North Notts College Partners with The Crossing Church
A new partnership has been formed between North Notts College and The Crossing Church, opening up exciting volunteer opportunities to students studying FLEX programmes.
Established in May 2006, The Crossing Church set up a Social Enterprise Company (SEC) to focus on implementing ethical projects and initiatives to benefit local people. Although the SEC is currently being wound up, all work will continue under The Crossing Church Charity, whose mission remains unchanged. Regular independent groups and charities come together at the church to work on various community projects, such as fundraisers, training events, social inclusion groups, and more.
Every Wednesday between 10 a.m. and noon, FLEX students help run a coffee morning at The Crossing in Worksop town centre. The café area hosts many community projects throughout the week, all depending on volunteers to provide the service. FLEX students contribute significantly to this endeavour by carrying out tasks like serving food, preparing refreshments, cleaning up, and interacting with customers.
Anne Taylor, church trustee at The Crossing Church, said: “Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. This is a valuable joint project, allowing our café space to be open to the general public on another morning (on Friday mornings, the same service is provided by church volunteers). Those of us who pop in for coffee and cake are very impressed with the team of students. All church trustees hope that this will be a positive experience for everyone who takes part.”
Flexible Learning Experience (FLEX) programmes support students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), high and complex needs, or who may have faced challenges in traditional classroom settings. Placements like this one provide a great opportunity for these students to develop valuable skills such as communication, teamwork, and customer service while also giving something back to the local community.
Adele Unwin, SEND Support Specialist at North Notts College, said: “Every week is a real team effort from the students, who are learning valuable employment skills and engaging with our local community. This is a great opportunity for us, and we hope to continue to build on it.”
Among the students who have volunteered is Supported Internship student Kaysha, who said: “Working here has helped me grow in confidence, especially when speaking to people. It has also taught me valuable skills such as customer service, handling money, time management, and teamwork, which will be useful in any future job.”
To find out more about the courses we offer in FLEX, please visit: https://www.nnc.ac.uk/department/flex/