A multi-million pound plan to create a brighter future for Weston-super-Mare's Winter Gardens has been approved by North Somerset Council.

Weston College will create a new Law and Professional Services Academy at the seafront site, while restoring the iconic ballroom to its former glory.

It is hoped this project will be the catalyst for bringing significantly more students to the town, and will play a key role in the council's bold plans for a prosperous, modern and vibrant town centre, in which learning plays a pivotal part.

In 2015, councillors agreed to transfer the landmark building to Weston College as part of the council's continued support and match funding for the delivery of the new Academy.

The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership has earmarked nearly £15 million for the project.

Redevelopment and modernisation of the building will include replacing part of it with a new two-storey extension containing lecture theatres, seminar rooms, meeting and conference spaces, offices and associated facilities.

The historic 1920s pavilion, ballroom and other parts of the Winter Gardens will be repaired and refurbished, and will remain available for wider community use.

Dr Paul Phillips OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: "I am delighted that North Somerset councillors have granted planning permission for this exciting development.

"We were approached by legal companies who wanted to establish a law and professional services academy in the area.

"This facility will meet the needs of employers and continue to raise Weston-super-Mare's reputation nationally as a centre of excellence for education and training.

"I also hope it will make a significant contribution towards the regeneration of the town centre, and also secures a brighter future for this prominent building which will once again become a jewel in Weston's crown."

North Somerset Council Leader, Cllr Nigel Ashton, said: "The expansion of further and higher education is central to our ambitious vision for the future of the town as a centre for the best of urban living, learning and lifestyle.

"This flagship project is a unique opportunity to inject vitality into the town centre through attracting new talent and a greater diversity of people to live in Weston, while addressing local skills gaps and creating new jobs at the same time.

"We really welcome the College's proposals to give a new lease of life to one of Weston's landmark buildings which will continue to be an important facility for the local community."

The Winter Gardens is due to be formally transferred to Weston College in spring 2016.

Once the funding from the West of England LEP is confirmed, work will begin in the hope of opening the new academy later in 2016.

A University Centre Weston (UCW) student will graduate this weekend despite having suffered from throat cancer for much of the academic year.

John Byrne kept up with his studies while receiving treatment for the disease and has now earned a BSc (Hons) degree in Counselling.

Along with more than 500 other UCW graduates, he will receive his degree at a ceremony at the Conference Centre in Weston on Saturday (24th September).  

The 51-year-old was diagnosed with cancer in November and immediately underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and complications made him so unwell that he was put on a life support machine for ten days.

Thankfully, John is now well on the road to recovery having been in remission since March.

He said: “I was doing my reading for the course and working on a laptop in hospital because I didn’t want the cancer to take my degree away from me.

“At times it seemed like an impossible task, but I received so much support from my family and friends and everyone at UCW that I was determined to keep going.

“I’m so pleased that I will be able to graduate as planned with everyone else on my course.”

John was unable to attend lectures due to stays in the Bristol Royal Infirmary, Weston General Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

So his lecturers on the degree, which is delivered in partnership with Bath Spa University, provided course materials and feedback to help him persevere.

UCW Counselling lecturer Barbara Feldtkeller said: “John has been such an inspiration to the tutor team at UCW and his peers on the course, I hope he has a really enjoyable and memorable day on Saturday.

“His diagnosis a few weeks into the beginning of the programme came as a shock to all of us, but he was determined to carry on, so we just kept supporting him.”

John, who grew up in London, earned further education qualifications from Weston College before enrolling on a two-year higher education Foundation Degree with UCW in 2013.

He now plans to study for a Master’s degree in Counselling after completing the one-year top-up to earn full Honours.

24% of UCW students graduating with full Honours have earned First Class degrees, and the overall pass rate is 94%.

Of the students on the BSc (Hons) Applied Computing course, which is delivered in partnership with UWE Bristol, 47% will graduate with First Class Honours.

Students from Weston College’s Education, Health and Lifestyle faculty have donated 430 Easter eggs to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children’s play unit.

The donation follows a faculty competition which saw the College’s Early Years, Health and Social Care, and Sport and Public Services departments go head-to-head to collect as many eggs as possible in 10 days.

The Health and Social Care department won the competition by collecting a total of 220 eggs.

Delyse Taylor, Subject Area Manager for Weston College’s Health and Social Care courses, said: “It was an amazing team effort from the staff and students who got behind the competition.

“The inspiration to make a difference for the children at the hospital was a huge motivation, and the students were delighted to be able to present the Easter eggs last Friday to the staff in the play unit.”

Weston College is promoting volunteering opportunities to its students and staff with the goal of 2017 hours of volunteering to be pledged across the College this year.

If your organisation has volunteering opportunities it would like to advertise within the College, contact zoe.ashman@weston.ac.uk