News Freshers’ Fair at Collyer’s 30.09.2019

The annual Freshers’ Fair took place at Collyer’s last week. Freshers’ is designed to help welcome new and returning students to the college and comprised a record number of different stalls and activities. The college welcomed a host of organisations, societies, clubs and services from across the region.

Rebecca Adams, Head of St Leonard’s House and the college’s Tutorial and Enrichment Officer, co-ordinated the days. She explained: “Freshers’ is a really important event in the college calendar, as it showcases how the college extends its excellent curriculum programme to all students, with the added opportunity to find groups, societies, clubs and events which will enhance their time at Collyer’s. There really is something for everyone and it’s a great opportunity to enable students to meet other like-minded people.”

Vice Principal (Student Support) Andrea John said: “The Freshers’ Fair gives all students the opportunity to become involved in college life and enhance their learning experience whilst at Collyer’s and gain further employability skills, beyond their academic studies and courses.”

The event promoted a number of initiatives, including “Collyer’s Extra” (the extra-curricular clubs, societies and groups) and “Collyer’s Active” (sport for all events and classes) which are run weekly throughout the year.

In addition, organisations from the wider community, who provide young adults with important support services, also attended as part of a pastoral, safeguarding and well-being focus for young people. Organisations who supported Freshers’ 2019 included: Interact, Find It Out, Springboard Project, West Sussex Sexual Health, Allsorts, Horsham Fire service, Horsham Kickboxing Club, Neighbourhood Watch, West Sussex Library service. Additional support services within Collyer’s also ran stalls, together with the Library and sport teams at Collyer’s.

Rebecca Adams added: “Each year the number of those taking part increases and the range of societies has become more diverse and interesting.”

Collyer’s students promoted approximately 30 clubs and societies, including: Debating, Duke of Edinburgh, Multi-Cultural, Oxbridge, RCU (Richard Collyer Students’ Union) and Young Enterprise.