Weston College was yet again celebrated for its sustainability work, being asked this week to participate in a very special tree planting ceremony to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III.

The planting of the red oak tree donated to Somerset by Buckingham Palace, took place on the King’s 75th Birthday (14th November) being planted in the Sensory Garden at Vivary Park by the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Mohammed Saddiq, assisted by the Chair of Somerset Council, Councillor Mike Best, and Somerset’s three recipients of the “Tree of Trees” of which Weston College was one (in addition to Bishop Fox’s School in Taunton and The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in Somerset).

The College was gifted its special tree, (which formed part of the ‘Tree of Trees’ giant sculpture outside Buckingham Palace, to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022), for its collaborative tree planting work for the Queen’s Green Canopy project, and work to engage students, staff, and the community in this impressive UK wide green initiative.

Somerset’s Lord-Lieutenant, Mohammed Saddiq, said:

‘Today has been a very special occasion indeed and a lasting memorial to an important moment in our history,’ with Jacqui Ford the College’s Interim Principal adding:

‘We were thrilled to receive a legacy tree from the iconic Buckingham Palace sculpture, for our work to cascade the important biodiversity message behind the Queen’s Green Canopy project - and for our students and staff to be asked to assist in such a special tree planting this week in Vivary Park, to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III has been a real honour.

We have some incredibly rewarding and fulfilling jobs in prison education, and would love for you to join our fantastic team! 

Our aim is to deliver an outstanding and inclusive learning experience to support the successful rehabilitation, resettlement, and employment of offenders on release. 

Weston College have been providers of prison education since 2011, The College - rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted – now provides nationally recognised qualifications and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities to thousands of offenders. 

Our delivery focuses on transformational learning and raising aspirations – changing learners’ perceptions of education and ensuring that education packages meet the needs of offenders when they complete their sentence. 

The College is committed to helping a new generation of offenders to gain skills which will help them to find employment after their release. To achieve this, we deliver nationally recognised qualifications – including diplomas and NVQs – in all our prisons and provide the highest standard of quality in all our teaching. 
 
We are looking to appoint high calibre, enthusiastic and talented professionals. Successful candidates can be supported to establish new or changed careers via teacher training and CPD initiatives. 

Find out more information, and book a call with our recruitment team, by clicking here! 

Weston College is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £29,995 by Arts Council England to deliver 'The Open Door Project' at HMP Channings Wood – a Category C men's prison located near Newton Abbot, Devon, where the College is the Prison Education provider. This transformative project is set to run throughout 2024, with the aim of providing arts and creative experiences to prisoners, along with potential routes into employment, through collaborative partnerships with local artists and arts organisations.

Key highlights of the project include:

• An Arts Festival in January 2024 - the project will kick off with an Arts Festival, showcasing the creative talents of the learners. This event will enable learners to try out different art/creative forms and techniques and give feedback on which ones they would like to explore further, as part of the prisoner-led collaborative process.
• In-Prison Workshops - throughout the year, a series of workshops will be organised within the Library and Arts Centre at HMP Channings Wood. Local artists and arts organisations including printmakers from Double Elephant Print Workshops, willow sculptors from Weird Sticks Community Interest Company, creative writers and performers from the Outsiders Project, and contemporary ceramist Lili John, amongst others, will collaborate with each learner to nurture their creative skills and provide guidance.
• Touring Exhibitions - the artwork created by the learners during the workshops will be displayed in touring exhibitions at various local partner venues including Cockington Court Centre of Creativity, Torre Abbey Museum, MAKE Southwest, Newton’s Place, and Exeter Quay Custom House. This not only highlights the creative potential of the learners but also fosters a sense of connection with the wider community.
• Weston College’s Creative Summer Festival - as part of these touring exhibitions, learners' work will feature at the Weston College Festival next summer, celebrating their achievements and the transformative power of the arts.

Kate Linden, Arts Lecturer at HMP Channings Wood, who is spearheading this inspiring initiative commented: “The Open Door Project is a unique opportunity for prisoners to explore their creative potential, connect with their community and gain valuable skills that can lead to employment opportunities upon their release.“

Weston College is committed to supporting 'The Open Door Project' and is excited to be a part of this transformational journey for the learners at HMP Channings Wood. As the project progresses, we will release more information on the dates and times of these future events so people can enjoy the creative outputs.