Weston College’s female rugby academy has made history by winning the Rosslyn Park National 7s Cup at their first attempt.

This was the first time the College has entered a side in the competition and provides evidence of the growth and investment there has been in female rugby over the recent years. It was an outstanding achievement and one that far surpassed the expectations of players and staff. However, this was also fully deserved for the player’s efforts throughout the season and the outstanding performances they produced on the day.

After an early leave on the Friday morning the girls arrived for their qualification match against Welsh opponents Gower College. Weston hit the ground running and had soon scored four tries by half time. They continued the scoring in the second half and eventually finished 44-0 winners which saw them qualify for the main half of the draw. This group also contained Pembrokeshire College and four-times winners Ysgol Dyffyryn Aman. Both these games were much more tightly contested with Weston winning the first 28-0 and then scoring a last minute try to defeat Ysgol Aman. These wins saw the first bit of history made that day with the girls becoming the first ever Weston College team to make to the knock-out rounds of this prestigious tournament.

In the quarter-finals, the girls came up against their biggest challenge yet and played against Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege from Belgium. Despite losing two key players to injury, the girls held on and finished 17-15 winners to set up semi-final contest against Epsom College . This proved to be quite the challenge with the opponents racing to a 10-0 lead in double-quick time. However, Weston replied with some of the best rugby of the day, scoring three unanswered tries to win 21-17.

In the final, Weston produced another outstanding display of hard work, team spirit and ruthless defence, which allowed Amy Coles to score four tries which saw them crowned champions.

This success highlights the great work being done towards female rugby and sport in general in the region. Looking forward, this is looks set to be the first of many great achievements on the national stage.

Lois Bird, captain of the Weston team, said: “It feels surreal to be a national champion. We went expecting to win two or three matches, and didn’t even imagine being in the final.

“This win is huge for girl’s rugby in the area. Somerset is a really big part of girl’s rugby and for Weston College especially, to get that win is going to draw more people in.”

Team Coach and Sports Academy Assistant Manager, Jack Gadd, said: “The girls only had one specialist 7s session a week, for five weeks, in preparation for the tournament, which makes it an even greater achievement”

“Seeing the bond between the players grow was probably the most important part for me – as well as seeing rugby at its purest and history made by winning the cup for the first time.”

The girls’ victory has been achieved just in time for the unveiling of the College’s bespoke facility, the Health and Active Living Centre (HALC), where sport and health-based courses will continue to thrive and grow. Boasting state-of-the-art equipment, these facilities will benefit learners and will also be available for the public to hire.

Jack added: “I think the new facilities will enable us to continue to grow our strong sports provision. Just having a place to call home with outstanding facilities, both indoor and outdoor, will offer lots more to our learners.”

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said: “The Health and Active Living Centre is a major, multi-million pound investment from Weston College and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.

“But even before these facilities open, our young people are winning national awards. It’s just been a pleasure to see our women’s rugby team achieve absolute excellence. The Health and Active Living Centre is just part of one huge facility now for the people of Weston-super-Mare, for the students and for everybody who wants to get involved in this fantastic project.”

Congratulations to Lois, Harri, Sophie, Lottie, Chloe, Amy, Courtney, Meg and Elise for the massive achievement. Many thanks to all of the staff who aided the team and helped them to achieve.

Every year, around 14,000 military personnel leave the forces.

Many will have worked ‘hands-on’, operating in challenging, high-pressured settings that demand teamwork, leadership and project management skills.

When you consider these qualities are also in great demand within the construction industry, it suggests a natural fit for many ex-servicemen and women, who often struggle to find suitable employment when they leave the forces.

The case is even more compelling when you consider that, by 2021, the construction sector will need to find 157,000 new recruits to keep pace with demand – according to The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

But while logic is undeniable, comparatively few military personnel make the transition to a construction career. One of the main reasons is that not enough is being done to ex-servicemen aware of the opportunities available.

The construction sector offers huge choice in terms of the roles and career paths available – particularly to those who already possess the fundamental qualities required.

This particularly applies to the Somerset and Bristol area, which will be home to a number of nationally significant developments over the next decade.

Currently, over 26,000 people are employed in the building and construction trades in the West of England – and this figure is set to rise by 14% by 2020.

The biggest growth will be in the plumbing and electrical installation sectors, which will see a big boost due to projects such as Hinkley Point C and the electrification of the main train lines between London and Bristol.

And Weston College is in a prime position to enable former military personnel to adapt the abilities they’ve honed in the forces, fill these skills gaps and start on the path to a rewarding and successful career in construction.

Firstly, our facilities are second to none.

In April we opened our state-of-the-art Construction Training Centre – a purpose-built facility that provides specialist training in plant operations, groundworks, scaffolding, forklifting and logistics.

We also boast the South West Skills Campus. This is a high-technology centre with classrooms, workshops and labs that offer industry-standard equipment to give you the hands-on experience you’ll need to progress into the industry.

And our construction-related courses provide the perfect opportunity for ex-servicemen to re-train, with clearly defined career paths and progression routes, whatever your level of knowledge and experience.

As well as those offered at the Construction Training Centre, programmes range from bricklaying and DIY to construction in the built environment, engineering and carpentry – at a variety of levels.

The College also offer the industry-standard health and training courses that everyone working on a construction site needs – including the H&S Awareness and CSCS Labourer Card.

We have outstanding links with construction businesses throughout the region and beyond, which gives you a head-start in the employment market once you’ve finished your training.

And we understand how daunting it can be to take your career in a different direction. That’s why our outstanding staff are always on hand to give you the support, advice and guidance you need to make an informed decision about course and career path that suits you.

One of our former students, Kevin, chose to retrain as a plasterer after leaving the army and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He says the support and guidance of staff helped turn his life around and allowed him to start his own plastering business, which also raises money for injured army personnel.

Kevin said: “I’d always struggled academically and suffered a number of problems after leaving the army, so it was a huge achievement for me to gain this qualification. Weston College has helped me move on and I can’t thank the staff enough.”

You can take a closer look at our courses and facilities on the construction section of our website, or the dedicated Construction Training Centre site. You can also apply for any of our construction courses straight away through these websites.

If you have any questions, call 01934 411 411 or drop us a message.

Bread and pastry professional Harrison Poole will be leading the next masterclass at the School of Food.

Harrison is Commis Chef at Bakers & Co – a café-come-restaurant on Bristol’s Gloucester Road. He’s worked with Albert and Michelle Roux, who are regarded as the godfathers of modern restaurant cuisine in the UK; cooked for renowned British food writer and critic Tom Parker Bowles; and holds two AA Rosettes (an accreditation for culinary excellence).

Here, Harrison talks about his education and career … and offers some expert advice to potential chef apprentices.

“I have always been interested in cooking. I studied art at college in London and then moved to Bristol. I enrolled on an NVQ Level 2 Professional Cookery course while working in The Town House in Whiteladies, Bristol, where I became an apprentice.

“After I finished my apprenticeship I moved back to London where I worked with Albert and Michel Roux at the Lanham Hotel. I was there for 12 months and learned all about French cuisine under two legendary chefs. I loved working there and learned so much.

“I moved back to Bristol and worked in various cafés and restaurants, including Wilson’s. Here I cooked for Tom Parker Bowles when he reviewed the restaurant for The Times.

“I finally ended up at Bakers & Co, which serves quality brunch, seasonal lunches and colourful suppers alongside coffee, fresh juices and natural wines.

“I manage the bakery and am responsible for the baking of all the bread, cakes and pastries. I also make fresh croissants, Danish pastries and bread daily.

“I love cooking, because everyone needs to eat and it’s an essential skill to have. There’s always something new to learn and it’s such an exciting career path to take. It’s also allowed me to work with and meet so many people many whom are now good friends.

“I would say to potential apprentices that there will be difficult times during your apprenticeship, and things will go wrong. However, working as a chef builds resilience and makes you a stronger and more confident person.”

You ‘knead’ to check out Harrison’s Instagram page – @pooleharrison

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