I’m Libby Heath-Tavener, and I’m one of the Quality Managers here at Weston College. Lauren Rogers (Exams Administration Co-ordinator) and I are very involved with supporting LGBTQ+ at the college through the EDI committee and part of the ‘LGBTQ+ Inclusion Group’.

On Friday, 24th February, we ran an information, support and celebration stall for LGBTQ+ at Knightstone campus reception for staff and learners. There was information about the LGBTQ+ community from key terminology, to the support that is available, as well as a sign up to our LGBTQ+ learner societies and Staff Proud Allies society. There was also a raffle to raise money for one of the college’s key charities (voted for by the Students Union): Young Minds. We were able to raise £404.90 and we’re so thankful to everyone who donated!

I believe it is crucial to have initiatives such as these within the college, as it is integral for visibility. There is so much diversity, with so much to celebrate, but this is not always visible. The stall and celebration during LGBT History Month is our small way of showing visibility, growing support and connection, as well as helping people understand how to be allies. I’m hopeful that this will increase the awareness of the community, as well as how to be inclusive and friendly in our communication, interaction, and our view of the world. We want to show there is a community here, and it is proud!

Diversity is a fact and inclusion is an act- everyone should try and be upstanders and allies for marginalised communities. We need to celebrate the invisible and make it visible to build belonging- in college and in society.

If you would be interested in getting involved with similar initiatives in the future, staff can join the ‘Proud Allies’ Teams group to share any ideas and ask questions they may have. Learners can join the LGBTQ+ society for similar resources and opportunities. For anyone with big and bold ideas, they can contact myself or Lauren Rogers directly who are key leads for LGBTQ+ at the college, working on behalf of the EDI committee!

You can find resources for support, below.

Weston College's Holly has been shortlisted for the UK Skills Competition Diversity Champion award, sponsored by the Education & Training Foundation, for her outstanding work in promoting inclusivity in education at HMP Portland.

As an inclusive practitioner, Holly challenges and changes the culture by recognising the diversity of all learners and creating a space where all learners can engage and have their voices heard. In a prison environment where many learners have learning difficulties or are members of minority groups, Holly has implemented aspirational education and skills projects  that represent these various groups in the prison, creating an inclusive learning environment.

Holly's dedication to inclusivity has broken down barriers and created opportunities for learners from all backgrounds to engage in dialogue and feel comfortable. Her efforts resulted in the first-ever PRIDE event in Portland Prison, which saw over 270 staff and learners sign up for allyship.

The Worldskills UK Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards celebrate the work of individuals who support diverse and inclusive practices in the workplace, personal life, or classroom. The nominees' passion and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion have inspired the awards panel, making selecting category winners challenging.

Weston College is very proud of Holly and the difference she is making in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. The overall winners will be announced on 23rd February 2023.

We spoke to Sue Kingman who is the Corporate Fundraising Manager at Weston Hospicecare, about the work that we do together and the impact that this has, not just for learners at Weston College, but also for the patients at Weston Hospicecare.

Weston Hospicecare cares for over 2,000 people a year in the local community with a life limiting illness and their families. We need to raise £4.5 million every year through fundraising to provide all our services and my role is to encourage business support towards this.

I started working with Weston College 2 years ago and our relationship is very important to the hospice.

We initially started working together on the Business Enterprise Project, which is a superb project that allows learners studying Business at Weston College, the opportunity to start and run a business, whilst raising money for Weston Hospicecare.

The learners are put into small teams, and given a business mentor, who supports them throughout the project, and helps them to develop valuable skills for their careers.

It was recently announced that this year the learners managed to raise £5,170 which is a superb effort, and one that we are all so grateful for.

We are now starting to work with the college on other exciting projects too, and we are really looking forward to expanding the relationship and playing an important role in the development of more learners across the college provision.

A big thank you to Sue, and the team at Weston Hospicecare.

Find out more about Business courses at Weston College, by clicking here.