The talented soap makers at HMP Eastwood enjoyed a bumper day at the Gloucestershire WI’s AGM last week.

They sold their entire stock of 100 bars of Eastwood Soap before lunch-time at the event held at Cheltenham Town Hall.

Eastwood Soaps produces a range of luxury and novelty glycerine soaps, handmade by the women at HMP Eastwood Park Prison. The women enrol on a four-week craft and retail course, and once they are trained in soap-making they get the chance to make some of the luxury soap, which then goes out for retail sale.

The soaps are sold by three retailers:

• Berkeley Castle (GL13 9PJ)
• Leyhill Grounds Coffee Shop (GL12 8BT)
• Jail House Café, The Verne (DT5 1EQ).

To find out more about Eastwood Soaps, click here

Students and staff at Weston College have been busy raising money for chosen charities as part of their annual Raising and Giving (RAG) week.

Compared to 2018’s total of £3,600, the combined effort managed to raise an incredible £5,900 for mental health charity Young Minds and local organisation Weston Hospicecare.

Across the week, money was raised through a number of different ways including talent shows, cake sales and an entire day of fancy dress. From sponsored silences to Gecko inspired haircuts, each department also arranged a fundraising event for students and staff to get involved with.

Uniformed Public Services students rowed the equivalent distance of the 24 highest mountains in the world and Inclusive practice students managed to travel 475km (the distance from London to Paris) by walking, running and rowing throughout the week. The Computing department managed exciting events such as Beat Sabre on the VR, a Golf chip challenge and a Nerf gun firing range, raising a total of £1,400 as a department.

Weston College Principal and Chief Executive, Dr Paul Phillips CBE commented: “The atmosphere across campus is always vibrant and full of positivity during RAG Week. This annual fundraising event is a fantastic opportunity for our learners to contribute to our community and raise aspirations by helping others. Yet again our staff and learners went above and beyond and, as ever, bucked the trend.”

After receiving a cheque from Dr Paul, Simon Angear from Weston Hospicecare added:

“Weston Hospicecare is once again enormously grateful to all staff and students at Weston College for their fabulous efforts on our behalf during RAG Week.

“We love hearing about all the different activities held to raise money, and were bowled over by some of the creativity displayed in some of this year’s events.

“Community support is vital to the hospice, and this wonderful donation from Weston College will play a big part in helping us continue to care for our patients across Weston-super-Mare and beyond.”

A massive thank-you goes to all of the staff and students for their generosity and dedication to raise such an amazing amount for some brilliant causes.

Please see below the list of winners for the RAG week awards 2019.

Most Innovative Fundraising Idea

Dungeon and Dragons Escape Room Challenge - Will Price and Jon Barnett (Engineering and Computing)

Best Use of Digital

Sponsored Silence Communication Through Assistive Technology – Zoe Benton, Paul Kelly, Lorna Whitford (Extension Studies)

Most Money Raised by a Staff Member

'£891.16 - Cameron Lyes (Engineering and Computing)

Most Money Raised by a Student

Super Smash Bros Tournament £126 – Tom Jory (AEC Faculty)

Most Money Raised by a Faculty

£1,400 - Faculty of Engineering and Computing

Outstanding Commitment to RAG

Gecko Inspired hair cut - Rob Heaton (Sixth Form)

Best Dressed Faculty

101 Dalmatians – Management Information Systems

Best Challenge

Mountain Rowing Challenge - Uniformed Public Services

Best Event

Extension Studies Talent Show – Faculty of Inclusive Practice

The 12 winning bids by colleges and universities, which will share £170m, have been announced by the Department for Education today.

A Weston College-led application to create an ‘Institute of Technology’ (IoT) is one of those winning bids and will now progress to the pre-award stage.

The application, which will potentially receive £14m of government funding, is a consortium of education providers and key employers across the South West. It has been led by Weston College and includes the University of the West of England, Bath College, Gloucestershire College, and Yeovil College as well as a network of key local employers, including; GKN Aerospace, Airbus, GE Aviation, Renishaw, Weston Area Health Trust, St Monica Trust, Jisc, Mayden Academy, National Composites Centre (NCC), North Somerset Council and Tech OP Solutions.

The Government’s aim for IoTs is to offer an alternative to universities by specialising in delivering higher level technical training in STEM subjects. This will boost young people's skills and provide a route for students taking T levels or A Levels to move onto higher level technical education; IoTs will also cater for those people already in work, with higher level technical training at Level 4 and above in STEM subjects. IoTs will set all learners on a path to high-skilled, high-wage careers in health and social care; advanced engineering and high-value manufacturing, and the creative, digital and high-tech industry sectors.

This combined foundation of expertise will extend learning beyond physical boundaries to maximise engagement of under-represented individuals through digital innovation. The next generation will be fully equipped to apply their skills increase productivity and position the region as the ‘creators and makers’ of the future.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, commented: “We are thrilled to have received this news. Working collaboratively with other institutes and employers is key, and the Government have recognised that this project will significantly influence skills development and innovation on both a regional and national basis.”

Professor Jane Harrington, Deputy Vice Chancellor & Provost UWE, Bristol said: “This is fantastic news for the region with the potential now to have a genuinely joined up approach to skills development and training.”

Laurel Penrose, Principal and Chief Executive of Bath College said: “This is a brilliant opportunity for current and future students of Bath College as well as a national vote of confidence in the quality and commitment of the College and its staff to be part of this nation-wide initiative.

“It is fantastic to be part of such a rigorous and innovative process working with other FE and HE establishments developing appropriate qualifications in liaison with employers.”

Tim Bowles, Regional Mayor commented: “This is fantastic news for our region. Our region’s new Institute of Future Technologies will attract more learners to higher education from under-represented groups in technical and higher education, addressing the emerging skills gaps in our economy. New learners will benefit from the technical skills and training programmes that will be provided by the institute – helping them into high skilled jobs in the West of England.”

Prime Minister Theresa May said: "These new institutes will help end outdated perceptions that going to university is the only desirable route and build a system which harnesses the talents of our young people."

Find out more about the West of England Institute of Technology