DEDICATED learners brightened the day of students and staff at Coleg Cambria.

The four-strong group – Zoe Boothman, Sarah Astbury, Gracie Gee, and Andrei-Alexandru Bordea – joined the college’s Estates team in litter picking across Deeside and Deeside Sixth Form sites to mark World Clean-Up Day.

Together they collected more than 12kg of non-recyclable and recyclable materials, having been supported by waste management company Veolia, which has sites across the UK including Wirral and Ellesmere Port.

Cambria’s Sustainability and Environmental Specialist Sophie Hughes-Saunier thanked them for supplying the group with litter pickers, refuse sacks and PPE (Personal Protection Equipment), and for joining them on the day.

“In just 30 minutes the team collected 9kg of non-recyclable waste and 3kg of recyclable materials,” she added.

“Thanks to everyone who got involved, and to Veolia for their kind donation and helping us with the clean-up.”

For the latest news and information from Coleg Cambria, visit www.cambria.ac.uk.

Visit World Cleanup Day 2024 and Home – Keep Wales Tidy.

A BAND of educating explorers are preparing to get their Jaws around an epic charity expedition.

The Bigger Boat Challenge – referencing the 1975 movie hit, Jaws – could be the toughest yet for Karl Jackson and his Coleg Cambria colleagues.

Taking place over two days from Friday October 25, the 12-strong team from the college’s Bersham Road site in Wrexham will kayak around two lakes and hike a 22-kilometre route across Gwynedd and Powys in aid of Dementia UK.

“Every year we try and come up with unique, adrenaline-fuelled activities that will test our limits while, more importantly, raising as much money as we can for incredible causes,” he said.

“This one will see us battle the elements, cover many kilometres on foot and take to the water in kayaks on two of North Wales’s biggest lakes.

“The team and I are training hard already but I’m sure as always the weather and route we are taking will throw up a few surprises!”

This is the latest in a series of adventures led by Karl; in recent years he and fellow Cambria staff have completed the Skye is the Limit Challenge, the Welsh Three Peaks and the Crazy 7 for Stepping Stones North Wales and collected more than £1,000 for Menstrual Health Project (MHP) by completing the Cairngorm 4000s, a three-day hike across 4,000ft+ mountains in Scotland’s eastern highlands.

He and lecturer Paul Standring also conquered the four-day Freezing Fingers expedition in bleak, wintry conditions over the Rhinogydd mountain range in Snowdonia.

This time, the Cambria cohort will begin at the tip of Bala Lake before paddling in teams of two for more than 6km. They will then walk to Lake Vyrnwy, including a 700m woodland ascent over difficult terrain.

After camping for the night, the pairs will return to their kayaks for another paddle, this time around the perimeter of the lake in extremely cold and windy conditions, which will take up to three hours.

“We are fortunate to always receive so much support for our charity escapades, and I’m sure this time will be no different,” said Karl.

“It’s going to be cold, wet, incredibly windy and risky at times, but we will be well prepared and ready to take on whatever comes our way.

“We are doing this for Dementia UK, an incredible organisation that does so much good for people all over the country – thank you in advance for helping us to help them.”

Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nursing charity that is there for the whole family. Its nurses – known as ‘Admiral Nurses’ – provide free, specialist advice, support and understanding to anyone affected by the condition, whenever it is needed.

Every day, Admiral Nurses help people affected by dementia have the best life possible for as long as possible. They are there when people need them most, providing health advice, offering compassionate emotional, and psychological support.

Joanna Sullivan, Head of Community Fundraising, Events and Innovation at Dementia UK, said: “We are so grateful to Karl and his colleagues at Coleg Cambria for taking on this inspiring challenge for Dementia UK.

“One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime – either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both. It can be exhausting and overwhelming, not only for the person with dementia, but also for the people caring for them, and their wider family and friends.

“Thanks to the hard work of our amazing fundraisers like Karl and his colleagues, more families than ever will be able to access the life-changing support offered by our Admiral Nurses.”

PUPILS and teachers at a village school wood like to thank Coleg Cambria for a generous donation.

Mike Ward, a Carpentry and Joinery lecturer at Cambria’s Bersham Road site in Wrexham, has spent years designing and building furniture, planters, sheds and more for educators across the area.

This time it was the turn of The Rofft School in Marford, which has a unique outdoor learning environment for the Explorer Nursery and Reception and Resource Provision thanks to the talented tutor and his students.

Mike has created a classroom complete with seating, a gazebo, shelter, a reading den, stage, activity boards for the learning support unit (LSU) and an array of timber facilities welcomed by staff and children.

“These are some of the most recent additions and we also built several items last year, including wigwams, fences and a shed, so this was stage two of the project,” he said.

“It was a pleasure to be able to help as outdoor learning is so important – I’m glad they like it and hope the children enjoy their lessons in this new space.”

Teacher Emma Roberts thanked Mike and the college for their help over the years.

“The children, staff and parents at The Rofft School are delighted with the support we have received from Coleg Cambria in helping us develop our outdoor learning environments,” said Emma.

“They have completely transformed them and literally brought the children’s ideas to life!”

She added: “Without their support we would not have been able to provide the large-scale structures that the children asked for and now use daily.

“We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to tap into the skills of the fantastic tutors and students at Coleg Cambria, we now have a fabulous provision for the children to develop a wide range of literacy, numeracy and topic-based skills.

“We hope to continue the partnership to further enhance the outdoor learning environments across our Progression Step departments, which will also give their learners the opportunity to use the skills they’ve learned in college in a real environment – they have been able to make a huge difference in the community.”

The Rofft School’s next project will be a kitchen garden, and Mike and the team are already busy making planters and coming up with fresh ideas for the space.

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for more news and information from Coleg Cambria.

For more on The Rofft School, visit the website: Home | The Rofft School.

A COLLEGE nursery had an ‘Excellent’ start to the academic year with an outstanding inspection result.

The report by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) and Estyn deemed Toybox Children’s Nursery, based at Coleg Cambria Deeside, to be Excellent in three categories – Wellbeing, Care and Development, and Leadership and Management.

The news comes after the much-loved facility was a finalist in the Setting of the Year category at last year’s Early Years Wales Awards, and having revamped its outdoor play area, which features safety surfaces, fencing, wooden furniture and equipment.

With more than 90 children and 35 staff on-site, Toybox is one of the most popular nurseries in north east Wales.

Manager Ann Johnson said: “We are obviously delighted with the outcome and as always will strive to raise the bar even higher in the years ahead.

“I would like to say a big thank you to our amazing team, and to all the parents and carers who support us, none of this would have been possible without you.”

She added: “The challenge now is to maintain and build on the positive feedback, and recommendations, which will ensure an even happier, safer and inspirational environment for the children.”

Inspectors also found Toybox to be ‘Good’ in three categories – Learning, Teaching and Assessment, and Environment – and the nursery has been invited by CIW and Estyn to prepare a case study on its work and commitment in forging close links and working in collaboration with parents and carers.

The report added: “Children of all ages communicate successfully in their own way and practitioners respond to them expertly. They have warm, close relationships with practitioners and receive a high level of support and comfort if needed, which helps them to feel safe and valued.

“Practitioners are kind, caring and supportive, and interact with children in a calm and gentle manner. They use positive behaviour management strategies, which are highly effective. This creates a positive, happy, calm and engaging atmosphere.

“Practitioners have a strong sense of purpose and understand their roles and responsibilities well. Leaders are extremely effective in their roles and have created an inclusive and welcoming environment, which ensures that children are nurtured and cared for well.

“The setting’s engagement with parents is outstanding. They hold regular play and stay sessions and parents are fully included in the organisation of the setting. Communication is excellent and, as a result, parents are well informed and feel included.”

For more information, visit Toybox Children’s Nursery website Toybox Nursery | Your Local Nursery (cambria.ac.uk) or Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ToyboxNurseryDeeside.

Alternatively, call 01978 267159 or email toybox@cambria.ac.uk.

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for more from Coleg Cambria.

STUDENTS are on track for careers in music following an inspirational visit to Spain.

A group of Sound Engineering learners from Coleg Cambria Deeside spent two weeks in Barcelona as part of an education and research programme.

In partnership with international careers organisation NexGen, based in the Catalan capital, the trip gave them access to experts in the sector and guidance on how to “take the next steps after college”.

Lisa Jansen from NexGen said: “We explored their skills, including what they are good at and what they enjoy doing, then they developed ideas on what the market needs before going into detail and putting together and presenting business models.

“We try to tailor every programme to the needs of the college and learning group, and we organised visits including to a local festival and to a sound engineering school, which included talks and an introduction to the industry, as well as interesting discussions on future challenges such as AI (Artificial Intelligence).”

The students also had an opportunity to go sightseeing and visit landmarks including Barcelona Zoo, the beach and to see the city from the air on a cable car ride.

Student Tash Bradshaw enjoyed the experience and said: “We came on this trip to learn more about music and gain new skills to further our careers, but it has been so much more than that and brought some of us out of our shells.

“We have also explored different cultures, and it’s had an impact on us overall as people.”

Fellow learner Cory Robinson added: “We learn a lot of technical skills in college so to look at setting ourselves up in business and how to break into the industry was very useful and will give us the knowledge to do that in the future.”

Cambria’s Curriculum Director of Technical Studies Julie Guzzo joined them in Spain and said the close links forged with NexGen and partner organisations overseas will continue to add value to the students’ educations.

She added: “As a college we are looking to provide more and more of these opportunities, to show the learners what is out there for them and that as a college our reach and place in further education in the UK and internationally is growing all the time.”

For the latest news and information on Coleg Cambria, visit the website: www.cambria.ac.uk.

Visit the website www.nexgencareers.co for more news and information from NexGen.

THESE are the first images of a groundbreaking new £230,000 college Esports arena.

The cutting-edge facility has been built at Coleg Cambria Deeside and is one of only a handful of further education gaming complexes in the country.

Lisa Radcliffe, Assistant Principal for Technical Studies, said state-of-the-art equipment and technology – including 36 YOYOTECH high-spec stations featuring the latest I7 Intel processors and RTX4070 graphics cards – secure Cambria’s position as a pioneer of Esports education in the UK.

“Our aim at Deeside was to create a gaming hub and centre of excellence for our current and prospective students,” said Lisa.

“Alongside this, the development will support the strategic aims of the college by widening access and becoming fully inclusive, helping to increase participation for learners that may feel disengaged or at risk of being NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training).

“This will all enhance our course programme with leading external stakeholders, creating and contributing to our local community.”

The college’s own Esports squad – Cambria Chimeras – were victorious in the Apex Legends Spring Cup earlier this year, defeating opposition from across the country, including college and university teams.

Esports is a booming multi-billion-dollar sector, and learners have already received visits from talent scouts representing some of the world’s top gaming organisations and professional teams, such as Excel Esports.

Lecturer Lauren Crofts said there are exciting times ahead for the Esports programme.

“The Esports course has been hugely popular over the last few years and grant investment has seen the introduction of the two new gaming arenas, one of which will be a Sim Racing performance area.

“The other gives us more room to look at Shoutcast live media streaming, to develop other skills and game creation, utilising the space and introducing state-of-the-art technology, as well as taking Esports into local primary and secondary schools to explain the wide range of careers out there in this industry.”

Lisa added that the college’s partnership with YOYOTECH – a company at the forefront of the UK gaming revolution, installing and managing bespoke Esports arenas and selling high-end PCs – will only grow as the industry continues to boom.

A YOYOTECH spokesperson said: “After first meeting with Lisa her passion and drive to enhance the learners experience at college was infectious. Together we identified an opportunity to build upon and grow their existing Esports provision to accommodate their expanding course programme.”

The PCs at Deeside have been paired with MSI pro gaming peripherals to help learners compete at the top of their game, alongside AOC 27” 165Hz gaming monitors.

The space has been optimised with two separate desk designs, complete with LED edge lighting and PC locking shelves, with a divider which can split the facility into two to allow separate gaming competitions, lectures and workshops.

“It is an incredible set-up, one our existing students will love, and definitely a USP for those looking to join us in the years ahead,” said Lisa.

For more information on Esports at Coleg Cambria, visit the website: www.cambria.ac.uk.

A LEADING light in animal therapy held a workshop for students and zookeepers at a popular wildlife park.

Matthew Shackleton, a Chester-based veterinary physio, zoo consultant and animal care practitioner at Coleg Cambria Northop, discussed and demonstrated lameness and enrichment devices at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Branton, near Doncaster.

Joined by Cambria’s Animal Care Coordinator Richard Morrilly, they conducted a morning of theory on physiology and how to spot locomotive illnesses – which restrict quality of life and movement – and solutions on how to prevent them.

Also in attendance were learners from Lincoln College’s Animal Management programmes.

“It was a really good day, we covered a lot and were able to come up with bespoke, practical solutions for the animals while there on-site,” said Matthew, who owns Shackleton Veterinary Physiotherapy in Upton.

“After discussing locomotive illnesses and diseases – focused on four species, including lionesses and giraffes – we began designing enrichment devices that would encourage certain movements or exercises as animals can face a series of issues, notably arthritis.

“Evidence suggests if practices are detrimental to the animal, it can accelerate deterioration, so encouraging other behaviours can keep that at bay.”

He added: “Cambria was a great support in providing tools and resources for us to do this, and all in all it was a very useful and informative day, hopefully the first of many at zoos and wildlife parks nationwide.”

Matthew is one of the UK’s leading animal physios having worked with zoos in Chester, London, Paignton and more over the last decade.

Richard said having him work with Cambria is a USP for its suite of Animal Management and Animal Care courses, and in turn for wildlife settings across the country.

“Matthew is one of just a small group of people in the UK doing this, so it’s a privilege for us to have him on board,” he said.

“Being a part of the day and helping to create devices in the animals’ own environments was fantastic and will play a big role in enriching their day to day lives.

“We’ve had great feedback already and hope to visit other zoos and wildlife parks in the near future, for the educational value it brings and importantly because it has such a positive effect on the health, happiness and wellbeing of the animals.”

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for the latest news and information from Coleg Cambria.

For more on Yorkshire Wildlife Park, visit the website: www.yorkshirewildlifepark.com.

Visit Shackleton Veterinary Physiotherapy here: Shackleton Veterinary Physiotherapy | Pets | Zoo consulting | Training (shackletonvetphysio.com).