Caring for our community in a pandemic

Coventry College’s Principal and CEO Carol Thomas has spoken of her pride at the community spirit shown by students and staff throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

Over the past six months College personnel have been helping those most in need, and to mark Colleges Week – which is a Further Education-wide celebration of the role that colleges play in their wider community – we are shining a spotlight on those who have gone above-and-beyond.

The College orchestrated an inspirational response at the time the pandemic hit in March. This saw The College’s science department donating more than 4,000 individual gloves, 60 pairs of goggles and 100 face masks to protect the doctors and nurses who were treating those with Coronavirus and other illnesses.

Some teaching staff and senior leadership members also signed up as NHS Volunteer Responders to relieve pressure on the NHS by carrying out non-medical tasks for people with underlying health conditions.

In the days after lockdown was announced, the College’s Henley Road-based restaurant donated 40 bags’ worth of fresh produce to help the Moat House Community Trust, which at the time, supported 190 families a month.

Elsewhere, student Conor McGuire raised more than £500 for the University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire (UHCW) Charity in less than a week, after his head-shaving fundraising challenge was shared hundreds of times on social media. Conor – who was on the frontline helping the NHS as a part-time cleaner at UHCW – raised the money to fund orders for much-needed personal protection equipment.

Coventry College staff members Laura Johnson and Charlotte Stacey used lockdown to dust down their sewing machines to make uniforms for frontline medics during the pandemic.

Carol Thomas, Principal and CEO at Coventry College, said: “Our College’s community engagement this year reinforces why it is so important to have initiatives such as Colleges Week.

“The variety of support that the College has delivered to the wider community this year has been unbelievable – and I know the volunteering we have shone a spotlight on only really scratches the surface.

“Both myself and all of the senior leadership team are incredibly proud of all of our staff and students who have coped with these unforeseen circumstances, and to see others who have made an effort to help other people too is truly heartwarming.”