Aspiring Paralympian Emily Holder is aiming for two ‘gold medals’– in fencing and in business.

The Harrogate College student may  only be 17 but she is already near the very top tier of wheelchair fencing, with National Championship medals – among others – for England to her name.

Emily, who made her debut for Great Britain last November at the IWAS wheelchair fencing World Cup in Pisa, Italy, now has her sporting sights firmly fixed on breaking into the Paralympic team and winning a medal.

She has also been flying high in her Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma in Business – despite having to contend with pandemic-related interruptions and a recovery period following surgery – which she will complete this year.

The challenges of chasing ‘two careers’

Juggling the two workloads has been far from easy, especially when having to travel to Milton Keynes regularly for her key training sessions, but it is a challenge she is enjoying.

She said: “This course has been a good choice for me and in terms of the college being flexible to let me continue my fencing and training, it’s been really great.

“The staff have been very helpful and understanding. Although we haven’t been going to too many things, because of covid, when it has come to me having to take time to attend training and fencing competitions they’ve been really good, on the understanding that I just need to make sure I get the work done. Which, to be fair, I always do!

“I also use a little bit of sport psychology, in terms of setting goals and deadlines, envisioning positive outcomes and that sort of thing, to help with my studies.”

Emily has cerebral palsy and the level of her mobility varies depending on how much chronic pain she’s experiencing and her spasticity (muscle tightness) and dystonic (involuntary muscle contraction) levels. She often uses a crutch but on good days can manage without it, and also has an electric wheelchair.

For her fencing she uses a specialist sports wheelchair which costs £4,000, and which the athletes have to pay for themselves, as the female GB team receives virtually no funding support. 

Her fencing gear – including two different blades, a foil and an épée, a mask, gloves and more – is also expensive so her participation has required a major investment in money, and time, from her family.

A model student – and an inspirational dad

The dedication she has shown to both her studies and fencing has led tutors at Harrogate College to hail her as a ‘fantastic role model’. Course leader David Gaunt added: “Emily is very conscientious and always prioritises her grades.”

Her love of business was inspired by the example of her father, who has proven to be very useful when it comes to her fine-tuning her coursework.

She said: “He’s been a great help as I can run things by him to see if they make sense in the real world too, because theory’s often very different from practice.

“I’ve always been aware that I need to commit myself to both things, my fencing and my studies. Some of my teammates, the Paralympians, only fence but they’ve always said to me ‘don’t just rely on it, you have to try to have two careers rather than one’.”

Emily’s interest in competitive sport began in 2013, when she was just nine, after attending a disability sports festival and deciding to pursue swimming and fencing.

She eventually chose to focus on fencing as that would give her a better chance of one day becoming a Paralympian.

Focused on competing at the highest level

She said: “Fencing is a really niche sport anyway, and when you add disability to the mix it’s tiny. There are only four competitive female GB wheelchair fencers in the entire country!

“Paris, in 2024, may be my first chance to compete in the Paralympics in a team event, but LA in 2028 is maybe a bit of a more realistic goal.”

Emily, who lives in North Rigton, started off at Harrogate Fencing Club but now does the majority of her training in Milton Keynes while also using online coaching plus facilities at Durham, York and Bath.

As for her studies, she is aiming to take up a Business Management or Human Resources course at university later this year, and has already had three offers. She has also been gaining some valuable work experience at Portakabin’s York base.

Anyone who would like to support Emily’s fencing by sponsoring her can do so by sending an e-mail to emilyholder43@yahoo.com.

For more information about wheelchair fencing visit britishdisabilityfencing.co.uk/.

Harrogate College students have enjoyed a tasty start to 2022 – by tucking into pizza at an ideas sharing event.

The Students’ Union organised a Student Voice Pizza Party on Wednesday 12 January as a fun way of encouraging students to air their views on college life. The party was also a way of thanking class representatives for the previous work they have done to collect and share feedback.

The Student Voice system ensures that students at Harrogate can influence their experience at college.

Here are some recent examples of measures the college has introduced in response to students’ feedback:

Students said: “Could we have a peer support system so it’s easier to find out about mental health services?”

The college responded: Great Idea! Students can sign up to be a wellbeing champion now.

Students said: “How can we make sure student achievement is recognised?”

The college responded: We’ll be making sure there are student awards every term.

Students said: “Some students aren’t sure if they are eligible for funding.”

The college responded: We’ve arranged drop-in sessions where students can speak to someone about their eligibility.

Students said: “I want to join the LGBTQ+ space but would prefer it to be online.”

The college responded: There’s an online LGBTQ+ space for students now.

Students said: “We’d like somewhere we are able to play our music without being disruptive.”

The college responded: We added a music space to the enrichment timetable.

Students can share feedback or ideas for college events by emailing hcsu@harrogate.ac.uk or speaking to their class rep, who can pass it on.

Harrogate College prides itself on working hand in hand with local businesses and organisations to provide the skills and training they need to ensure that our economy grows and thrives. Our monthly newsletter is a handy way of keeping our partners informed of developments at the college.

Business Newsletter – December, 2021 Dear Partners, Welcome, as we start a new year full of exciting fresh opportunities, to our monthly newsletter. Harrogate College prides itself on working closely with businesses to provide an employer-led curriculum, and on helping to provide the green skills training that will be so crucial to our economy as we transition to a more environmentally supportive model. So we are proud to focus, in this month’s edition, on a new course that we are launching this month, which is focused on what is becoming an ever more important part of the sustainability toolkit – retrofitting. Our securing of Department for Education funding to run a retrofit course follows on from our key role in helping the Harrogate district stage its first ever Climate Action Festival last year, and reflects our commitment to both the green skills agenda and the local construction industry. We also have a number of Harrogate College Employers’ Network events to look forward to as we progress into the new year, and seek to consolidate our ties with our local business partners while exploring new opportunities. I hope you enjoy the read and look forward to working with you throughout 2022. Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College —————————– Leading the way on green skills with our Retrofit course We are delighted to be launching a specialist new course, Foundations of Eco-Retrofit, that is designed to give local construction industry members a route into the ever-growing energy efficient homes market. Run by experienced retrofit contractors and experts from not-for-profit organisation, People Powered Retrofit, the two-day course is focused on helping small businesses and sole traders build on their existing knowledge and skills so they can carry out eco-renovation works. Those taking part will also benefit from meeting other local businesses, gain insights into how to stay up-to-date with the latest green building techniques, and learn how to find new retrofit opportunities. Harrogate College’s Partnerships and Development Lead, Holly Hansen-Maughan, said: “We are proud to be launching such a progressive course, and one that has been tailored to help those working in our local construction industry get ahead of the curve and be part of the green recovery. “This is a great example of how all of the excitement and networking which arose from last year’s Harrogate Climate Action Festival is translating into concrete action and movements towards positive change.” The first course takes place in January over two days, Saturday 22 and Saturday 29, and runs from 10am to 4pm. A second course will then be held in March, on Saturday 12 and Saturday 19. Places can be booked here. An £80 discount will be available to the first 15 course applicants – who should use the code ZEROCARBON80 – courtesy of Zero Carbon Harrogate. The college will also be hosting a retrofit awareness event in February, after staging a successful initial awareness evening, in partnership with Zero Carbon Harrogate, last November. It takes place on Thursday 17 February. Click here for more details. —————————– . Bringing local businesses and the college closer together Representatives from a wide variety of businesses turned out for the launch of Harrogate College Employers’ Network in 2021, and there are plenty of forthcoming opportunities for more firms to get involved as the network (HCEN) heads into 2022. First up will be a series of industry-specific sub-group meetings that will be held at the college between Monday 14 and Friday 18 February. Designed to encourage fruitful dialogue between employers in similar fields, the sessions will cover Energy & Construction, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Retail, Digital, Education & Training and Business & Finance. Each will also feature an open table discussion plus a chance to network while enjoying complimentary tea and cake. Then on Thursday June 16, existing and new members will be invited to meet to review the network’s progress to date, explain what kinds of courses and skills they would like the college to provide, and discuss future activities. Harrogate College launched the network as part of its ongoing work to deliver a truly employer-led curriculum, and participating businesses can help shape the courses, and skills, that are on offer. HCEN members take part in quarterly discussion groups and enjoy a range of benefits including course discounts, plus free advertising and promotion across the college’s media platforms. For more details about upcoming network events, and booking links, click here. —————————– We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter – we’ll be back with more next month!

Harrogate College is proving it’s a cut above the rest by offering free haircuts and manicures to jobseekers.

The college, which prides itself on supporting its local community and economy, is providing the services to anyone who has secured a job interview.

Haircuts, which will be carried out in our fully equipped, professional standard training salons, can be booked now between 3pm and 7pm on Wednesdays. Manicures, meanwhile, will be available on Thursdays – starting on Thursday 27 January – from 10am.

Principal Danny Wild said he was delighted to see the college starting the new year with such a generous gesture, which he hopes will boost the participants’ prospects.

He said: “We are proud to show that we are living our values by being nurturing towards our community, and giving people the best chance to progress into a positive 2022 with a new job.”

Programme Manager for Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, Steph Keedy, added: “We really enjoy working with the local community and initiatives like this are very rewarding for our students – while also helping them complete their qualifications.

“We hope that by offering someone a new haircut and manicure it will give them a confidence boost that may help them on their way to finding a new job.

“It’s another great example of the college and local community really working together.”

Places must be booked in advance, and applicants should be able to show proof of their upcoming interview. To book a place in the salons, which close during half-term and national holidays, email katie.sharman@harrogate.ac.uk or call the college’s reception on 01423 879466.

Hospitality students at Harrogate have rounded off the year by serving up a European inspired Christmas feast to members of the public.

The Christmas around Europe gourmet evening took place at Harrogate College on Thursday 9 December when guests were treated to a three course meal featuring dishes based on festive continental classics.

The event attracted nearly 60 people and saw the college’s regular canteen area transformed into a fully operational restaurant.

An invaluable learning experience

Harrogate College’s Cultural, Contemporary and Heritage Studies Programme Manager, Jason Parry, said: “The evening put the learners through their paces, catering to over 50 with a three course meal.

“The students had the opportunity to experience how it felt working as part of a team and in a busy restaurant environment.

“They battled through confidence issues and worked really hard to perform well, and this was reflected in the customer feedback. The evening was a great success.”

The college’s hospitality students also recently enjoyed a fact-finding tour of the Grand Hotel, in York, as part of an enrichment day that included a walk along the city’s historic walls.

A grand day out in York

Mr Parry added: “The hotel tour was really well put together by the staff.

“We had some talks from key employees and learnt how the business, which runs its own amazing cookery school, diversified after Covid-19 as well as how it is performing now.

“Following a tour of the suites and key features of the hotel we had a mocktail master class, which was a lot of fun for the students.

“We then went for a walk on the wall until we got to the centre of York, where the students had some free time to explore the Christmas market, before all going for a meal at Bella Italia – which linked in to the students’ previous unit on pasta.”

The first event of 2022 for Harrogate College’s restaurant will be a food and wine pairing evening, which representatives from the wine industry are being encouraged to attend, on Thursday 10 February.

The hospitality students will produce five light courses for the event, which is designed to teach students and guests about how the right combinations of food and wine can enhance the dining experience. The evening will include tasting notes, a tasting menu, and specialist speakers.

For more details about hospitality and catering courses at the college visit harrogate-college.ac.uk/courses/.

Harrogate College prides itself on working hand in hand with local businesses and organisations to provide the skills and training they need to ensure that our economy grows and thrives. Our monthly newsletter is a handy way of keeping our partners informed of developments at the college.

To receive future Harrogate College Business Newsletters directly to your inbox click here

Business Newsletter – November, 2021 Dear Partners, Welcome to our monthly newsletter which provides updates on how Harrogate College is working closely with businesses to provide an employer-led curriculum that delivers the in-demand skills to best support our local economy. As part of that we recently launched an Employers’ Network which we now have some exciting follow-up events planned for in 2022. Encouraging more adults back into education is part of the wider challenge of filling the nation’s skills gaps, so the college has also been pleased to put on a number of free taster sessions for over-19s, in support of the Festival of Learning, to show the opportunities we can offer to adult learners. Promoting sustainability by providing the green skills that are increasingly in demand as we transition to a more circular economy is also a key part of what we do, and our students recently demonstrated their environmental credentials by supporting Green Jumper Day. Also included in this edition are details on how our students enthusiastically backed I Will Week, and some very positive recent media coverage for the college. I hope you enjoy the read and wish you the very best for the festive season! Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College ——————– Retrofitting success The college kicked off November by teaming up with Zero Carbon Harrogate to host a Retrofit Awareness event, aimed primarily at construction industry professionals but also open to the public. The 30 attendees, who heard from expert speakers about the skills and techniques that are needed to help homeowners increase the efficiency of their properties, gave positive feedback about the usefulness and quality of the information that was shared on the night. The college is now busy developing retrofit skills courses and will be announcing full details of these early in the new year. If you think your business could be involved, get in touch with holly.hansen-maughan@harrogate.ac.uk ——————– HCEN – Next steps in 2022 Collaborating with local businesses to provide the skills that will help them flourish is central to what we do. The launch of Harrogate College Employers’ Network in October was a great opportunity to bring businesses from lots of different sectors together and hear about their training needs. We are now pleased to announce further network events for the coming year, starting with a series of industry-specific sub-group meetings to encourage in-depth conversations between employers in connected fields. These will be held from 14 to 18 February and each will include an open table discussion plus a chance to network, while enjoying complimentary tea and cake. The sessions will cover Energy & Construction, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Retail, Digital, Education & Training and Business & Finance. Then on June 16 the college will be holding a feedback event for employers to meet and look back on the first year of the network, review progress and agree on the way ahead. Network members, who take part in quarterly discussion groups, enjoy a number of benefits including discounts on courses and free advertising and promotion across the college’s media platforms. For full details about both events and how to book a place click here ——————– Green is the colour Staff and students donned green on Friday, November 26 for Green Jumper Day, an environmental initiative designed to raise awareness of climate change while getting people to wrap up – while turning their heating down. The college’s involvement attracted messages of support from groups like Zero Carbon Harrogate and attention from the local media, including Your Harrogate, which interviewed Student Enrichment Officer Megan Hawkswell. She told them: “Obviously sustainability is going to be really important for the future, for all of our students. It’s where all the jobs are going to be; we’re really committed to providing them with the skills for all those jobs so getting them involved in Green Jumper Day is the real start point of that.” Donations to Green Jumper, a not-for-profit environmental organisation which funds tree planting projects and awareness-raising talks for young people, were also collected on the day. Click here for more. ——————– Having a go and lifelong learning We put on a number of special taster sessions in November as part of our support for the national Festival of Learning campaign, which celebrates lifelong learning. The sessions, designed to encourage adults to find out more about the exciting educational and re-skilling opportunities the college offers, covered a range of subjects including still life drawing, ceramics and print, film and animation and computer software for interior design. Ceramics and still life drawing were both popular choices, to the delight of Creative Arts Tutor at Harrogate College, Alison Carney. She said: “The still life drawing session was really positive and enjoyable, it was great to see new faces in a relaxing and social environment. All attendees were keen to know more about the course; it was great to see them all engaged and eager to learn.” The tasters were organised during the college’s Have a Go Fortnight for the Festival of Learning. For more information click here ——————– Leading the way – Principal explains the challenges, and opportunities, ahead Principal Danny Wild was the focus of an in-depth article in The Stray Ferret, recently, where he talked about his duties in the ‘hot seat’ of leadership – and the college’s specialist role in delivering vocational and technical training. Danny also elaborated on how the college was delivering green skills, forging ever closer bonds with local businesses, and providing apprenticeships. His interview with the online news site also describes how the college and its facilities have benefitted from the substantial investment it has received since being taken over by Luminate Education Group two years ago. Click here for the full article. ——————– Where there’s a will… As a college, kindness is one of our primary values and we aspire to be an important part of our local community and to support social initiatives. Our students demonstrated their commitment to social action recently by taking part in #iwill week, a celebration and promotion of social action amongst young people. Activities on the day included a student social media takeover on the Students’ Union Instagram page and a pop-up cake stand in reception, where students could find out more, suggest future social action projects and share information about causes they care about. ——————– We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter – we’ll be back with more next month!

Students from Harrogate College are using their culinary and creative skills to come up with a new, sustainable menu for RHS Garden Harlow Carr.

Hospitality students have been asked to devise a hypothetical fresh bill of fare and concept for a new café that is being created by converting the former Harrogate Arms pub.

Harlow Carr, which owns the Grade II Listed property, grows plenty of fresh produce which will feature prominently in the new establishment’s dishes. 

The Harrogate College group, who are being led by seven Level 2 Professional Cookery students, recently visited the site to be briefed on their task. They also enjoyed a tour of the grounds, plus a chance to try their hand at potting.

An exciting collaboration that reflects our values

The initiative represents the start of a closer partnership between the college and Harlow Carr, who worked collaboratively to find the right project.

Harrogate College’s Cultural, Contemporary and Heritage Studies Programme Manager, Jason Parry, said: “This is an exciting project that has a focus on sustainability and working with the produce grown on the site.

“It ticks so many boxes for us in terms of the college’s values and aspirations – sustainability, ‘food to fork’, carbon reduction and seasonality – along with menu and service design, work experience and responding to a client brief.”

Fresh produce at RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Pitching for success

He added: “The project will be followed up throughout the year with Harlow Carr, who will do a progress check with the students in January.

“Ultimately it will end up with the students giving a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style pitch to Harlow Carr staff, with small groups presenting their ideas around the menu, and the service, and showing how they have worked to meet the client’s brief.”

Harrogate College, as part of its wider drive to become a centre of green excellence, recently launched a Sustainability Pledge which sets out its commitment to becoming net zero carbon by 2030.

For more details on hospitality courses at the college click here

Harrogate College prides itself on working hand in hand with local businesses and organisations to provide the skills and training they need to ensure that our economy grows and thrives. Our monthly newsletter is a handy way of keeping our partners informed of developments at the college.

To receive future Harrogate College Business Newsletters directly to your inbox click here

Business Newsletter

Dear Partners, Welcome to our monthly newsletter which provides updates on how Harrogate College is working with businesses to provide an employer-led curriculum that helps our local economy thrive. We are delighted to share some of the inspiring things that have been happening during October along with details of upcoming events. Many, such as our Retrofit Awareness evening, Climate Action Festival launch and our new Sustainability Pledge, reflect the college’s commitment towards securing a more sustainable future. Those events, along with others like the launch of our Employers’ Network, are good examples of how we are collaborating closely with our local business community to ensure we offer the skills and training that’s needed as we seek to shape a greener, stronger, and fairer economy. I hope you enjoy the read. Best wishes, Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College ———————– Retrofitting for the future The college teamed up with Zero Carbon Harrogate on 1 November to host a very successful, free Retrofitting Awareness event. The evening was an opportunity for construction industry professionals, plus interested members of the public, to hear from expert speakers about the skills that are needed to meet a growing demand from homeowners to make their properties more energy efficient. Sponsored by Bettys & Taylors, the event attracted about 30 people and featured presentations by guest speakers Adam Harper, a Chartered Construction Manager and certified passive house tradesperson, and Chris Wilde, MD of Yorkshire Energy Systems Ltd.Consolidating our links with businessDelivering an employer-driven curriculum that provides local employers with the skills and workforce they need, and thereby secures some terrific career opportunities for our students, is at the heart of what we do. The launch of the Harrogate College Employers’ Network on 21 October represented the next stage in that journey and proved a fantastic success, with no fewer than 25 of the district’s businesses taking part. Network members receive a range of benefits including discounts on college courses, a chance to shape the curriculum to meet their skills needs, and an opportunity to recruit students directly from courses they helped to design. More on the launch here ———————– Green Jumper Day The college will be asking students to don green on November 26 to support this awareness-raising day for climate action. Everyone will encouraged to wear a green jumper, and turn the thermostat down a bit, to support the campaign. Students will also be able to make (optional) donations to Green Jumper, a not-for-profit environmental organisation which funds tree planting projects and awareness-raising talks for young people. Click here for more ———————– Inspiring a greener way of living Our hosting of the launch event for the first Harrogate District Climate Acton Festival attracted some great media coverage. The event, held on campus on 2 October to kick off a three week festival that had been arranged by Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, attracted hundreds of people and more than 30 sustainability-focused exhibitors. Among those taking part were eDub, pictured here, who specialise in the electric conversion of well-loved vehicles, including campervans. The launch generated lots of positive news reports, all reflecting the college’s credentials as an environmentally responsible institution that is committed to becoming a centre of green excellence. Examples can be viewed here, in The Stray Ferret, here, in the Harrogate Advertiser and on YourHarrogate, here  ———————– Living our Values at Harlow Carr Hospitality students have started an exciting project with RHS Garden Harlow Carr. A group have taken up the task of designing a new menu and concept for the catering facility that is being restored on site. The project will have a focus on sustainability and using the produce that is grown at Harlow Carr. The participating students were recently briefed and then given a tour of the gardens, along with a chance to do some potting. Harlow Carr will be checking in on their progress in the new year and the project will conclude with the students making a Dragon’s Den type pitch, presenting their menu ideas and showing how they tie in with the client’s brief. ———————– A pledge for the planet The college, which plays a key role in training students in the green skills that businesses need to thrive in a more sustainable world, has issued a pledge to work towards becoming net zero carbon by 2030. The pledge is an ongoing commitment and will involve publishing annual updates to show the college’s progress towards this goal. Becoming a net zero college as soon as we can will require working collaboratively with businesses, community groups, charities and more. It will also involve speaking up for sustainable practice to support a circular economy that drives a fairer, greener society. At college, the move will involve making changes to reduce energy consumption, create energy generation, alongside dedicating areas for wildlife and planting – all while making students and staff aware of environmental issues and climate action. The college’s pledge has already attracted media attention, and is mentioned in this podcast on FE Week. For more on the pledge click here

We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter – we’ll be back with more next month!