Last week, the Winter Gardens hosted a fantastic Ramadan event to celebrate Iftar, the breaking of fast, where anyone was welcome to attend. With lectures, speeches, prayers, songs and lots of delicious food—it was unmissable and a great way to bring the community together and enrich people in the culture.

Ramadan is a month-long celebration of the Quran where Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours; this is known as fasting. Fasting allows Muslims to focus on their faith and remember the month that the Quran was first presented to the Prophet Mohammed. Ramadan takes place on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which changes every year depending on the moon cycles, but this year, it began on Friday 28 February and will end on Sunday 30 March.

At the Winter Gardens event, the evening commenced with a recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by captivating performances by Birmingham’s Nasheed group, Shaam. Aishah Ahmed from Aishah’s Food Charity, the organisation behind this event and the provider of the heaps of fantastic food, delivered an inspiring speech, highlighting their efforts and the importance of the event. This was followed by a lecture on the significance of Ramadan and a prayer before the sunset and the attendees broke their fast, indulging in the delicious spread.

Aishah’s Food Charity prepared trays of food for each table, including roast chicken pieces, vegetable pakora, vegetable samosas, lamb, chicken and vegetable biryani, Dall soup, and baklava for dessert.

This charity was set up by Aishah Ahmed, a 21-year-old Law student who wanted to help reduce hunger in Weston-super-Mare by setting up a hot meal foodbank every Wednesday evening to help those in need. She wanted to follow in her dad’s footsteps, Sayd Ahmed, who has a long reputation for similar work in the community. All the food was delicious and packed with flavour and heart which everyone in the room enjoyed.

In order to immerse our students in this religious occasion, our Level 2 Hospitality and Catering learners assisted in the preparation of some of the food. During a workshop with local business owner, Syed, our students learnt how to make chicken biryani and vegetable pakora, focusing highly on the spices used. They even got to attend the event themselves to enrich themselves in the culture and gain a better understanding of Ramadan, as well as assisting in serving the dishes to the community.

The evening continued with other speeches from influential people from around Weston-super-Mare, lessons surrounding breaking the fast and the end of the fasting period, and concluding with a final performance from Nasheed by Shaam Group and closing ceremony remarks.

This event had over 500 attendees from in and around Weston-super-Mare, welcoming everyone with open arms to learn about their religion and celebrate this event with the community as a whole. With delicious food, amazing company, and fantastic music, this event was a great way to celebrate Ramadan and Iftar, experiencing the cultural traditions and educating everyone about its importance.

A big thank you to Aishah’s Food Charity for organising this event and allowing our Hospitality and Catering students to be a part of it.

This workshop forms part of the Hospitality and Catering Careers Excellence Hub. Weston College's Career Excellence Hubs are designed to be the launching pad for our learners' careers. In a world where connections and relevant skills matter more than ever, these hubs offer a holistic approach that prepares learners to thrive in their chosen industries. With the support of these hubs, our learners are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their professional journeys.

If you’re interested in applying to one of our Hospitality and Catering courses, click here.

Weston College was honoured to welcome Professor Debbie Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and her team, for an insightful visit this week. As a recent appointee to the role, Professor Prentice brings a wealth of experience from the USA and was keen to deepen her understanding of the UK education system, particularly about regional challenges, barriers to progression, and student aspirations.

During her visit, Professor Prentice and her team engaged with college staff to discuss the socio-economic barriers faced by students in the local area and explored the extensive work already being done to raise aspirations, support attainment, and encourage progression. A guided tour of the College showcased key facilities, including those within Creative Arts, Sport, and Health, as well as the Sixth Form, providing a comprehensive view of the educational environment and resources available to students.

Weston College Principal and CEO, Pat Jones led the visit with the Vice-Chancellor, offering insights into the unique challenges and opportunities for students in the region.

A highlight of the visit was a student discussion session over lunch, where a group of Year 12 Sixth Form students, alongside those who had secured Oxbridge offers this year, shared their perspectives. This provided the Cambridge University team with a first-hand account of the aspirations, experiences, and challenges faced by students considering applications to prestigious universities like Cambridge.

This visit signified a commitment from the University of Cambridge to better understand and support students from diverse backgrounds. It also highlighted the dedication of Weston College to fostering academic excellence and ensuring that every student can achieve their full potential, regardless of background or circumstance.

Our Principal Pat said: “We were delighted to host Professor Prentice and her team; we look forward to working collaboratively to enhance opportunities for students in our community.”

If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College here. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career.

Hi, I’m Lola, and I am a Senior Maternity Support Worker Apprentice (the senior healthcare support worker apprenticeship on the maternity pathway). This is my first professional role in the NHS, as I previously completed Innovate and UHBW Traineeship courses at Weston College which helped me develop soft skills to start in this role.

Some of my roles and responsibilities within my apprenticeship include: 

• maternal and neonatal observations 
• catheter and cannula removal/care
• heel pick blood sample on neonates 
• breastfeeding/feeding support 
• escorting patients to various hospitals and appointments 

The list could go on and on!

I’d say my favourite part of the job is the relationships you build with the patients. When you can just give somebody that listening ear and offer that emotional support, especially postnatally at 3am when it’s needed most. It’s those little moments where you can make someone’s experience just that bit better.

Some of the main skills I have learned during my apprenticeship so far are interpersonal skills and communication skills when speaking to colleagues and patients. I have also learned technical skills within the role such as observations, taking out cannulas and catheters (very satisfying to take out), and showing empathy when working with exhausted mothers.

The traineeship I completed helped me by giving me exposure to the world of the NHS through the 6-week placement in St Michael’s Hospital, which helped me to see what was needed to be successful in this industry. I also underwent dedicated sessions to develop employability skills which helped me get the apprenticeship, as well as sessions ran by industry experts regarding health care and UHBW specifically. At the 2024 Business Awards, I won the Health, Sport & Community Partnership Award - watch my video from this below!

My tutor (Laura Trace) provided support every step of the way, with every concern I had, and helped me believe I was able to do it. My assessor (Jenny Gamlin) provided me with experience backed advice and guidance due to her own work history in the field and her knowledge of the apprenticeship itself in preparation for my transition into the apprenticeship.

I have 16 months left of my L3 SHCSW apprenticeship. Once completed, I want to move onto a degree midwifery apprenticeship programme with the view of becoming a fully qualified midwife.

To anyone who is interested in pursuing this career, I would say there will be rough patches that are exhausting and emotionally draining (a big struggle within healthcare), so just make sure you speak up and ask for support, and you’ll come out of the other side. I would also like to give a special thanks to Gareth Brock (who I started at Weston with in innovate) who I was too scared to talk to in the beginning, but has been extremely supportive, as well as Laura Trace (TRA tutor) for listening to all of my anxiety induced ramblings, and Jenny Gamlin (my assessor) who now listens to my healthcare/NHS struggles. In other words, I wouldn’t and couldn’t have done it without them!