Team GB Athlete Visits Newbury College

With the examination period in progress and the end of term looming, Newbury College welcomed Team GB 400m champion Lesley Owusu to motivate and inspire students.

Lesley gave a presentation about her sporting journey and how sport has shaped her life. Following the presentation students were able to take part in a question and answer session and fun activities involving team work. 

Sports Maker at Newbury College, Aimee Kaur, who organised the event said, “It was hugely inspiring for Lesley to share her sporting journey with us. She is an extremely passionate athlete with the ability to influence the lives of many young people given her experiences. One of the key messages from the day was that hard work and dedication will lead to success; everyone has the ability to fulfil their potential. Sport isn’t just performing better physically, it has the ability to bring people together, build confidence, and overcome barriers faced by many”. 

Raised in Ghana, Lesley felt a sense of isolation when she came to England and could not speak the language. The power of sport helped Lesley overcome many childhood barriers including racism, low self-esteem and bullying which encouraged her to pursue her dreams and achieve on and off the track.

Lesley has gone on to represent Great Britain at European, World and Commonwealth levels. She has not only excelled in sport, but along her inspirational journey has also achieved a BA degree in Broadcast Journalism and Literature and an MA in Mass Communications and Political Science. 

There’s something for everyone at Newbury College. For more information about the hundreds of full and part time courses available visit www.newbury-college.ac.uk or contact 01635 845000.

GCSE students moved by inspirational young dancer

GCSE students at Newbury College were moved by an inspirational presentation and dance performance by local young dancer Frankie Rae when she visited the Monks Lane campus earlier this month.

Frankie gave a presentation to students about how she has remained motivated despite her disability and struggles with depression, and imparted the techniques she has learnt to help her deal with them. Born with a condition called Holt Oram Syndrome, that causes defects in the hands, arms and heart, Frankie has had to undergo ten operations and have major reconstructive surgery on both of her hands.

Talking of why she was happy to share her story, Frankie said, “I wanted to speak to the students today to share with them the battles that I have faced and show them that no matter what you face you can still achieve your dreams”.

Frankie’s difficulties have not stopped her determination to pursue her love of dancing as a career. Dancing from a young age helped to save Frankie from losing the use of her hands and arms and also meant that she spent less time in hospital undergoing physiotherapy. She has danced for a number of local dance organisations including Italia Conti Associates Newbury and after Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts she is well on her way of achieving her dreams.

GCSE student Dean Miller who attended the presentation said, “Her visit was truly inspirational and has motivated the whole course to always try their hardest. We no longer say ‘we can’t’, we now say ‘we can try’. We learnt this from Frankie”.

The visit concluded with a special performance of ‘Hold your dream’.

Newbury College Team 19 5 a-side Football Tournament

Newbury College held a 5-a-side intra Team 19 football tournament at the end of January with six teams taking part from courses ranging from Motor Vehicle and Construction to Public Services and Animal Care.

The event took place to launch the Team 19 football programme at Newbury College, a programme which aims to address the 16-19 participation drop-off within sports by driving intra-college Team 19 football leagues which are led by students for students.

Sports Maker at Newbury College Aimee Kaur who organised the event said, “It was brilliant to launch a Team 19 football event which engaged students of all abilities from a variety of curriculum areas. We worked closely with Association of Colleges Sport and Berks and Bucks Football Association to ensure it was successful. The students worked incredibly well together and fostered good sportsmanship throughout”.

Aimee has recently been appointed as the new College Sports Maker and aims to deliver a wider sporting variety for students and help drive up student sport participation encouraging new participants during her time at Newbury College.

There is something for everyone at Newbury College. For more information go along to the Open Evening at the Monks Lane campus on Tuesday 10 February 4pm-8pm. For any other queries please contact on 01635 845000 or visit our website www.newbury-college.ac.uk.