Derby College Students Support Popular Events

Students at Derby College’s Broomfield Hall campus have played a vital role in the organisation of two recent events in the city and county.

The learners are all part of the Uniformed Public Services study programme with their sights set on a wide range of careers from the Armed Forces to the security industry. As part of their study programmes, they volunteer to support a wide range of local and national events – developing their event management, security, customer service and problem solving skills.

More than 70 learners were involved in the 10th annual Derby Festé weekend.  They helped with the logistics to set up the barriers and staging before the event. They then marshalled the Sarruga Dragon parade on Friday evening, the street entertainment across the Cathedral Quarter, Derby Riverlights, St Peter’s Cross and Intu Derby shopping centre throughout Saturday before attending the Saturday night headline act MÚ at Bass’ Recreation Ground. The following day, six students were part of the annual Derbyshire Day at Kedleston Hall which was attended by thousands of people – helping to set up for the event, manning car parks and welcoming visitors.

Derby College Chief Executive Mandie Stravino said: “These two key events in the city and county calendars were extremely well attended by the public and our students played a vital role in ensuring that everything went smoothly and safely. “We have a team dedicated to organising work experience opportunities for our learners across the College. This provides learners with additional skills and enhanced CVs that better prepare them for the world of work. “The Uniformed Public Services learners and staff are particularly proactive in volunteering their time to provide much-needed manpower that support events such as these and many others throughout the year which are enjoyed by so many people in our local communities.”

Stephen Munn, Artistic Director of Derby Festé concluded: “Festé was again a huge success this year – attracting thousands of people day and night for the spectacular array of entertainment. “The Derby College students did a fantastic job and certainly helped to make the 10th annual Festé a weekend to remember. “The logistics of such a festival are enormous and we are very grateful for their input to ensure that this was an event that could be enjoyed by everyone – performers and families alike.”

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