Creating brighter futures

On October 4th, Weston College will be hosting the Accelerate North Somerset Conference to celebrate the impact of the Accelerate initiative, which launched earlier this year. Through this initiative, 1013 people were reached from February to September, with over 200 having previously been classed as unemployed.

Accelerate aimed to establish a culture of business innovation and dedicated training, via bespoke skills sessions to enable businesses in North Somerset access the support needed to grow. As 33 of the attendees came from sole owned businesses, these sessions supported these owners particularly in how to expand. Furthermore, the hights proportion of attendees were between the ages of 16-24, so were seeking free guidance.

As well as celebrating the achievements of the initiative, the event will also offer an opportunity for local employers to connect, make new contacts, share ideas and look to the future of our region.

Accelerate has had a positive impact, supporting over 365 small businesses in North Somerset, through 83 sessions, which were based around:

• Being competitive
• Being digital
• Being green
• Being inclusive

The positive feedback from the Accelerate workshops has been overwhelming, with small businesses explaining the impact attending Accelerate sessions had on both themselves and their business.

Zara Shepherd, a small business owner, explained her journey with the Accelerate sessions: “I didn’t bother singing up to Accelerate as I was close to giving up on my dream of running a business, but I was persuaded to go, and the session really made me consider why we started our businesses in the first place, and what benefit it is to us. This was a real turning point for me; it reminded me how much I loved what I did and that I wasn’t ready to give up yet!”

Bethan Walker, from Simply Green Zero Waste, spoke equally high of the sessions, saying, “The sessions provided huge amounts of knowledge! It also allowed me to meet other small business owners, which was lovely, and really reassuring.”

Both Bethan and Zara spoke about how they were facing their own challenges regarding being a business owner, from financial issues to the mental toll it can have on your wellbeing. Zara voiced her difficulties, “at the start of the year I was completely burnt out, but I was taught skills to improve my mental wellbeing and rediscover my love for what I do.”

Bethan commented on the financial challenges, saying that the business would have never been able to afford the level of support Accelerate provided, as Simply Green were experiencing a “really tough time”, but the accessibility of both in person and online sessions, alongside the whole scheme being fully funded, seemed “too good to be true!”

Zara concluded by saying “I wish I'd attended more courses as they were excellent – I am feeling much more confident and excited for the future.”

If you are interested in attending the Accelerate North Somerset Conference, click here.

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund. ‘Accelerate, Supporting Business in North Somerset’ project partners include North Somerset Council, The Food and Drink Forum, North Somerset Enterprise Agency and Weston College.

All college learners can now purchase their own Weston College ‘We Are Weston’ hoody!  

Since launching these back in 2018, we have seen many our learners wear these across the local area, both in and out of college. Working with local company Conceptwear, this year we are launching an increased range that now includes seven colours to choose from. 

Purchase your We Are Weston hoody now, by clicking here:

Weston College ‘We Are Weston’ Hoody 22/23 

If you have any questions about your college programme, or what you need to do before you start your programme with us, please speak to the college staff on your Microsoft Teams subject page or feel free to call our admissions team on 01934 411481 or via the Live Chat on the college website.

Weston College will be hosting and engaging in Great Big Green Week, from 26th - 30th September, the UK's biggest ever celebration of Community Action to tackle Climate Change and protect nature!

In order to celebrate this week, a range of activities and events have been curated to get all members of the Weston College Community involved, and thinking about how to make our future more sustainable and do our part to help with the environmental challenges that lie ahead.

The activities planned for the week are:

Monday - a Q&A session with Chris Hines, a founding member of ‘Surfers Against Sewage’ and a former Sustainability Director of the Eden Project, who has previously spoken at our events, including the Sustainability and Social Action Business Breakfast.

Tuesday - an Engineering and Construction Sustainability Learner Conference, opened by Sir Paul Phillips, with guest speakers and panel Q and A sessions from industry. Our learners will also have the opportunity to compete ‘real-world’ challenges with judges from our key employers.

Wednesday - a Beach Clean will be taking place, in partnership with Weston Pier, where the aim will be to work together to clean the beach!

Thursday - the challenge will be to 'Green Your Campus', as we seek to achieve Net Zero

People taking part will have the opportunity to win awards in the following categories:

• Zero Waste
• Sustainability Awareness
• Carbon Footprint
• Digital Innovation
• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
• Best Campus
• Outstanding Commitment to Sustainability

Friday - a Smart Living Conference will be held at the Winter Gardens from 3pm-7pm

Beyond this week, we also plan to organise activities in the upcoming year, regarding sustainability and helping the environment, for example more tree planting in partnership with The Woodland Trust and Queens Green Canopy, taking place in April 2023.

The huge range of activities planned for the week will be very exciting for everyone within the Weston College Community. Beyond this, we look forward to seeing wider celebration from across the UK, and the Community Action taking place, to tackle Climate Change and protect nature!

Keep an eye on our social media, to see how we get on throughout the week!