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Through our Student Enrichment provision, we continue to encourage and organise a wide range of volunteering activities to support community initiatives and help our learners develop a sense of social responsibility, empathy and a deep understanding of societal issues – all of which will benefit them beyond their time at HRC. Our Animation student, Rocco, notes “I have volunteered in a variety of fields and have developed many skills, such as communication and time management.”
We’re proud to have had 185 students from a wide range of study programmes, including our Inclusive Learning provision, Millbrook, take part in a volunteering activity this year, amounting to an astonishing ~560 hours spent supporting local organisations. From litter picking with Cllr Jim Clune and working with Hoddesdon Library to refresh their garden area, to supporting charities such as St Elizabeth’s with their stock displays and Ware Age Concern with their lunch service, we’ve made big impacts for many different communities.
Our continuing partnership with Hertfordshire Zoo grew even stronger this year, with our Health and Social Care learners receiving the following feedback from Zoo staff after being tasked with moving two tonnes of earth into planters and clearing out an enclosure. “The group were amazing – it wasn’t an easy job – but they did it with a smile on their faces and also kept us entertained with their jokes, banter and laughter.” They described our learners as “a team with a great attitude and work ethic.”
This year, we also formed rewarding new partnerships with Riverside Place Care Home and Ashwood Care Home, both in Ware, and we now regularly support staff and residents of the homes with a range of activites, including baking, beauty treatments, sprucing up the garden and seating area and playing games.
Some of our Motor Vehicle and Public Services learners and tutors played a role in allowing wildlife and plants to prosper in Lee Valley by supporting the park rangers to cut back trees and shrubs in the wetland areas, and clearing water ditches. Our Carpentry learners and apprentices also worked with Ware Swifts on a longer term project, assembling and installing swift boxes at our Ware Campus, giving birds a habitat for nesting.
As we look forward to beginning a new academic year, we continue to be proud of the way our students and staff continue to create lasting benefits for our local community with their volunteering efforts. You can keep up with our community volunteering projects across our social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook, throughout the year.
