Month: March 2022

We were delighted to attend and observe a student-led Business Employability Engagement 

Conference last month. The conference was organised and run by Level 3 Business students, who wished to create an event that sought to engage their fellow Business students. The goal was to familiarise them with both course progression options as well as employability routes available to them once their course is complete. 

The event itself was organised in an ’open-plan’ format, which allowed the learners to visit each of the six stations at their leisure. Each station had a member of staff who would offer impartial advice and careers information on their specialist subject. The event was well attended and the learners who were present also benefitted from a session developing their CV’s and interview skills. 

Sawmarr, the student lead on the project, had this to say after the event, “We’ve just finished our ‘Employability Engagement Conference’, which covers Unit 4 of my Business Level 3 course. I am incredibly happy with how the event went and I hope the other learners found it to be useful and informative. Thank you very much CTK for letting me organise this event and for providing me with help and assistance!” 

We would like to say a massive well done and congratulations to all the BTEC Level 3 learners who worked so hard on this conference, and we look forward to assisting in more projects like this in future. 

The ALS team has recently launched their “Life Skills” sessions for our ALS learners, with the intention of teaching them practical and worth-while skills to assist them in the future. The first session is cooking and sees learners preparing palm-oil-free toast and ethically sourced coffee for the staff members that ordered it. 

Learners found the class fantastic and enjoyed it immensely, many of which are now thinking about what session they would like to be run next. Mr Willson, organiser of the event and ALS Coordinator for CTK Emmanuel, had this to say, “I could not be happier with how the event went. The learners found it extremely useful, and they enjoyed it as well. Best of all they more prepared for the future, and we have raised money for a good cause. I am so excited for the next session and hope that the learners find this one just as rewarding.” 

Staff were also impressed by how great the class was for their own wellbeing. Ms Jarman, a staff member at CTK Emmanuel, had this to say, “It has been amazing. It is nice to have a place where staff members can chat and eat with other staff who they may not see on a usual basis, has been a truly enriching experience and it is for a great cause!”  

The money raised from the session has been donated to Demelza, a charity of the learner’s own choosing. Demelza is a charity that assists families with young members suffering from terminal and very serious illnesses.  

The incentive is a fantastic way to teach our learners vital skills whilst also encouraging independent growth. We eagerly await the announcement of the next class and look forward the ALS department will organise next. 

We welcomed the celebration of LGBT+ History Month here at Christ the King this February with a variety of activities and displays which sought to illuminate some of the amazing actions members of the LGBT+ community have performed throughout history. 

In the LRC (Learning Resource Centre) we have had wonderful displays installed detailing both prominent historical figures from the LGBT+ community as well as more recent individuals who have achieved something remarkable. Many people have found these displays incredibly interesting and thought provoking. An example of someone on the board was Nicola Adams, who was the first openly LGBT+ woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal in the boxing competition. 

The LGBT+ Society, a student-led group acting as a safe and secure environment to talk about issues relating to the LGBT+ community, has also been discussing LGBT+ history, as well as the positive changes to civil rights in recent history and the landmark events that led to where we are now, including the 1969 ‘Stonewall Riots’ and origins of the Pride in England to name a few. 

Our 10:10 reflection at the start of the month was also dedicated to LGBT+ history month, which emphasised the importance of respecting human identity, dignity and worth, and that whoever we are, our self-understanding can be affected by our past, present and future. 

CTK is an establishment that reveres acceptance and respect, and we are delighted to be able to be able to shine a light on the importance of the LGBT+ community and the positive impact they have made in making our world a better place. 

At Christ the King we are big proponents of social action in our communities and are regularly running events and activities for the benefit of charities in and around our local communities. Below are a few of the recent social action events that have been taking place across the CTK (Christ the King) sites. 

Recently learners and staff were encouraged to wear expressive clothing in aid of “Dress to Express Day”, a day that aims to raise both money and awareness for the charity Young Minds, a charity that seeks to ensure all young people and their families receive mental health support, if they need it. This day raised over £350 for the charity and cannot wait to see this money put to good use. 

In a similar vein, students also took part in “Onesie Day”, which saw learners attend their sixth form in all manner of humorous onesies. This event was run by the learners themselves and was in aid of Mindout, a charity focusing on improving the mental health of people in the LGBT+ community. 

Learners also ran a heart-shaped lollypop stand in the canteen, with the profits going towards the charity Tender, a charity whose mission is to help young people who are the victims of domestic abuse. This was another charity selected by the learners. The total sales managed to raise a fantastic amount of £70 for the charity. 

The grand total from these events was over £400, and we are so immensely proud of our learners for running events like these, whilst simultaneously committing to their studies. It demonstrates how deeply they care about social action and how much making a difference means to them. 

We eagerly await the opportunity to inform you of more acts of charity and social action occurring around the sixth forms in the future. 

Christ the King is proud to announce the launch of our Easter Appeal, a fundraiser seeking to raise both gifts and money towards two amazing charities, CAFOD and Demelza.  

CAFOD (Catholic Aid for Overseas Development) is a Catholic organisation that aims to assist anyone in the world who requires aid. Demelza is a charity that assists families with young members suffering from terminal and very serious illnesses. 

The appeal is set to run throughout lent and encompasses a variety of social action initiated by our learners, including a chocolate Easter egg appeal, a GoFundMe donation page and a milkshake stand amongst many more. We are honoured to be organising such an event and are excited to be able to update you once we have news on the status of the appeal. 

If you would like to donate items or funds to the appeal, you can do so in a variety of ways: 

• If you would like to donate monetary funds, please follow the link which will take you to our GoFundMe page, where we are raising money for the two charities. 
• If you would like to donate chocolate eggs to the appeal, please bring them to either the chaplaincy, or the reception where they will be collected by the team. 

We would like to take this moment to thank our fantastic chaplaincy team for organising the appeal and continuing to facilitate and run events throughout its course.