A group of tutors and students from Coventry College have been recognised at the House of Lords for their contribution to the community.

Team members from the College’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course recently won ‘Highly Commended in the Volunteering Team of the Year’ at the Good for ME Good for FE Awards.

Good for ME Good for FE is a national campaign where colleges across the country unite to encourage staff and students to volunteer and fundraise in their communities.

Coventry College ESOL tutor, Fatima Reszczynski, led a group from the College’s ESOL course down to London to collect their award from Baroness Morgan of Cotes in the House of Lords.

The Award comes after Fatima supported around 18 of Coventry College’s ESOL students to litter pick in Coventry’s War Memorial Park, where they collected ten bags of rubbish in one session – which also saw the team raise more than £200 for The British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) in support of the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 16 – 25 in the process. Collections were also made for Coventry Food Bank, which saw more than 200 items donated to those in need.

Fatima has been an ESOL lecturer at Coventry College for a decade, and for the past eight years has supported up to 120 students every year with volunteering and fundraising opportunities.

Fatima said: “Colleges such as the one in Coventry are at the heart of their communities and have a key part to play in providing support, both academically and to those in need, so it was really pleasing for the team to be recognised in this way.

“All of the students who I teach are required to contribute around 20 hours of work experience alongside their English studies, which isn’t easy when you’re trying to learn a new language, so our role as tutors has been about helping our students to break down barriers not just with the language, but to employment too.

The visit to the House of Lords was a brilliant occasion – you could feel the history in the walls – and hopefully it has inspired some of our students to aim high in their future careers.”