Community Development and Social Inclusion Conference

On Wednesday 16th January, Riverside College was host to the Community Development and Social Inclusion Conference.  The event, which was organised by Controllah Gabi a Health and Social Care Tutor from Riverside College, was to raise awareness of current developments in community development and social inclusion.

The delegates, who were a mixture of Riverside College Higher Education students, members of the local council and community, were treated to a morning of presentations. Speakers included, Noel Sharpe the Executive of Director Customer Services at Halton Housing Trust, Councillor Malcolm C. King OBE, Dwayne Johnson the Strategic Director of Communities at Halton Borough Council and Bev Fletcher a lecturer at Riverside College.

Noel Sharpe, from Halton Housing Trust, gave a talk which centred on the story and success so far of the Trust’s community development programme and the challenges that lay ahead. She said, “I was very honoured to be chosen to speak to young people about the Trust’s various regeneration initiatives and projects in Halton. I was particularly pleased that the College students at the event showed such an interest in the importance of regeneration within the borough and the part that they can play.”

Current Riverside College Higher Education student representative Paula Robinson also gave a talk about her journey so far.  She said, “I was nervous before my presentation but once I started speaking I was fine.  It was a great experience for me to speak alongside such influential people.  The conference was brilliant, I was especially inspired by Councillor Malcolm King as his presentation made me realise that one person can have such an influence on others to generate so many positive changes to his local community.”

The conference was also a fantastic opportunity to recognise some of the student’s achievements so far.  Maisy Wilkinson, who had already been awarded Student of the Month for November was presented with the Student of the Semester for the autumn term.

Controllah Gabi said, “This is the second year we have held the event at Riverside College and it has yet again been a fantastic success.

“The students studying on the Degree in Health and Social Care and the HND in Advanced Practice in Early Years are completing units within their course on community development and social inclusion.  It was great for those students who attended the conference to hear the presentations about projects such as the Langworthy Cornerstone Association in Salford and The Venture in Wrexham as well as local projects developed by Halton Council and Halton Housing Trust as they are able to make the connection between what is happening in the classroom and the community.”