Celebrating support staff in further education
Champions in Our Colleges will take place on Friday 2 May 2025. This day is designed to celebrate support staff working in further education and give recognition to the hard work and dedication they show every day.
How can you get involved
- Get active on social media, tag us in your photos using the hashtag #ChampionsInOurColleges
- ‘Nominate a Champion’ prize draw
- Set up recruitment stalls in colleges
- Email your principal to get them involved
- Write to your local newspaper to let them know you’re celebrating support staff
- Hold a coffee/cake morning for support staff
- Hand out leaflets and print posters to put up in your colleges
- Running a stall at a college, e.g. booking a food van to give out hot food/drinks
- Organising a social media takeover
- Organising a free prize draw
Nominate a Champion (prize draw)
Thank you to everyone who took part in Nominate a Champion. The 2024 winning Champions are:
- Cymru/Wales – Hannah Devine, Aln coach
- East Midlands – Hennie Swan, Wellbeing Mentor
- Eastern – Zena Titchen, Operations Supervisor
- Greater London – Maria Michael, Student support
- North West – Rute Pemberton, SEND support practitioner
- Northern – Stephen Ashmore, Exams Coordinator
- Northern Ireland – Patrick McHugh, Media and Art and Design Technician
- Scotland – Sharon Lambert, Receptionist
- South East – Sue Griffith, Lead learning advisor
- South West – Andrew Clarke, Estates
- West Midlands – Edmund Haworth, IT Services Lead Engineer
- Yorkshire & Humberside – Jay Solomon, Security Guard
*The 2025 prize draw will open later this year, check back for updates
Resources
Check out the resources below to help you celebrate the day.
Activist interviews
Find out more about two Activists Maxine Young, Tyne Coast College and Gavin Cartwright, South and City College Birmingham – who tell us more about their roles and why support staff are so vital in the education sector.