Michelle Lloyd – Exhibitor for Libraries Services:
“Thank you so much for inviting me to your event. It was great, really buzzing and a great atmosphere, and we talked to lots of students and partners about library services.”
North Hertfordshire College welcomed 23 local social enterprise organisations into the College for our Community Connect event in May! Designed by NHC Supported Internship Job Coaches Charlotte Mathieson and Carlie Dinsdale, the event provided an exclusive opportunity for students across NHC to meet with and learn more about the services and support available in the community. We’re proud to share that, following the success of the event, that it will be a permanent fixture in the NHC calendar!
Charlotte and Carlie, with support from NHC’s Marketing department, invited a broad variety of organisations to the event, including charities, support services, and employers. Through the range of exhibitors, the team aimed to demonstrate just how many different groups and organisations operate in the local area to help local people. We’re delighted by the enthusiastic response to the event – we managed to fill the Community Hall with all the exhibitors!
Over 120 students from across the College, including Supported Studies and Springboard, attended the event to network and discover amazing opportunities on their doorstep. From Anti-Racism Hub, Autism Hertfordshire, Create Community and beyond, our learners were able to discover some fantastic opportunities to engage with their local area.
It also reinforced some of the key elements of the Supported Internship programme: preparing our students for adulthood. Sessions are built around topics of employability, independence, health and wellbeing, and social inclusion to help learners grow into confident young people who are ready for their next steps.
We received a positive experience for our attendees and our exhibitors – check out some of their thoughts:
Keith Turner – Director of Quality @ NHC:
“During my visit, I spoke to a number of the exhibitors. They were so positive about our students which was fantastic. Several volunteering organisations also spoke about how well some of our students that are already volunteering are doing, which was a delight to hear.”
John Prebble – Exhibitor for Junction 7:
“You guys didn’t just go the extra mile – you went the extra mile and then some! What a fantastic day.”
Reeth Sethi – Student @ NHC:
“I had a great day and met lots of interesting people.”
Majita Tamangani – Exhibitor for Young Pride in Herts:
“Congratulations to you and the team on a successful event, a special mention to Callum for being an amazing presenter throughout the event. The event was well-planned and inclusive, it catered for all; it was insightful and a good networking opportunity.”
Esther Williams – Exhibitor for Anti-Racism Hub:
“Thank you so much for having me today. It was a fabulous event with a great buzz and fantastic people.”
Clare Marvell – Supported Studies Tutor @ NHC:
“The NET group really enjoyed finding out all about what was available to them outside of college. The parents that I spoke to were so grateful for the opportunity to find out more about what was on offer for their children."
Reflecting on the success of their event, Charlotte and Carlie commented: “It was wonderful to see the students interacting with the exhibitors and having a go at some of the activities on the stands and finding out more about the activities they can get involved with in their spare time to improve their social life and keep them active in the community.
“The event would not have been as successful as it was if it wasn’t for the help of some of our Supported Interns: Jordan, Callum, Ria, and Reeth. Jordan was amazing help in setting up and registering people on the day; Reeth and Ria did a brilliant job keeping the exhibitors topped up on refreshments; and Callum was a superstar – meeting and greeting organisations as they arrived, and running a series of presentations throughout the day to both students and exhibitors about the support for the College’s LGBTQ+ community.
“Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event and who played their part in making it such a success.”
We’d like to thank the attending organisations for helping to make a difference in both the NHC community and the local area. See you at the 2024 event!
To find out more about how North Hertfordshire College engages with the local community and how you can get involved, check out our ‘Community Engagement’ page.