At Harrogate College, we pride ourselves on creating a nurturing, kind and progressive environment for our students, staff and wider community. 

As part of our commitment to providing life changing opportunities by working with the community, we’re passionate about supporting those in society who are disadvantaged, including refugees. 

Across the globe, millions of refugees have fled their countries as a result of war, violence, conflict and persecution. 

According to the UN Refugee Agency, 84 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide. 4.4 million of these people are asylum seekers, and 26.6 million are refugees. 

Statistics show that as of mid-2021 within the UK, there were 135,912 refugees, 83,489 pending asylum cases and 3,968 stateless people. 

These staggering statistics demonstrate the large proportion of refugees and asylum seekers who have fled to the UK, and often face many challenges as they try to rebuild their lives. 

How can we help?

There are many ways in which we can make a difference to refugees living in the UK. 

The best way to show your support is by getting involved with organisations who provide advice and help to those who need it. 

Here is a list of the top five local, regional and national charities and organisations that you can support.

1. The Harrogate District of Sanctuary

The Harrogate District of Sanctuary is a charity that aims to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for refugees and asylum seekers in the district. They are committed to challenging negative stereotypes and discrimination through positive action. 

Get involved by becoming a volunteer or donate to the charity here. 

2. Harrogate Clothes Bank

Harrogate Clothes Bank supports refugees and asylum seekers with free clothing.  If you would like to donate clothing, take a look here.

3. Solace

Solace offers psychotherapy to refugees and asylum seekers across Yorkshire and the Humber. Specialising in trauma and persecution, its practitioners provide talking therapy to individuals, families and children.

Solace has options to either leave a gift in your will, set up regular donations or submit a one-off donation.

4. British Red Cross

The UK’s largest provider of services for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants. The organisation is dedicated to ensuring people find safe and legal routes to new countries and provide essential aid.

Show your kindness by discovering local volunteering opportunities or gaining work experience.

5. Safe Passage 

Safe Passage is a charity that works across Europe, particularly in the UK, to ensure unaccompanied refugee children, who are at risk of trafficking and abuse, find safety and security after arriving in the UK. They have helped nearly 2,000 children to date. 
You can donate here.

Harrogate College unequivocally condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the terrible suffering and loss of life it is causing.

We stand in solidarity with all of the Ukrainians who are enduring this war, including the millions who have been forced to flee their homeland and seek refuge in other countries.

As an education provider, we cherish the principles of diversity, inclusion and tolerance that are at the heart of democratic societies which respect the dignity of the individual and freedom of thought and expression.

Indeed, tolerance, kindness, inclusivity and respecting others are some of the college’s core values – values we strive to live by as we go about our task of delivering life-changing opportunities through quality education.

It is such values, however, that authoritarianism and its consequences, of which this unprovoked invasion is a shockingly stark example, seeks to destroy. 

We are also painfully aware that this crisis is far from an isolated event. Instead, it is the latest – and from our European perspective, due to its proximity and severity, most shocking – example of a wider and ongoing pattern of conflict that has created refugees around the world. 

Whenever such crises arise it is vital that we respond with compassion and conviction, while continuing to uphold and defend our values.

And so it is now when we realise that many parts of the college, and wider, community are being affected by the events in Ukraine and will need our support. That includes our Russian students, many of whom will be opposed to the war, and all of whom – of course – have a right to feel respected and safe.

In terms of what we are doing specifically, the college:

• Is providing information and advice resources, including details on how to support refugees, via its Student Information Hub.
• Has held an Ice Coffee for Ukraine event to help UNICEF support victims of the invasion. This is one of several fundraising activities that are being organised by the students’ union which has also started a campaign, Us Against War.
• Looking into how we can support one or our students, Kinga Goldsmith, as she coordinates local efforts to collect and transport items for Ukrainian refugees to Poland.

Hospitality students from Harrogate College have enjoyed an educational tour of Rudding Park.

Fifteen hospitality students were guided around the luxury hotel, and given an insight into its catering facilities and procedures, by Chef Consultant Stephanie Moon.

The March trip was organised to prepare the students, who have all secured roles with a variety of local employers, for a work experience week while enriching their studies.

Perfect preparation for work

Harrogate College’s Cultural, Contemporary and Heritage Studies Programme Manager, Jason Parry, said: “This was a great experience for our students, and good preparation for their work placements.

“They were given a welcome toast and then, as part of the guided tour by Stephanie, shown various suites including the impressive ‘home cinema’ room.

“We were also shown around the multiple kitchen and food production areas which are used to produce food for the entire site. These led to the amazing kitchen gardens where we saw a variety of food being grown to sustain the kitchens – and a few of our more adventurous students tried some of the more unusual plants!”

A resilient industry

Harrogate College, which runs a range of hospitality and professional cookery courses,  has been working closely with local businesses to help the sector recover from the impact of the pandemic and repeated lockdowns.

That effort has been strengthened through  the creation of the Harrogate College Employers’ Network, which launched in 2021.

So the visiting students and staff were pleased to hear encouraging news on that front from Rudding Park’s leadership team.

Jason added: “We finished the tour with some inspirational talks by key members of the management team, who shared their love for the industry and the opportunities it can provide.

“They also shared their post-Covid plan for recruiting and retaining staff, which really shows how the industry can meet the current needs of the employees’ market. This is a real win for our students and the industry, showing its post-pandemic resilience.”

Harrogate College Level 3 Art & Design students have been working in collaboration with Fountains Abbey to address and highlight the urgent environmental issues being faced by the Skell Valley, with a series of art pieces.

The Skell Valley Project is part of a wider project in partnership with the National Trust and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Harrogate College, who have been working with Fountains Abbey for over 15 years were part of sixteen organisations that came together to deliver the latest art project, which will create a sustainable future for the Skell Valley.

The students’ art pieces, on display at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, covered four overarching themes: landscape is resilient, nature thrives, people are empowered, and heritage is celebrated.

Annabel Smith, Programme Manager, MA Creative Practice at Harrogate College said: “Our Level 3 students used to create a poster as a project for Fountains Abbey once a year. This year, the organisation offered us a new opportunity with a new brief to create a piece of work that helps visitors engage with the Skell Valley Project.

“This project has moved our students forward considerably as it was a live project where Fountains Abbey came to visit the college and discuss why they needed our students to work with them. 

“It gave students an opportunity to work with different media and materials, while giving them the chance to try out new techniques and processes – as well as venturing into exciting new creative places. 

“The project has also prepared them for their Final Major Project, and for potential projects they will encounter at Higher Education.

On 8 March, people all over the world come together to celebrate International Women’s Day. This day highlights the struggles of gender equality and brings people together to help combat this.

It’s a chance to take action, and raise awareness of the economic, political and social achievements of women across the world. 

What is the theme this year? 

Bias and discrimination has held women back for centuries. This year’s official theme is #BreakTheBias, which looks at how we can collectively break the bias and misconceptions in the interest of creating a gender-equal and inclusive world. 

Examples of these biases are reflected in a recent gender social norm survey, which revealed that almost half of participants feel men are superior political leaders and more than 40% believe men make better business executives. 

You can get involved with the #BreakTheBias campaign by sending in photos of you with crossed arms as seen in the below image, or taking a selfie with one of the pledge cards, which you can download now to show your support.

Events

Students at Harrogate College are encouraged to take a #breakthebias photo for Instagram and tag @harrogatecollegesu.

As part of Green Month, learners can sign up to a webinar on Wednesday 9 March at 12pm, which will be based on making an impact with career choices. The speakers will inspire students of any age or gender to align their careers with personal goals.

Inspirational women

As part of the celebration, we asked women at college about who they admire.

Who inspires you and why?

Holly Hansen-Maughan, Partnerships and Development Manager: “My mum, who brought me up as a feminist and taught me so much about educating yourself. She’s worked hard her whole life and never conformed; I’m really proud to be her daughter.”

Megan Hawkswell, Student Enrichment Coordinator: “Hannah Jackson, more commonly known as the Red Shepherdess, is my inspiration. She’s a sheep farmer who has created her business from scratch in an industry which is still male dominated. 

“She inspires me because she is unapologetically vocal about causes she cares about; she promotes sustainable farming and local food, regularly speaks to school children about developing female leaders of the future, and shows how women can succeed in agriculture.”

How can we help to break the bias in education?

Holly: “We need female authority and leadership shown in education. Although many women work in education as role models, the majority of leaders are male; a pattern reflected across the UK in all sectors.

“In education, we must have more female leaders as role models. We need to break the bias around authority being male, and work with learners to understand any unconscious bias. We all have these unconscious biases around gender roles, which impacts the judgements we make every day. If we work harder to break this bias, we will make a real positive change.”

Megan: “Education needs to empower all students – if students of all genders leave education knowing that gender shouldn’t hold them back, they’ll feel confident to stand up to discrimination. In turn, our future leaders will then be empowered to prevent bias and value diversity.”

Take a look at the International Women’s Day resources here.

Two students studying a Master’s degree in Creative Practice at Harrogate College have wowed members of the community at their final year exhibition.

Presenting their work at Hopewell Studios in Knaresborough, Gill Owen and Helen Hopper showcased their journey of studying at Harrogate College.

Friends, family and guests were invited to attend the show, alongside the Mayor of Harrogate, Trevor Chapman, and his wife. 

The exhibition, named ‘Thrown Together’ tells a story of two adult learners who started their journey with a day course at the college, where they decided to broaden their subject knowledge and technical ability. Due to their infectious enthusiasm and undeniable talent, they both secured places on the Creative Practice MA.

Self-guided research was at the heart of the programme, which allowed Gill and Helen to follow their interests and challenge their own methods of practice. While both studying ceramics, they focused on different aspects and disciplines within the diverse field.

Gill focused her work on sustainable and locally-sourced materials, producing hand thrown forms.

“Although the past few years have been difficult and challenging due to the pandemic, which forced us to adapt and refocus on many occasions, the course has been an incredibly rewarding experience. We’ve experimented in different creative media with skilled tutors in the field of printmaking and photography, alongside our ceramics research.

“We have learnt a great deal about ourselves, each other and the generosity of the pottery community and their craft.”

Helen focused her work on the sculpture and manipulation of the thrown form.

The final year show was an inspiring celebration of their work, research and what has developed into a great friendship.

Now their studies are complete, Gill has taken on the role of technician in the college’s ceramics department, while Helen is considering further development of her practice in exploring glass.

The pair have also set up their own studio space at Spa Studios.

A guaranteed interview is awaiting anyone who signs up to a new three-day electrical course at Harrogate College.

The college is teaming up with local power supply firm APS to host the 18th Edition – Requirements for Electrical Installations BS 7671:2018 course in March.

The [re]boot course, which is free to applicants who meet certain eligibility criteria, will focus on how to interpret and comply with the 18^th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations.

Everyone who completes the short programme will be offered an interview with APS.

A great chance to get a foothold in a booming sector

Deputy Head of Department at Harrogate College, Les Potter, said: “This course is a great chance for anyone with experience of working in the electrical field to keep their skills up to date.

“It’s also a brilliant opportunity, for everyone who completes the course, to secure a guaranteed interview with APS.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the company on this and look forward to welcoming the participants.”

The course runs from Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 March, with the end-of-studies exam taking place at 1pm on the final day.

It is suitable for anyone with electrical installation experience, and can be accessed for free* if the candidates are:

• aged 18 or older
• live in Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield of York
• employed or have been recently made unemployed due to the pandemic
• not currently enrolled in education or training

For more details or to book a place send an email to @alison.kwan@my.leedscitycollege.ac.uk.

*The 18th Edition – Requirements for Electrical Installations BS 7671:2018 course costs £500 for other applicants.
This project supports Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) all-age careers and inspiration campaign, #futuregoals, by providing relevant content and practical courses to address the skills shortages in our region. [re]boot is part-funded by the European Social Fund.

Students at Harrogate College are set to turn March ‘green’ as they lead a month of environmentally -focused local events.

The college has set up all kinds of activities, ranging from wildflower planting and an art exhibition to a climate café and educational webinars, for its first ever Green Month.

Keen to push ahead with its commitment to environmental action (as outlined in its Sustainability Pledge), the college is also urging the local community to get involved.

The green activities will kick off with a presentation on sustainable technology, plus a litter pick, on Tuesday 8 March.

Harrogate College’s Partnerships and Development Manager, Holly Hansen-Maughan, said: “We were delighted to host the launch event for Harrogate’s first Climate Action Festival last year.

“The festival proved to be a real catalyst for environmental action both for ourselves and the wider community, and our Green Month is the latest example of that.

“We have worked hard to put together a schedule that includes something for everyone and a number of events that are open to residents as well as our students and staff.

“We hope to see lot of people taking part, both to make a difference and to find out more about how we can all work together to secure a more sustainable future.”

As part of its collaborative and employer-focused approach, the college has teamed up with several local businesses and organisations for Green Month.

They include Techbuyer and Ortial, who will be holding a discussion on Sustainable Technology and How It Affects You.

Social impact company Too Good To Go, meanwhile, will explain how they connect businesses with people in need so they can put their surplus food to good use, instead of going to waste.

The Harrogate District’s schools, colleges and sixth forms will also be involved as pupils and students are being invited to design a poster, or piece of art, that will inspire positive environmental action.

For dates, times and more details on all of Harrogate College’s Green Month activities visit harrogate-college.ac.uk/partners/green-agenda/.