A Marathon, A Health Fayre and a Teddy Adventure

Welcome back to all our readers, we have some great news and pictures for you this week, so let’s get started.

You may remember a few weeks ago we told you about Douglas MacIntyre and how he was going to take part in the Edinburgh Marathon to help raise funds for Down’s Syndrome Scotland.  Well Douglas has now completed this challenge and he has provided us with a wee update.

“I would like to thank everyone at Stow who donated to my Just Giving page. I ran the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday (27^th May), which was the 1st time I’d attempted a marathon,… I have to put it down to turning 50 and mid-life crisis!!!

I ran the marathon in 4 hours and 36 minutes,… I’d like to thank everyone who offered advice (especially about jelly beans). Due to Sunday being the hottest day of the year, my water consumption was considerable (with the inevitable consequences), but the training and advice I received throughout the past 8 months was invaluable.  My just-giving page is still open, I’m fund-raising for Down’s Syndrome Scotland, any donations would be gratefully received – http://www.justgiving.com/Douglas-MacIntyre – Thanks again”

Congratulations to Douglas on successfully completing this challenge and thanks to him for providing us with a couple of great pictures of him and his daughter, Matilda (see gallery below).

Now for some Pantrepreneur Challenge news from Archie Dickson.  At last; THE PANTS ARE HERE.  Please check out the video and vote on the Facebook page and support the students who are involved in the fantastic ‘Pants to Poverty’ project.  We need as many hits as possible.  Our Students are competing against another 14 colleges across the UK, and we are the only Scottish representative. A lot of work and effort has been put into this by the guys and all they need you to do now is:

• Visit the links attached & watch the video
• Vote on the Facebook link 
• BUY a pair of the pants

Please tell your family and friends, we really need your support for the guys and to help the farmers in India.  You can buy these direct from me in the Staff room on the 2nd floor and we will be setting up a stall in the foyer of the college, or send me an email registering your interest.  We have a range of styles, colours and sizes, so there will be something for everyone.

The next two weeks are crucial to our sales drive. If our students sell the most pants they will be selected to present their business plan and sales strategy to a panel of entrepreneurs with the chance to go to India to see for themselves how the money they have raised will make a real difference to people’s lives.

Next up this week is a Recruitment Fayre announcement from Amey.  Are you interested in a career in Civil Engineering?  Or interested in becoming a trainee technician, gain new skills as you study for a degree and earn as you learn?  If you are, then Amey are looking for applicants who have enthusiasm, fresh ideas and a keen appetite to learn and develop. In exchange, you will experience challenges and work with great people from a diverse range of backgrounds.  If you are interested then go along to an Open Day Event in the Eurocentral, Precision House, McNeil Drive, Motherwell, ML1 4UR on Monday the 18^th of June from 4pm to 7pm.  Remember to take along your CV.

 

Last week we had Health MOTs at Stow and this week we had a Health Fayre, which Ron Dillin has been kind enough to tell us about.  This week saw the Health Fayre taking place at both Stow City and Stow West, promoting a healthy lifestyle to staff and students.  John Briody and the catering team provided fresh fruit and vegetables which were a big hit with staff and students…and not a pie or deep fried Mars bar in sight!

Our friends from GAMH offered advice on mental health and wellbeing, and there were leaflets and advice on sexual health, drug and alcohol awareness and stopping smoking.  Thanks to all the staff who came along.

In other health news, the Mental Health Awareness quiz was won by Paula Porteous of Finance – well done Paula and a big thanks you to all those who took part.

Finally for this week some news from Lisa-Jane Rattray about the Teddy Bear’s Adventure some of our students were involved in.  The Teddy Bears Adventure is an annual event that Stow have been doing for 6 years now, this year it took place on the 2^nd of May. NQ Musical Theatre and NQ Actors perform mini children’s fairytales around Strathclyde Park and over 4,000 children come to see the performances. This year we raised £43,000 for St Andrews Hospice.  If the pictures (above) are anything to go by it looked like a lot of fun.

Well that’s us for another week, so enjoy your long weekend and we’ll see you back here next week.

A Bronze Award, A Farcical Production and Marathon Run!!

Friday already and time for our weekly blog, we have a few stories and photos for you this time, so enjoy the read.

First this week is a big Congratulations to the Stow College Marketing Department, who won the Bronze Award in the Integrated Marketing Campaign of the Scottish Colleges Marketing Awards.  The Marketing Awards and Annual Conference, which was held on the 23^rd of February in the Royal Hotel, was a celebration of the excellent marketing practice in Scotland’s colleges and colleges from across Scotland were recognised for their hard work in a number of categories.  For a full list of categories and the winners, visit the Scotland’s Colleges website and well done again to our Marketing Team.

Now for some Creative Industries updates.  On Thursday the 16^th of February, several of our NC, HN1 and HN2 Sound Production students visited the BBC studios in Pacific Quay at the invitation of the Audio Engineering Society (Scotland branch).  The evening included talks on the technical aspects of the move from Queen Margaret Drive, their sound desk and communications systems, followed by a tour of the studio facilities.  The highlight (for students and staff) was the tour of the studios and control rooms. The talks were quite intensive, and although sometimes struggling to understand the content, the students appreciated the information, found it interesting, and gained an insight into possible career opportunities.

Also David Hughes has let us know that our TV production Learners, who have been working, under the supervision of Stella Tobia and Fiona McEwan, with the GFT to record many of the interviews and events that occur during the Glasgow Film Festival.  The link below takes you to the Festival site where many of the short video clips  -typically 3 minutes are posted.  These are interviews with Directors etc. discussing their films.  These clips are a sample of some of the completed work of out Learners and demonstrate the standard to which they are working.

If you want to see some of the work from our Learners then have a look at the GFF website: 6^th down – Decoy Bride, 7^th Down – Cloudburst and 12^th  down – The Monk.  Given that this goes out to an International audience it is tremendous marketing for the College.

Next a performance, Stow College’s Stowaways are set to have audiences laughing in their seats with their version of a classic comic farce when the theatre group take on their biggest show yet, the 1982 classic British comedy Noises Off.  Dave, who directs the show, said: “Noises Off is a big production, it requires a massive set which revolves as it is a play within a play”, however the technical theatre students took on that challenge.  The small cast of nine will portray the tangled relationships at the fictional drama group and the farce that follows.  Claire Grant, Brian Farrell, Phillip Toop, Jacqueline McDade, Erin Elkin, Nicky Gibb, Laura-Catherine Woods, Noel Boyd and Matthew Topping will debut the show at Rutherglen Town Hall on Wednesday, February 29.  Curtain up at 7.30pm, tickets priced £9/£6.50 concession. To buy tickets call the theatre box office on 0141 613 5700.

The last two pieces of Creative Industries news come from Mark Baillie.  We are pleased to announce that we will renew the partnership established last year between Stow College and Material, the Marketing company behind T in the Park. This will involve a Music Business 2nd-tear student assuming responsibility for various aspects of the annual T-break project, including marketing, social networking, liasing with press and radio contacts, and acting as artist liaison on-site at T in the Park. The following interview between George Kyle of Tennent’s and Geoff Ellis of DF concerts makes reference to the partnership – Interview Link.

Also Electric Honey South by SouthWest hopefuls Woodenbox will play a special fundraiser in King Tuts on March the 9^th, the eve of their US tour.  Electric Honey would like to wish them, and label mates French Wives, who have also garnered a prestigious festival slot, every success in capitalising on this tremendous opportunity.

Related to the same faculty, but on different track, we have a man with a mission – Mr Douglas McIntyre.  Douglas is attempting to run the Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for Down’s Syndrome Scotland. This year DSS celebrates 30 years of working to improve the quality of life for everyone with Down’s syndrome and their families. Douglas has never run a marathon before, and assumes it’s a mid-life crisis on turning 50!  The training is a slog, but he is determined to make it, and he promises to give us a picture of him crossing the finishing line.  Douglas’s 8 year old daughter Matilda has Down’s syndrome and is an inspiration to the family and everyone who meets her.  DSS has been an invaluable source of support and information, so this is a cause close to his heart and any donation would be greatly appreciated.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. It’s easy to donate online with a credit or debit card – just go to my JustGiving page.

Next …… Douglas Thomson has passed on the following piece of news.  On Wednesday 25th January an enthusiastic group of S3 girls from Notre Dame High received an award for successfully completing a “French for Work” unit last term. The girls produced original websites using Dream-weaver. The initiative was another successful interdisciplinary partnership between Glasgow City Council, Stow College and Celtic Learning Centre. The participants were presented with a certificate by Celtic player Dylan McGeouch in the Number 7 restaurant.  If you are interested in seeing some of the work produced, you can see it by visiting the website.  Well done girls!!

That’s just about us again for the week, but before we go Ken McCluskey has been telling us about a gig he played with his brother at the CCA on Saturday the 25^th of February.  The gig was organised by another member of the Stow staff, Ishbel Murray, from Stow West for a Ceol’s craic.  The event saw popular Scottish musician Alasdair Roberts launch his new album and folk duo The McCluskey Brothers, both founding members of the chart-topping Scottish eighties guitar band The Bluebells, brought their brand of jangly folk music to the busy evening programme.

Well we are finished for now, but make sure you come back again next Friday for more updates.