Today, Day 260 of my BRIT 2012
mile walk I visited the Llandarcy Campus of Neath Port Talbot College http://www.nptc.ac.uk/ Students who commenced Vocational
Sport and Public Services in 2011 now study at the College’s brand new State of
the Art facilities in Llandarcy and it was a pleasure to meet many of them
today.
The new sports facilities include
an elite, national standard multi-use sports hall, climbing wall, all-weather 3
G Pitch, Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) and indoor bounding track with warm up
area. The teaching facilities include five new teaching rooms, interactive
boards, a fully equipped Electronic Learning Centre and a student common room.
The College offers 12
Full-Time/Part-Time Further and Higher Education courses, ranging from Level 1
to Foundation Degree courses/
In 2011, the Uniformed Public
Services courses moved to the Llandarcy Campus where students can study from
Level 1 to Level 3 courses in Uniformed Public Services which provide full time
academic study combined with a wide variety of additional career experiences
provided by a range of uniformed Public Services such as Fire Service, Army,
Navy and RAF. Students experience overnight camp, expeditions and talks by
visiting specialists.
Since the re-location to the
Llandarcy Park Campus, the College have forged stronger links with the Ospreys
Regional Rugby Squad http://www.ospreysrugby.com/ and Swansea City Football Club
http://www.swanseacity.net/ both of whom use the facilities
at Llandarcy Park Campus.
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| With students at Llandarcy Campus, Neath Port Talbot College on Day 260 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk |
I’m grateful to the students and
staff for welcoming me so warmly today and it was a pleasure to talk to them
and to answer questions. Following my visit to Neath Port Talbot College I
headed for Bridgend.
Later this afternoon I visited
Bridgend College http://www.bridgend.ac.uk/ and met the students and staff
at Weston House.
Weston House is an exemplary
facility within Wales, offering 24 hour care and curriculum provision for young
people aged 16-25 with disabilities and/or additional learning needs. Its main
aims are to promote independence, further social and educational opportunities
and equip the young person with the appropriate skills necessary for adulthood.
Weston House gives young people
who, because of their disability, are not able to access courses at their local
College to undertake a full-time, mainstream course at Bridgend College. In
2009, Weston House was treated to a makeover including a single storey
extension featuring a spectacular central glass atrium built to provide:
· an additional eight
bedrooms
· two of the bedrooms
have special adaptations for students with profound and complex needs;
· two shower rooms;
· a combined
specially adapted bathroom;
· three WCs;
· a new dining area
and;
· fully equipped
modern kitchen.
These new facilities allowed
Weston House to offer a greater service and care to more young people with
additional needs and/or disabilities, including for the first time young people
from the boroughs of Bridgend.
Apart from providing a high
standard of accommodation and care, the main aims at Weston House are;
To provide care and support for students
with disabilities, enabling them to study in a
mainstream college
To enable students with disabilities to
develop their independence
To encourage students with disabilities to
develop skills in social interaction and increase
their confidence
To enable young students with disabilities
to experience ‘ordinary life'.
They achieve these aims by
encouraging all students to take part in the widest range of activities in line
with their individual needs, abilities and interests.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with
all the students at Weston House; it was great to spend time talking together
and answering the many questions they had on such a wide range of subjects.
I ended with Day with 375 miles
to go.
Best wishes,
Phil