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CROYDON Education Matters
NEWS & VIEWS A Royal Relationship: Croydon College & the Queen
Students support Croydon charity at Queen’s Jubilee lunch Students from Croydon College’s Catering and Public Services courses played a key role at an event celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and recognising the borough’s Armed Forces veterans. The students helped serve guests at Braithwaite Hall a three-course lunch at an event arranged by leading charity Croydon Commitment. The students helping were Dilon Fletcher, Kavish Boodhram, Taylor Neil, Malcom Cross, Kieran Wickendon and Dianna Richards. Speakers included Jason Perry, Croydon’s first directly elected Mayor, Colonel Ray Wilkinson QVRM TD DL VR, Representative Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Croydon
and Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones. Lecturer Neil Ming said: “This was a great opportunity for our students to understand what’s needed to work in a front of house role and support a great local charity in the process. I’m delighted we were able to help and I hope both the students and veterans, who also got the chance to talk to each other throughout the afternoon, enjoyed their afternoon.” Melinda Ashford, Partnerships and Programme Manager at Croydon Commitment said: “We are delighted to have found so many veterans to join us for a memorable day of sharing memories. We’d particularly like to thank the students from the college who worked hard and received a big round of applause from our guests.
In the run up to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we reflected on our royal relationship with the Queen, spanning more than six decades. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, formally opened Croydon College on 2 November 1960. Her Majesty declared the College officially open at Denning Hall, which is now our ground floor arts space, before enjoying a tour of the catering facilities on the third floor – now our IT department – the refectory and the fashion department, and meeting with YMCA representatives.
In 2014, Croydon College received the Queen’s Award for Volunteering, celebrating our services to the community.
Public Services students plant olive tree Our Public Services students planted an olive tree outside Croydon College in honour of the Queen’s 96th birthday and Platinum Jubilee. The new addition of the olive tree symbolises peace and friendship. It’s also good for the environment and brings a little more greenery to the heart of Croydon.
And in 2015 our very own Di Layzelle went to Windsor to collect her MBE.
