This October, we are proud to celebrate Black History Month by honouring the rich history, culture, and contributions of Black communities. As part of our ongoing commitment to inclusivity, we are not only focusing on this important month but also standing for equality and justice all year round. 

The theme for 2024 is "Reclaiming Narratives," a call to action to actively stand against racism by amplifying marginalised voices. Through this theme, we aim to create a future rooted in equality and justice, supporting the empowerment of those historically under-represented. 

Event Spotlight: Black History Month Annual Forum 

As part of this year’s celebration, Louise invites students, staff, and the wider public to attend the Black History Month Annual Forum in Weston-Super-Mare on Thursday, 17th October, from 4-8pm. This event, hosted in collaboration with Race Equality North Somerset, is designed to uplift the local community and advance anti-racism through powerful stories and discussions. 

What to Expect at the Forum: 

1. Engaging Speakers: Hear from experts on topics including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (EDI), sports, health, well-being, intersectionality, and entrepreneurship. 
2. Community-driven Change: Get involved in discussions that push for meaningful progress and real impact. 
3. Networking & Performances: Connect with like-minded individuals and enjoy spoken word and musical performances. 

We invite everyone to join in celebrating Black history, get involved in community-driven change, and contribute to the ongoing fight for equality. Together, we can create a future that reflects justice and inclusion every day. 

How to Get Involved: Attend the Black History Month Annual Forum on 17th October. To secure your place or learn more, please visit Black History Month Annual Forum WSM 2024 'Reclaiming Narratives' and show your support by donating here!  

This incredible event is free and open to all. 

Weston College welcomed over 700 local people to the Winter Gardens, for their first open event of the year, What Next?

A key date in the calendar, ‘What Next?’ is one of the biggest events of the year, showcasing so many opportunities for year 11 students, and this year’s event did not disappoint.

Attendees had the opportunity to find out more about their potential career pathway; from meeting Weston College staff from all faculties, to speaking with a wide range of employers.

Some of the employers that attended the event included Bristol Airport, Thatchers, Lloyds Bank, the Royal Air Force, the Military of Defence and many, many more. They chatted to the students and parents about what they had to offer and discussed the opportunities and career prospects available to them in their line of work. 

One employer, Thatchers, offers great talent programmes and apprenticeships for students in multiple different areas to broaden their skillsets and encourage them to pursue their careers.

Thatchers Head of Talent Development, Stephen Penfold, said ‘Weston College has put on a fantastic, showcase event which gives us, as employers, the opportunity to speak to young people about how they develop their careers and inform them about our wonderful opportunities at Thatchers.

For young people, it gives them the chance to understand what direction they may want to take their careers in, but it also gives them the chance to speak to real people and really bond with businesses and colleges alike.

The world is growing and evolving and the opportunities for them have grown immensely over the last few years, so giving showcase events like ‘What Next?’ really gives them the chance to engage across all levels, talk to people, and think about opportunities, but also realise what they don’t want to do that they originally thought they did. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us, and for them.’

Not only did the event offer amazing employers, but also outlined each of the Weston College Careers Excellence Hubs to give students a better understanding of what the different courses have to offer. Whether you fancied Early Years, Creative Arts, Construction or Engineering, or any other course for that matter, there were a bunch of lecturers at each stall to provide you with all the information you need and answer any queries you may have had. 

If that wasn’t enough, there were even bookable Inspire Talks available for a more in-depth discussion about specific pathways such as A Levels, T Levels, Supported Internships (SEND), Apprenticeships and Traineeships, and Professional and Vocational courses. These talks outlined the key information regarding the chosen area, and also opened the floor to the participants by answering any questions at the end. These talks were extremely popular and helped students and parents gain a better understanding of what they can expect when they start college next September. 

Overall, ‘What Next?’ was an outstanding event filled with a range of interesting curriculum and professional opportunities for young adults to browse and discuss their future.  

Weston College’s next open event is taking place across all campuses on 9th October, you can book your place, by clicking here.

Welcome to Thatchers Farm

Down on the family farm we are all slightly obsessed perfectionists, making cider with nothing but love. That’s why we don’t just grow 8 types of apple, we grow 458, and turning those juicy apples into a refreshing pint of cider is a craft we’ve have spent four generations perfecting.

As a family company, we’ve have been working in partnership with nature for 120-years. From planting new orchards using regenerative farming methods, to enhancing biodiversity with wildflower areas – or even building a 4m high, 5-star hotel for nature in an acre of wildlife haven, we’re committed to looking after the land around us.

Now, as we enter our fifth generation of cider makers, and with a business firmly rooted in nature and the environment, we’re constantly thinking about future generations. We know that if we want to be here in another 120 years, we need to take care of the environment and our people today.

Looking after the environment

We’ve planted over 158,000 trees since 2010 and will plant 13,000 more next year. We’ve added beehives to every orchard, and with help from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, we’ve made sure our orchards are bee friendly.

Every one of our ciders is made using 100% renewable electricity including power from the 3,500 solar panels on Myrtle Farm. Even the apple left over once the juice is squeezed is turned into green energy or used to feed local cows.

In the mill, new technology has just been installed which captures all the CO2 created in the fermentation process which is then used as bubbles in the cider.

We’re constantly reviewing our packaging too, from being the first to replace plastic rings with sustainably sourced card in 2016, to using lighter cans and saving the equivalent of a whopping 5.9m cans a year. We’ve even changed the way we wash our kegs and fruit, reusing and recycling water to save consumption, and have switched to electric forklifts and LED lights.

We’ve recently opened a new warehouse that is fully automated. That means work can happen in the dark and under one roof, delivering great efficiencies and power savings. It has also reduced vehicles movements.

The next generation

Planning for future sustainability doesn’t stop with the environment. We also need the right people with the right mindsets to ensure we’re here for another 120 years.

It’s why our apprenticeship programme is so important. It’s where we grow the future skills, talent and behaviours that we’ll need as we go forward.

Pairing with Weston College allows us to really focus on local, young talent. It means we can grow young careers alongside the business and the local economy. And as we move into the next generation, with Eleanor Thatcher recently releasing her first cider in Juicy Apple, our new apprentices will grow alongside her too.