make them more affordable and accessible and therefore more likely to be adopted by healthcare providers. We will be working alongside UHCW and other national and international collaborators to inform this aspect of our research.”
Coventry University’s research is not only uncovering better diagnostic techniques, but also has applications in assessing health and wellbeing.
The concept of ‘vascular age’ – a metric of circulatory fitness measured by studying the stiffness of arteries or their reactivity - is a topic of international interest.
It is currently difficult to measure this reliably, so Coventry University is teaming up with other scientists, engineers and clinicians, through groups such as VascAgeNet, to discuss and develop low-cost accessible ways of assessing the health of one’s circulation.
Prof Allen added: “The techniques we are using not only detect abnormal blood flow but can accurately assess high-quality blood flow as well at very low costs.
