While getting involved in volunteering can help you develop a large number of transferrable skills which are vital to being successful with job applications, getting involved with volunteering can do much more for you that just provide something for you to add to your CV...

A series of studies has proven that volunteering has a positive effect on your mental health too, one study even finding that volunteering is the best activity for improving your mental health.

This is because volunteering helps you feel more socially connected as it usually involves working as part of a team towards a common cause. This in turn makes you feel happy and wards off loneliness and depression.

If you are feeling stressed or you feel generally undervalued, getting involved with your local community can be beneficial to help improve your mental health.

Weston College launched its annual Creative Arts Summer Show last week, showcasing work from further and higher education students.

Students and staff from across the Creative Arts faculty came together to put on a spectacular opening night which saw around 1,500 visitors view the students’ work and watch a variety of music performances in the sunshine.

There was also street food and refreshments available on opening night, encouraging people of all ages to visit the show with their families.

Hundreds of students from across the Creative Arts faculty are participating in the event, which showcases work from art and design, media, music, performing arts and many more course areas.

Farhath Siddiqui, who studies FdA Film and Media Arts Production at UCW and has made a vlog about the event, said: “This is my fifth Summer Show and they get better and better every year.

“It is so nice to see everyone come together to showcase their work, and also just have a good time, chill and celebrate our achievements on opening night.”

Sarah Clark, Creative Arts Head of Faculty, added: “I would just like to thank and congratulate all staff and students involved in the Creative Arts Summer Show 2017.

“Opening night was a huge success with no issues and overwhelming positive feedback and words of support from visitors.”

The show is currently still open to the public until Thursday 22nd June, between 10.30am – 4.30pm on weekdays.

The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership Joint Committee has agreed £8.7 million in funding for two Weston College projects.

UPDATE TO ARTICLE – Both brand new facilities have since opened. Click here to visit our facilities page.

The College will now be able to create two new centres which will focus on teaching skills in key priority sectors for the West of England.

£3.3 million will be put towards creating an Construction Training Centre, and a further £5.4 million will go towards creating a Health and Active Living Skills Centre. These new centres will address a number of skills shortages in the local area, as well as creating jobs and benefitting businesses. The Health and Active Living Skills Centre will be community-focused and seek to improve health and wellbeing across Weston and North Somerset.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said: “This announcement confirms our intention to now enhance construction skills, health, wellbeing and fitness across North Somerset.

“Our facilities, including the Winter Gardens and university centre development will provide state of the art learning and resources across a range of qualification levels and sectors, meaning that local people will benefit from unprecedented access to learning opportunities including degrees.

“These new centres will give us the complete resources to meet the growing demand for these skills across the region, particularly in terms of Hinkley Point C.”

This announcement comes at the end of a successful month for Weston College, which saw its higher education provision, University Centre Weston, graded Gold under the Teaching Excellence Framework – putting it above many Russell Group universities and among the top 20% of university-level education providers in the country and on par with Oxford and Cambridge universities.

Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, said: “Through the Local Growth Fund the Joint Committee can approve projects that will deliver much needed infrastructure. North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and the wider region will benefit from these projects approved today to improve skills in engineering, construction and health.”

Professor Steve West, Interim Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Approval for these projects show that we can work together to make the West an attractive option for business and industry. These are important steps in ensuring that we have the right skills in the right sectors coming through for the long term.”