College Supports Community Champions... and Charity
Friday, November 13, 2009

Middlesbrough College showed its support for the local community on Friday evening, when it not only sponsored an award at the Evening Gazette Community Champions Awards but also helped raise funds for the Evening Gazette ‘Make a Difference’ campaign.

The College provided three prizes- a meal for two in the College’s Haven Restaurant, sessions in the College’s Gymworld Fitness Studio, and tickets for a production in the Hazel Pearson Theatre at the College – which were raffled to raise over £400 for the ‘Make a Difference’ charity.

The College sponsored the award for Young Community Champion, an award for a person under 19 years old who has gone to great lengths to improve the community in which they live, or made huge effort in trying to assist the people around them, both young and old.

There were three short-listed contenders for the award – Paddy O'Rourke, David Saddington and Zoe Peacock – and the Principal, John Hogg, presented the award to Zoe Peacock.

Zoe, a pupil at Norton School Humanities College, has given up her own free time to teach members of her local community, young and old, computer skills, and she has done so for over three years.

The school’s community liaison officer, Gill Sangster, said, “Zoe’s support to adult learners is crucial to them being successful”, whilst modest Zoe simply said, “I do it because I just enjoy it.”

There was also another College link in another award presented at the glittering evening. John Atkinson, coach at the Gymnastics Centre based at the College, was a finalist in the search for a Children and Young People’s Champion.

The College was presented at the event by Hazel Pearson OBE, Chairman of Governors, John Hogg, Principal, and Anura Rodrigo, Assistant Principal (Community), who were accompanied by a number of guests including Lynne Horseman (Hemlington Community Partnership), Abdul Khan ( Community Centre Manager East Middlesbrough), Taznim Niyaz (Centre Manager International Community Centre), Susanna Rashid (International Community Centre), the Reverend Dominic Black (Holy Trinity Church North Ormesby), and Mrs. Kiw Lim (Chinese community Centre).

You can also view the Video and Article from the Evening Gazette, click here.