TUTORS and students at Coventry College were invited to the House of Lords to recognise their extraordinary contribution to the community.
Team members from the college’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course won ‘Highly Commended in the Volunteering Team of the Year’ at the Good for ME Good for FE Awards.
The awards recognise the biggest contributors to 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 course down to London to collect their award from Baroness Morgan of Cotes in the House of Lords.
Fatima has supported around 18 of her ESOL students to litter pick in Coventry’s War Memorial Park, where they collected ten bags of rubbish in one session.
The team also raised more than £200 for The British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) in support of the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged between 16 and 25 years old.
Collections were also made for Coventry Foodbank with over 200 items donated.
Fatima said: “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.”
