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Getting up that bit earlier on Saturday 6 May for the Pieta House Darkness into Light event at Derramore Wood was more than worth it for pupils from St Malachy's Primary School in Camlough, as they were able to present local charity PIPS Hope and Support with a total of £900, raised through the walk as well as a 'Yellow Day' where children wore something yellow to school.
Over 30 Primary 6 and 7 children and staff had the early start of around 3am on the morning of the walk which took them on a lap around Derramore as the sun was rising, a walk they will remember for years to come. The children also painted colourful 'Positivity Stones' ahead of the event.
The St Malachy’s pupils presented PIPS Hope and Support with a cheque for £600 upon completion of their Yellow Day and a further £300 was presented to the suicide prevention and awareness charity, raised through registrations for this year’s walk.
Primary 7 pupils along with school principal Pauline McEvoy present the donation to Brian Hyland from PIPS Hope and Support.
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A proposed new Innovation Centre on the site of the former Newry Sports Centre has been awarded 'Highly Commended' for the ‘Most Innovative Public Sector Project’ in the 2023 Digital Construction Awards. The Centre is being advanced by the Southern Regional College opposite their West Campus.
The Digital Construction Awards recognise excellence across the construction industry. During the early concept design stage, innovative tools were used to automatically generate design solutions to assess their impact on energy use, cost and visual impact on Patrick Street. McAdam used Building Information Modelling (BIM) to create 3D versions of the design and incorporated virtual reality to enable a walk-through experience of the proposed design for SRC staff and students. The project was also innovative in its management of information through the creation of an industry leading Project Dashboard which monitored the progress of the project regarding the scope of works, design and validation of information.
McAdam and SRC’s Estates team worked closely to produce a design that balances functionality with aesthetics whilst introducing drama and a sense of openness throughout. On the ground floor, extensive glazing allows public interaction with the building's interior, offering views of the robotics within the Engineering Faculty as well as open plan training spaces. The first floor will host the Science Laboratories and a suite of ICT spaces along with a Student Social space.
The project is an exciting development for the Newry region. The design is focused on ensuring the building remains sustainable and energy efficient, with multiple collaborative and breakout spaces encouraging networking and brainstorming. However, at the heart of the project is the desire to make the building a place where students want to visit and learn.
Speaking about the project design, Chris Watson (Project Architect) and John Herron (Project Manager) commented “It is a massive compliment to be Highly Commended for the ‘Most Innovative Public Sector Project’ at the 2023 Digital Construction Awards alongside the wider Southern Regional College team. With innovative collaboration between an architect and a client, anything can be achieved. The project itself demonstrates how digital construction can help to create innovative design solutions that enhance local communities.”
Peter Monaghan, at Southern Regional College further commented “The Digital Construction Live Awards celebrate and recognise excellence across the Construction Industry. SRC along with our Architects, McAdams Design Ltd. were awarded Highly Commended in the Category, Most Innovative Public Sector Project. The panel wanted to hear about exceptional adoption of technology and digital processes and how far nominees had pushed innovation on a project of this size and complexity. We are delighted to have received this recognition and look forward to progressing the project to the next stage.”
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Southern Regional College and Clanrye Group have partnered for the new ‘Employ Me’ programme which launched in June. The initiative is a new and innovative employability project providing training and wraparound support to economically inactive persons aged 16+ in both the Newry, Mourne & Down, and Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Council areas to help participants achieve their career aspirations and personal goals.
Specialist support is available to persons facing additional obstacles returning to the workplace. This includes carers and single parents, individuals with a disability, women returning to work, individuals aged over 50, and those involved in the justice system or at risk.
Clanrye Group will provide employability support consisting of help with CVs, job applications, transition to the workplace and in-employment support, alongside qualifications in Essential Skills, Customer Service and Business Administration. Wraparound support is also provided by Clanrye Group and community delivery partners Community Advice Newry, Mourne & Down and Women’s Aid Armagh Down.
The College will provide upskilling and entry level qualifications in the four targeted sector areas of Construction, Engineering, Hospitality and Domiciliary Care.
Alongside core qualifications, participants may take on range of additional complementary qualifications, depending on the core qualification. These include Abrasive Wheels, Manual Handling, Working at Heights, Food Hygiene and Barista Training and First Aid. Courses will be offered on SRC’s campuses of Armagh, Newry and Portadown to make opportunities available to as many participants as possible.
With 200 places on offer, courses at the College will be running from mid-September 2023 until December 2023 and then again from January 2024 until early April 2024. Clanrye Group will provide on-going support throughout the year.
Brian Doran, Principal & CEO of Southern Regional College commented “SRC is delighted to be partnering with the Clanrye Group in the new and exciting Employ Me programme. The programme aims to help individuals achieve the skills, qualifications and experiences that will enhance their employability prospects. The programme starting in September will offer four pathways in the areas of construction, engineering, domiciliary care and hospitality and I urge anyone interested in finding out more to apply early.”
Liam Devine, CEO of Clanrye Group commented “The collaboration between programme partners allows us to provide top quality training and support to the individuals on the Employ Me programme, no matter the circumstances. We are very proud to be a partner in this programme.”
To find out more about courses or express an interest, contact a key worker to discuss opportunities:
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Five Southern Regional College students from Newry along with three from Portadown have just returned from a two week mobility work placement in Denmark. The work placement, which took place from 4th to 18 June 2023, was made possible through the Turing programme. The students from the Faculty of Building Technology & Engineering (BUTE) at the college were accompanied by five dedicated SRC staff members.
The mobility work placement provided the students with a unique opportunity to gain valuable work experience abroad and explore the construction techniques in Denmark. The initiative was organized by EUC SYD, a Vocational Education and Training (VET) College in partnership with SRC. These Level 3 students are currently pursuing courses in Construction and the Built Environment at SRC.
During their placement, the students immersed themselves in various construction techniques, including tiling and bricklaying. This hands-on experience not only provided them with valuable insights into working abroad but also exposed them to different approaches to construction.
In addition to the work experience, the students had the privilege of immersing themselves in the Danish culture, history, and attractions. They explored the Danish town of Sonderborg, ventured into the German town of Flensburg in Northern Germany, visited a state-of-the-art recycling centre to witness sustainability recycling in action, learned about the Vikings in Denmark, and even tried their hand at rowing at the German Rowing Club in Aabenraa.
The entire project was fully funded by the Turing Programme, and the College's International Affairs Team played a crucial role in organising the initiative. The Turing Programme is a UK government programme providing international opportunities for education and training across the world. To learn about available international opportunities, please reach out to the External Funding & International Affairs Team at Southern Regional College by email at internationalaffairs@src.ac.uk
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Theo Papadopoulos is a shining example of what can be achieved with a little bit of help. Theo travels from Newry to Southern Regional College’s Armagh campus to undertake the Performing and Production Arts Level 3 Extended Diploma, the equivalent of three A-levels.
Currently at the end of the first year of his two-year course, Theo is keen to reflect on his experience and how he came to apply for the course. Like many young adults finishing off GCSEs, Theo was keen to explore available education opportunities. However, Theo is not any young person; Theo has additional learning needs, so finding the right course and more importantly the right support is essential.
Theo first visited the Armagh campus on one of SRC’s open days. There, Theo received a tour of the newly built campus and met with course and learning support staff on hand offering guidance. But Theo is not one rush into decisions, Theo met with learning support staff not once, but several times to discuss support plans, and to get to know the Campus and lecturers better.
Learning Support Coordinator Lorraine Abbott became Theo’s initial point of contact. Theo commented “Lorraine took me round each room and other places on campus I could go if I began to feel stressed. I was shown what resources where available to me, how to use them and where I could find them.
Lorraine also told me that I could come to the Learning Support office at any time if I needed advice or any additional equipment.
Seeing all the resources available and having a plan of the support I would be getting made my decision; I choose to apply to SRC instead of returning to secondary school. What is offered at SRC to those with additional learning needs is significant and was a deciding factor for me”.
At SRC, Theo has a range of services available to help him achieve his potential. From mentoring support (to help with planning and organising workloads and breaking projects down into manageable chunks); a SmartPen (which helps with processing information and taking notes), to a free anonymous counselling service available to all students, and the Sensory Hub. The Sensory Hun is an easy to use, immersive space for students who may be suffering from sensory overload or anxiety. It can be personalised and will help students self-regulate. While Theo has not had to use the Sensory Hub, knowing it’s there is reassuring.
Theo commented: “Mentoring has been really beneficial and allows me to take a step back and prepare myself instead of rushing into things. It has really helped my planning and organising skills and has also improved my productivity by giving me strategies to remain calm and not get overwhelmed.”
Reflecting on his first year at the College, Theo has incredibly positive, saying: “It’s been a blast!”
The College welcomes applications from students requiring additional support. To find out more information or speak with a member of the College’s Learning Support team, refer to: www.src.ac.uk
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With decades of service to the education sector, Brian Doran, Chief Executive, Southern Regional College has received the accolade of ‘Outstanding Contributor to the Greater Newry Area’ at the Greater Newry Business Awards on Thursday 15 June.
Brian first started his journey at the College in a teaching role in 1998 and accelerated his career becoming SRC’s Principal and Chief Executive in 2008. Since starting out in 1998, Brian has remained passionate about progression opportunities and creating opportunities for young people and adult returners alike at the College, with curriculum developed to offer degree options at the College and multiple evening classes to enable all local people to engage with lifelong learning.
Brian’s aim is that the young people of greater Newry will be inspired to stay at home to continue their educational journey, thereby meeting the needs of local employers.
Under his tenure as Principal and Chief Executive, Brian has been instrumental in opening world class facilities in neighbouring campuses, with the Newry campus being earmarked for an innovative expansion plan with work currently in progress. The College sees approximately 10,000 students enrolled each year and is the only college in NI with the Autism accreditation. In addition, the College is the holder of the Matrix accreditation, recognising the quality of the support services dedicated to helping students before, during and after their time at the College. Brian is passionate that the College offering is accessible to all students – including those with learning difficulties and special educational needs.
Throughout his years at the helm, Brian has seen many successes and challenges come his way. The most recent success being the College’s phenomenal achievement in the WorldSkills UK competition series. In recent years the College consistently placed within the top 3 of all UK college’s at WorldSkills UK. Having set his sights on the top spot to be achieved within 5 years, Brian was understandably delighted to receive this accolade within a few months in late 2022.
The College is however only one part to Brian; he is a keen fundraiser taking part in fundraising attempts such as a sponsored cycling event raising a joint sum of £5,550 by cycling from the Southern Regional College in Kilkeel to South West College in Dungannon. These many great accomplishments would not have been possible without the support of his family and in particular his wife, Geraldine, a former member of staff at the College.
The College’s success stands to Brian’s continued enthusiasm and dedication. His efforts have been the driving force behind its achievements. He has frequently commented “Through training and improved skill sets, there is the ability to create, promote and sustain local job opportunities.” However, without an interest and passion such as Brian’s, there is no doubt that none of these achievements would have been possible.
Brian’s success in numbers
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Proof if it was needed that creativity is alive and kicking can be found in abundance at the Southern Regional College's annual Recreational Arts & Crafts Exhibition at Newry West Campus. The College campus was buzzing on Wednesday evening past as 43 artists of all ages and talents showcased their talents. The exhibition brought together artists undertaking recreational art programmes across the community, for one special night, a night of celebration and mutual inspiration. The exhibition will remain open on the College’s Newry West Campus until Monday 19 June from 10am – 2pm for public viewing.
Brian Doran, Principal and Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, opened the event by welcoming guests to the studio and thanking those who continue to support recreational activities. Brian outlined “How creativity is alive and kicking in this region”, which is very much evident from the range of artwork at the exhibition.
The talent exhibited a range of medias, from oils and acrylics, to watercolour and pencil, as well as a selection of textile and knit work. Individuals used memory, imagination, observation, and photographs to contribute to the exhibition in their own unique style and talent.
Family, friends, and the public browsed the many pieces on display, with some purchasing items and many leaving feeling inspired to enrol in the next academic year. The recreational arts programme offers participants the chance to learn a new skill, or simply unwind from a busy day. There is without doubt a real community spirit to the programme as artists continue to encourage and inspire each other on a weekly basis.
The College’s recreational art courses are set in a friendly studio space and are a great opportunity to develop as a rounded art practitioner whilst also enjoying the social aspects. Courses are offered across campuses and throughout the community in areas which include Warrenpoint, Banbridge, and Mountnorris.
Nigel Whiteside, course lecturer said “It is a privilege to teach such talented students – each student brings so much to the class as they all interpret and express artistically in the own way. Every individual inspires me in my own work as an artist and there is a real sense of community spirit in the classes.”
Following this year’s successful event, next year’s art exhibition can only get bigger and better!
For further information on our recreational art courses please contact visit our website at www.src.ac.uk or contact 0300 123 1223.
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Andrew McVarnock is not your typical student. There are no restful summer holidays for this Southern Regional College student, as Andrew is en-route to start a 9 week summer placement with the Michelin star ‘House Restaurant’ at Cliff House Hotel in Waterford.
Andrew is currently undertaking the Professional Chef level 2 traineeship at Newry campus and is being tutored under the careful eye of Culinary Arts lecturer Sinead Boyle. Recognising Andrew’s talent and eagerness, Sinead reached out to the Cliff House Hotel to help secure a placement for Andrew. Sinead has previously worked at the Cliff House and is eager to use her industry contacts to help students progress.
For Andrew, the placement is “Exactly what I need. I’m eager to learn more about providing quality dishes and The Cliff House sets one of the highest standards in excellence. I want to take the high standards I will gain, embed them, and take them forward to wherever I may work in the future.”
At the Cliff House, Andrew expects to work with a range of chefs in the areas of grill, starter, mains, larder, sauce and breakfast. The opportunities for continuing development are endless as Andrew will work with a team of over 20 chefs as he hones his skills. For Andrew it’s not just about making a meal, it's about creating the best possible experience for the customer.
With so many students looking forward to kicking back and enjoying the summer, Andrew will be working steadfastly throughout. Andrew commented: “I want to grow and do better and it’s this drive that makes me want to continue. I want to know what the head chef is doing and pick up as many tips that I can.”
While Andrew is just seventeen years old, the opportunities with being a professional chef are multiple. It’s a career that enables you to travel abroad and obtain work in any country or sea; docking in a new country on board a cruise ship also holds interest for Andrew.
While Andrew doesn’t have a favourite dish to cook, it depends on what the freshest ingredients are on the day, this is one student who we all would love to be cooking for us at home.
Michelle Moore, Curriculum Area Manager for the Faculty of Professional Services at Southern Regional College commented:
“Andrew has just completed his first year in the Level 2 Professional Chef Traineeship and will commence Year 2 in September. Sinead Boyle is Andrew’s personal tutor and having spent the previous summer working in The Cliff House Hotel, a luxury 5 star hotel in Waterford, Sinead was aware the hotel was a premier establishment and an experience that would benefit students. Andrew will be based in their House Restaurant, which is a MICHELIN star restaurant. This was organised through the Erasmus programme.
Andrew will undertake his placement from the end of June to the end of August under the wing of their Chef Patron Tony Parkin. Tony has 22 years’ experience in the culinary world, and has worked in renowned restaurants including Restaurant Gordan Ramsey, Northcote and Noma. Tony is the winner of four AA Rosettes for The Tudor Room at Great Fosters Hotel in Engham. His menus offer a distinctive flair of local cuisine, paired with French and Thai flavours.
The team at Southern Regional College are very proud that Andrew, at 17 years old is embarking on a MICHELIN star work placement and we are excited to see the new skills Andrew will learn”.
For information on the Professional Chef traineeships or apprenticeships, check out available opportunities at: bit.ly
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Twenty five local schools have been recognised for their environmental work at this year’s Eco-Schools Green Flag Awards with Saint Joseph's Convent Primary School in Newry coming out as overall Eco-School of the Year.
The Eco-Schools programme is run by the Foundation for Environmental Education, a non-governmental, non-profit organisation based in Denmark, and is managed in Northern Ireland by environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. It was developed in 1994 as a response to an identified need to involve young people in finding solutions to environmental and sustainable development challenges at local level. Eco-Schools operates in 59,000 schools across 74 countries.
Schools received Green Flags with special recognition for the Eco-Teacher and Eco-Pupil of the Year. The awards have been supported by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Nexus.
2023 winners
Green Flag: Cortamlet Primary School, Dromore Road Primary School, Grange Primary School, Holy Cross Primary School, Our Lady's Grammar School RM, St Colmcille's Nursery School, St Mary's Primary School RM, St Mary's Primary School, St Nicholas Primary School, St Patrick's Primary School, All Children’s Integrated Primary School, Ashgrove Nursery School, Cumran Primary School, Down High School, Killean Primary School, Our Lady and St Patrick Primary School, St Brigid's (Drumilly) Primary School, St Columban's Primary School, St Joseph's Convent Primary School, St Joseph's Primary School, St Laurence O'Toole's Primary School, St Ronan's Primary School, St. Brigid's Primary School, Downpatrick Primary School, St Paul's Primary School.
Eco-School of the Year (Sponsored by the Housing Executive): St. Joseph’s Convent Primary School
Eco-Teacher of the Year (Sponsored by the Housing Executive): Miss Nadine Crozier, Sacred Heart PS, Dundrum
Eco-Pupil of the Year: Logan Gray, Sacred Heart PS, Dundrum
Sinead Murray, Environmental Education Coordinator at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said “This year we have been really impressed by the quality of applications from schools across the council area. Pupils and teachers have really stepped up and get the importance of taking concrete against the climate emergency. The creativity and determination displayed by pupils can give all of us confidence in the future. We are delighted to see the ethos of the Eco-Schools programme so warmly embraced by so many schools.”
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Valerie Harte, who attended an awards presentation event at The Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick said, “It has been inspiring to see the vision and passion children across the district have for the environment and to learn more about their ideas.
“Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has been a long-time supporter of the Eco-Schools programme and is delighted to have hosted a wonderful celebration event recognising our schools’ award winning environmental work”
Housing Executive Chair Nicole Lappin said: “Congratulations to all of this year’s winners: more new Green Flags, with special recognition for the council’s best Eco-School and Eco-Teacher of the Year.
“We would like to reiterate the importance of educating our young people in energy and environmental awareness and taking direct action for the protection of our environment. We believe it is vitally important for them to be fully aware of how precious our world is and that we need to do all we can to protect it.
“We are delighted to support these excellent Eco-Schools NI projects. We’ve been really impressed with the standard of work being produced by teachers, pupils, and the wider community. Their enthusiasm is truly inspirational and we are proud to support them in ensuring a better future for everyone."
The programme is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, local councils and a number of generous sponsors who support the programme’s selection of topics, which schools can choose to follow based on their location, interests or the wishes of their pupils.
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