Twelve Public Services students have been making a difference in the community by taking part in the One Hour Tidy project.

As part of the Kinder Colleges initiative, students are encouraged to become more active within the community and be kinder to the planet. 

The students worked alongside Keighley Big Local’s Shaun O’Hare, a council community warden and a local environmentalist to collect litter from around the college and along Dalton Lane.

Set up by Keighley College tutor, Mark Hargreaves, in collaboration with the Keighley Big Local, the project is a contribution to the national programme, the Great British Spring Clean.

As a result of the project, the students collected 16 refuse bags of litter, an old tyre and a fire extinguisher.

Mark organised the project in a bid to raise awareness of environmental issues amongst students.

“As aspiring public servants, our students can learn a great amount from working with members of the community. Projects like these give our students vital real-life teamwork and communication experience, which will also help them to complete their qualifications. 

“Keighley College strives to be a positive force for change within the community, therefore we have a duty to the environment and showcasing the importance of this to students. The feedback from the students was fantastic – they all really enjoyed the activity and learnt valuable communication skills.”

The college is planning many upcoming community projects, including planning a walking route for the Worth Valley Walking Festival, which is designed to raise environmental, physical and mental health awareness in the area.

“We will also be involved in some tree planning with the Environment Agency as part of the biomimetic flood reduction initiatives in the Aire Valley.”

Take a look at the Public Services courses here.

Keighley College is putting wellbeing at the forefront of its agenda by launching a new initiative, Kinder Colleges.

In a bid to promote wellbeing across the college, the programme encourages students and staff to become champions of kindness by participating in wellness activities across the district.

Underpinned by six key themes: Kinder to Self, Kinder Relationships, Kinder to the Planet, Kinder Spaces, Kinder Business and Kinder Communities, the inclusive project aims to enhance awareness of social responsibility and inspire good wellbeing practice among the college’s staff and students.

Steve Kelly, Principal at Keighley College, said: “The pandemic has been incredibly tough for our staff and students, however it allowed us time to reflect on the importance of wellbeing. It has been touching to see our community come together to support each other during challenging times, and we’re committed to embodying this culture of kindness within the college.

“Kinder Colleges is focused on inspiring students and staff to become active citizens with the community, which might be seen through volunteering, planting trees or random acts of kindness. We’re encouraging our learners and colleagues to let us know about the outstanding work they’ve been doing by tagging #KinderColleges on social media.

“As a college, we work closely within the community to undertake volunteering, charity work and fundraising, and we’re excited to see the rollout of similar activities as part of this initiative.”

More information on Kinder Colleges is available by visiting keighleycollege.ac.uk/kindercolleges. 

Twelve Public Services students have been making a difference in the community by taking part in the One Hour Tidy project.

As part of the Kinder Colleges initiative, students are encouraged to become more active within the community and be kinder to the planet. 

The students worked alongside Keighley Big Local’s Shaun O’Hare, a council community warden and a local environmentalist to collect litter from around the college and along Dalton Lane.

Set up by Keighley College tutor, Mark Hargreaves, in collaboration with the Keighley Big Local, the project is a contribution to the national programme, the Great British Spring Clean.

As a result of the project, the students collected 16 refuse bags of litter, an old tyre and a fire extinguisher.

Mark organised the project in a bid to raise awareness of environmental issues amongst students.

“As aspiring public servants, our students can learn a great amount from working with members of the community. Projects like these give our students vital real-life teamwork and communication experience, which will also help them to complete their qualifications. 

“Keighley College strives to be a positive force for change within the community, therefore we have a duty to the environment and showcasing the importance of this to students. The feedback from the students was fantastic – they all really enjoyed the activity and learnt valuable communication skills.”

The college is planning many upcoming community projects, including planning a walking route for the Worth Valley Walking Festival, which is designed to raise environmental, physical and mental health awareness in the area.

“We will also be involved in some tree planning with the Environment Agency as part of the biomimetic flood reduction initiatives in the Aire Valley.”

Take a look at the Public Services courses here.

Keighley College is putting wellbeing at the forefront of its agenda by launching a new initiative, Kinder Colleges.

In a bid to promote wellbeing across the college, the programme encourages students and staff to become champions of kindness by participating in wellness activities across the district.

Underpinned by six key themes: Kinder to Self, Kinder Relationships, Kinder to the Planet, Kinder Spaces, Kinder Business and Kinder Communities, the inclusive project aims to enhance awareness of social responsibility and inspire good wellbeing practice among the college’s staff and students.

Steve Kelly, Principal at Keighley College, said: “The pandemic has been incredibly tough for our staff and students, however it allowed us time to reflect on the importance of wellbeing. It has been touching to see our community come together to support each other during challenging times, and we’re committed to embodying this culture of kindness within the college.

“Kinder Colleges is focused on inspiring students and staff to become active citizens with the community, which might be seen through volunteering, planting trees or random acts of kindness. We’re encouraging our learners and colleagues to let us know about the outstanding work they’ve been doing by tagging #KinderColleges on social media.

“As a college, we work closely within the community to undertake volunteering, charity work and fundraising, and we’re excited to see the rollout of similar activities as part of this initiative.”

More information on Kinder Colleges is available by visiting keighleycollege.ac.uk/kindercolleges.