1,000 days to go until 2012: 2012 hopeful joins us to celebrate!

If you've read previous posts and seen our 2012 blog you may know that we're passionate about 2012 here at HCC.

Tomorrow, it's 1,000 days until the start of the Games in London.

We've set ourselves a challenge to mark this. Students, staff, friends and family are taking part and sponsoring us, and 2012 hopeful Ryan Scott is dropping by to help!

Our Challenge:
Up to 1,000 records of 1,000 metres in our cardio-vascular gym. Running, cycling, rowing or cross-training - it doesn't matter as long as each person does at least 1,000m.

We're doing it for a week, from 31/10 to 6/11. Next Friday, sprinter Ryan Scott will drop by and 'race' our principal and some students. He'll also stay around afterwards and talk to our sports students about what it's like to be a top performer, in full time training.

To get involved, email marketing@hackney.ac.uk.

You can also donate to great north London charity Action for Kids by going to this link:
http://www.blogger.com/www.justgiving.com/HCC-1000daysto2012

I'm Running the Show!

Hackney Community College's Media Production students have made a short video for a competition for Colleges Week.

In record time, Rizwan Asghar, Neferty Mibo and Connie Powell, gave an interview saying what they would do if they ran a health and beauty magazine.

Students were asked what would happen if they were in charge for the day – what would they do? What would they change?

They find out if they win during Colleges Week - which is 9-15th November. And, if they do win, they'll get to find out how an issue of Top Sante magazine is put together, from photo shoot to page layout.

Please have a look and rate this video. The more 5 stars they receive, the better the chance of winning!

http://www.youtube.com/user/CollegesWeekComp2009

GOOD LUCK!

Eastenders Writer Brings Drama to HCC

Hackney Community College’s Performing Arts students are to write and star in their own drama, with the help of TV writer Pete Lawson.

The students have been set the challenge of creating their own theatrical piece which will be performed in front of a live audience early next year.

Pete, who writes for popular soap Eastenders, will be working with the students over a 12 - week period to prepare for the final show. They will cover all the aspects of producing a play, including themes, plots, characters, and stage settings.

The highly anticipated show, which will be themed around conflict, will be held in HCC’s Margaret Shepherd Studio in January.

Student Katie Mehmet, 17 said: “Pete is a real professional who knows a lot about performing and so I know I will learn a lot from him. Plus I am a huge fan of Eastenders so am really excited about working with him.”

There's always postive stuff going on at HCC - the drama just never ends!

St Barts Hospital works with HCC to help people get employed

Hackney Community College has been working in partnership with St Barts Hospital and the NHS to deliver a course entitled Pathways into Employment in the NHS. On Thursday 8th October, the successful learners were presented with a certificate from HCC Principal, Ian Ashman, to congratulate them on their success. Learners attended a two week course which included Emergency First Aid at Work, Data Protection, Manual Handling, Customer Services and Employability skills. The course culminated with a visit from Sangeeta Sengupta from St Barts Hospital who helped the learners to complete their application forms and prepare for their guaranteed interview. We all wish them good luck with their applications!

HCC deliver top customer service at local Jobcentre

As part of National Customer Service Week 2009 (5-11 October), the College went along for two days to the Jobcentre Plus on Mare Street, Hackney, to provide customers with detailed course information and advice on everything we do. Staff were promoting free courses which help people who have been unemployed for 6 months+, received redundancy notice, or have recently been made redundant. The information stand was really busy with enquiries throughout both days and customers found it to be a really useful drop-in service where they could ask absolutely anything!

HCC Advanced Academy basketballers - doing us proud

We're really proud of our basketball academy players. They study hard alongside their training and match schedule and they're superb ambassadors for Hackney Community College.

Last weekend our advanced academy players - and their coach - were in Sheffield at the launch of the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) programme. One of just 10 colleges in the country to be represented.

Read all about it here:
http://www.hackney.ac.uk/ShowNews.aspx?NewsGUID=f850abe0-f338-4f43-9958-91d16692a89d