Gemini Boat Race Bursary supports 5 youth projects.

We are delighted to announce that Ely College is one of five projects selected as recipients of The Gemini Boat Race Bursary Fund. Believing in the transformative potentials of sport, Ely College looks forward to building further on its local partnerships and using the profile of the world-famous Boat Race to inspire our young people.

Applications for the fund, which opened in June, were received from all over the UK from a wide range of clubs and organisations focused on making a difference to the lives of young people. Ely College joins Brixton Wings, Behind Every Kick, Firhill Youth Project and Warrington Youth Rowing; recipients hope to use the funds to support and engage with young people after lockdown or enable existing programmes to expand.  The judging panel were both impressed by the dedication and commitment of the volunteers, coaches and youth workers involved in all the projects.

The Five Projects

Ely College

Located near to Cambridge University Ely Boathouse, Ely College, a state school, has in recent years partnered with Isle of Ely Rowing Club to offer rowing taster sessions to over 200 students.  The Gemini Boat Race Bursary award will give more students the opportunity to take part in an activity previously perceived as financially, physically or even mentally inaccessible. Students will have the opportunity to showcase their evolving teamwork and physical skills in local and national competitions, both on the water or as part of indoor Ergo teams.  The well-established college partnership with Isle of Ely Rowing Club, has meant rowing has never been more popular at the school and the support from Gemini will allow for the continuation of summer and Easter taster sessions to ensure the maximum number of students will have any barrier removed, allowing them to taking part in regular rowing sessions.

Jason Coe, PE and Sports Curriculum Leader at Ely College commented: “We are delighted to have received our recently awarded grant from Gemini in partnership with The Boat Race. This grant will allow us to build a strong and sustainable programme of rowing within the college. Rowing provision in the last 2 years has grown tremendously with over 200 students having taster sessions, and many going on to join the local club. We envisage with the support of this grant that Ely College students will be able to develop their experiences and go on to represent the college in both local and national competition in years to come. Look out for us on our beautiful local rivers.”

Behind Every Kick

This organisation empowers young people through a shared love of sport; the charity’s programmes help develop skills learned through playing sports which can be harnessed to create opportunities in students’ wider lives. Gemini and The Boat Race are delighted to be supporting the BEK Development Programme which delivers a series of modules unlocking a lifetime of potential in young people.  These sessions will be delivered by two BEK Trainers from September to December 2021 to 6^th Form students at School 21, Stratford London. The students will then plan and execute a range of projects from January 2022 onwards, which build on the BEK Development modules and their rowing experiences.

Brixton Wings

The Gemini Boat Race are delighted to support this ‘can do’ grassroots organisation formed in 2010 whose mission is to advance the life chances and ‘lived experiences’ of young people, who might fail to engage with, or have access to niche sports. Brixton Wings helps participants realise essential life skills through sport. Gemini Boat Race funding will support 50 underrepresented 11–18-year-olds from Brixton and Lambeth to join ‘Learn to Row’ development rowing courses over the half-term holiday in Autumn 2021 and will support life coaching and intergenerational conversations. Gemini and The Boat Race recognised the impact of Brixton Wings work, in improving coordination and concentration, gaining confidence in communicating and supporting positive behaviours and wider life outcomes.   

Firhill Youth Project

This Community Sports Hub has worked very closely with the community in North-West Glasgow, to provide sports opportunities that best suits the needs of the area. Based in the Firhill Basin, beside the Partick Thistle Football Club Stadium - the centre provides free weekly rowing sessions along with other water sports activities.  With support from volunteers and college students, there is always a warm welcome to young people from North Glasgow. Since 2019 eighty-five 11–18-year-olds have taken part in the Learn to Row programme.  The Gemini Boat Race Bursary is delighted to support the expansion of this project to double the number of free rowing sessions offered and enable more young people to experience the benefits of taking part in sport.

Warrington Youth Rowing (WYR)

Opening empty rowing clubs across the UK for daytime access so that hundreds of school children can learn to row is the ambition of this initiative.  Founded to offer rowing to young people who might otherwise might not have the opportunity to join a rowing club, Warrington YR now has two additional hubs in Liverpool and Northwich.  In the space of five years, 28 secondary schools and 2 special schools now have over 300 students involved in rowing at local rowing clubs. The GBR award will support the WYR ambition to grow the number of schools involved through the appointment of a school liaison officer. 

The Boat Race Chairman, Tim Senior says, “We are thrilled to work with our partner Gemini in supporting these five projects, making a difference to young people in the UK. Each project brings a unique opportunity to experience and take part in rowing in a local community, and has been carefully selected from a raft of applications, because of the impact it can have on youngsters’ lives. We hope that the combination of rowing and the life skills offered by each project, will mean that participants can step forwards in their lives. We look forward to meeting the young people who join the projects and hearing more about their rowing journey.”

Blair Halliday, Head of UK, Gemini says: “We are proud to announce the sponsorship of these five selected projects through the Gemini Boat Race Bursary Fund, which support young people across a range of communities in the UK. The projects we have chosen to sponsor provide life-changing opportunities to make sport and rowing both inclusive and accessible to young people who would otherwise be excluded. The popularity of the sport has grown tremendously over the years, and we are excited to help grow the sport further by bringing it to a more diverse and inclusive audience.”

Student Mentoring: Could you inspire a lifetime of ambition?

Bishop Laney Sixth Form, near Ely, is focused on preparing students for a professional life. Every course offers professional relevance and each student will have the opportunity to be supported by a business mentor from the local community which we manage.

Could that mentor be you?

Bishop Laney Sixth Form have partnered with Ely Cathedral Business Group to recruit professional and inspiring men and women to provide 1:1 or group support for these motivated, yet impressionable young people.

Imagine how you would feel building a strong, trusting relationship with a young person that you know will make a very real difference to their life.

A business mentor is in a privileged position. You act as an advocate for your mentee, working alongside the teaching staff: understanding your mentee’s motivations and interests; firing ambitions; setting targets and providing advice on how to achieve them; guiding and advising about possible career options and the different routes that might be taken to secure them. After training, you will also help nurture the skills they need to land that all-important first job: interview skills, support with CV writing and advice on how to secure work experience.

You will give a great deal, but you will also gain a great deal in terms of personal development and especially the tremendous feeling of ‘giving something back’ to the community in which you live. The outcomes we look for, and usually achieve, are an increased awareness of progression routes, greater confidence to pursue goals, and higher levels of engagement with learning- as evidenced by improved progress. You do not give academic advice (that’s the teacher’s job), just supportive.

The programme is managed through the Bishop Laney Sixth Form by Belinda Lennon, blennon@bishoplaney.org, in partnership with Ely Cathedral Business Group. It will be in place for our Year 12 students, although there may be some Year 13 who have missed the opportunity because of the COVID pandemic.

• July - September: Complete the registration form, get in touch and let us know you want to be involved.
• September - December: You will provide a profile that will allow us to match you with the most appropriate student (matching criteria such as shared interests and passions). You will also be DBS checked to ensure we met our Safeguarding requirements. We will match you with a mentee. In November/December you will receive professional training to equip you with the skills you need to engage with young people; safeguarding issues and how to deal with any challenges that are likely to arise.
• January - December 2022: Depending on the COVID situation prevailing you will spend either 1 hour a month in College or on-line with your mentee if you are involved in 1:1 mentoring or take part in a group mentoring session. Bishop Laney will facilitate all meetings and be available to deal with any questions or issues you may have. You will not have any contact with your mentee outside of college hours.

Next steps

To register your interest, please complete our short form via the button link below.

→ REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN BECOMING A STUDENT MENTOR

If you would like to find out more, please email Belinda Lennon at blennon@bishoplaney.org or call us to discuss the opportunity on 01353 652818.

The Official Championship Trophy has been on tour today with Norwich FC Regional Development Programme. Bishop Laney Sixth Form and Ely College were their last stop before the trophy returns home to Norwich City FC. Football and Education at Bishop Laney inspiring the next generation of players! Amazing opportunity!

We recently wrote home to Year 10 students... Make Bishop Laney your choice! #IchooseBishopLaney

Michelin Star Chef, Alyn Williams, joined pupils from across the Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust for their first Trust-wide Design and Technology Event.

Each academy within the Trust was invited to access a unique event in which Alyn worked virtually alongside the students to cook together and explore the secrets of the food industry. Alyn has worked in some of the greatest kitchens in Britain, training for many years under Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsey.

This event was aimed at engaging students who have a genuine passion for the food industry. In their academies, each group of students used the same ingredients and recipes provided by the Trust and followed the instructions of Alyn to create the dishes together.   

Due to ongoing Coronavirus restrictions, the exciting experience was delivered through a remote live connection, with students being challenged with a series of tasks and activities, giving them a whole day to expand their abilities and increase their confidence, nurturing life skills alongside a professional. Students were also given the opportunity to ask Alyn questions in a Q&A session.

Lee Mawby, Vice Principal at Ely College was responsible for organising the day. He said: “After a tough start to the year for all students and their families, we are thrilled at the opportunity to host such an exciting event, which will inspire our talented students to explore a field they feel passionately about.

“Remote learning and Covid-19 has made the world feel like a smaller place over night and this is something we can really take full advantage of in education. With this in mind, we had been thinking about how we can maximise our student experiences as a Trust, particularly as they have been so limited for the last 18 months.

“Our students are very lucky to have this opportunity and its testament to Alyn’s investment in the industry and his passion to bring young talent forward. This is a first for us and we welcome the challenges that it brings and are excited to try a different approach.”

The Design and Technology event is a key part of CMAT’S first trust wide Activities Week ,which also featured a CMAT’s Got Talent competition launched by Comedian, Bill Bailey. The Activities Week is set to bring the CMAT community together and emphasise the importance of art and culture in education.

For more information about Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust, please visit: www.cmatrust.co.uk.

The CMAT Arts Festival kicks off with the Dance and Secondary Showcases this week:

CMAT DANCE SHOWCASE: Wednesday, June 23^rd, 6.30pm  -  https://youtu.be/OP5bnXAcG_o

CMAT SECONDARY SHOWCASE: Thursday, June 24^th, 6.30pm  -  https://youtu.be/pesnVJgyY4M

(featuring music and drama from Ely College groups)

Want to see if your shining star is in the lineup? Additional details on all the online showcases are contained within the attached PDF 'CMAT Arts Festival' PROGRAMME below.

Don't forget, next week is the final of CMAT's Got Virtual Talent! We are so proud to have not one but TWO FINALISTS in the show! Congratulations to them! We have our finger crossed for them both!

Next week:

CMAT PRIMARY SHOWCASE: Tuesday, June 29^th, 6.30pm

CMAT’s GOT VIRTUAL TALENT, THE FINAL: Friday, July 2^nd, 6.30pm 

(All showcases are set at automated Premiere time but are subsequently available to watch at a later date).

18/05/2021

Next Day AM: Phone Lines are back to normal working order. Thank you for your patience.

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17/05/2021

1:30pm Contingency Contact Numbers published.

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