Learners from Milton Keynes College joined in with a major incident training exercise held at the College’s Bletchley campus.  They had the invaluable opportunity to shadow and learn from the emergency services and even be part of the action in a mock car accident rescue. 

Thames Valley Police, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service and Acute Ambulance & Medical Services joined forces for the simulation in the car park which even involved cutting the roof off a car. 

20 of the College’s Uniformed Public Services students watched on, with each learner shadowing the service they want to join after college, while . 18 others volunteered to be “casualties” in the exercise. Visual effects students from Aylesbury College even came along on the day to apply fake injuries and wounds to the pretend injured. 

Pete Goodwin, Course Team Leader for Uniformed Public Services at Milton Keynes College, commented on the day: “What a fantastic exercise! Our learners were able to see first hand just how much teamwork, collaboration and skill goes into supporting a major incident like this and hear directly from the emergency service personnel exactly how they approach major incidents. 

“We’re so grateful to everyone from Thames Valley Police, Bucks Fire Department and Acute Ambulance & Medical Services for providing our learners with a truly unique experience that will be invaluable for them, both during the rest of their studies at the College and when they progress into their chosen careers. I’d also like to say a huge thank you to the staff and students from Aylesbury College who helped to make the incident feel as realistic as possible.” 

Kieren Gibson, Chief Executive Officer of Acute Ambulance and Medical Services, commented: “It was great to demonstrate to the students how the emergency services come together and collaborate in such a professional way, and to show how to smoothly and effectively we all deal with these kinds of situations. It was a pleasure to be a part of the exercise, and we hope the students went away with a great learning experience”. 

Watch Commander Lee Bloom from Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue, Operational Learning and Assurance team commented: “This was a great opportunity to give the students the chance, to see what is involved in resolving an operational incident and how the emergency services work together. Although this was a simulation, the special effects provided by the students from Aylesbury College were excellent and it made the incident feel realistic, for the crews involved and the observing students.  Collaborative opportunities like this training exercise prepare our team for when they do need to respond to real incidents, allowing us to continue to make a difference together in our community” 

Police Sergeant Steve Holmes from Thames Valley Police added: “On behalf of Thames Valley Police, I want to say a huge thank you to the staff of MK College and all the students for their excellent engagement for what turned out to be an excellent day. It was a fantastic opportunity for TVP to work in collaboration with Bucks Fire & SCAS to show case our skills when dealing with a major incident. I hope this gave the students an insight on how each individual service utilises their training, equipment and partnership working. Thank you to all who made the event possible, and we look forward to future events”. 

Student, Freya Williams said, “I was the casualty that was being cut out of the car; I had a realistic broken leg with neck and spinal pain. The fire service cut me out and put me onto a spinal board.  They had to take the roof off to get me out. I was happy that they were reassuring me on about what was going on and what they were going to do next. 

Another student, Finley Marchant added, “We were able to get an up close, detailed look, into how the different services, respond, and work together in an emergency incident. Me and a few other members of my class with the dream of joining the Fire Service, were able to watch the incident close up, alongside a firefighter, who was constantly updating us on what the firefighters were doing.  We even got a tour inside and around the Fire Engine, looking at lots of the gear they have onboard. It was such an amazing opportunity and experience to be part of, and has further inspired my passion of joining the Fire Service.”  

To find out more about Public Services at MK College, visit Public Services Intermediate – MK College 

84 Public Services students from MK College have raised over £1,000 for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, through a 10 mile charity walk in Milton Keynes. 

The students were inspired by Russ Chittenden, a former Paratrooper from nearby Aylesbury who is currently walking the coastline of the UK with the aim of raising £50,000 for SSAFA. The students were able to talk to Russ over the phone before setting off on their walk, which helped to motivate the students and remind them why they were taking part in the challenge. 

The students and their tutors from the College walked a 10 mile route along the redways of Milton Keynes, from the College’s Bletchley campus to Willen Lake and back to Bletchley again. 

Mark Davis, Course Team Leader for Public Services at MK College, said: “The Public Service students absolutely blew me away with this challenge! The students were so inspired by Russ Chittenden’s incredible challenge to walk the entire coastline of the UK, that they wanted to do something to help him reach his fundraising total. Not only did they complete their 10 mile walk but they have now raised over £1,000 for SSAFA, which is an amazing achievement – well done to everyone who took part. 

 “I thought it was appropriate that we had a picture in front of the College’s ‘Difference Makers’ mural in Bletchley. It is fair to say that this year’s Public Services students truly are difference makers. I am beyond proud of all 84 students who took part and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated to this fantastic cause.”  

Matthew Jeary , Public Services student at MK College, said: “We had a rewarding fundraising experience on the walk while getting closer to others in my class with the power of music it was an excellent and personally fun venture to help support Russ’s efforts and SAFFA as well.” 

Alex Thumm, another Public Services student at the College, added: “It was a fun and enjoyable hike, with music and nature, and rewarding to know that our efforts were appreciated, supporting Russ, and helping this important charity.” 

You can sponsor Russ, or the College’s students, here.
 
You can find out more about Russ’ challenge here .

MK College out in force to support MK Can event for local food bank

Staff and students from Milton Keynes College Group came together to support the MK Can event on 16^th October at Campbell Park, in support of Milton Keynes Food Bank. Around 100 businesses, 20 schools, 30 churches and faith groups, 50 community organisations and 25 charities from Milton Keynes were all involved with a target of collecting and positioning over 100,000 cans of food along a 10km line through the park. The event was awarded a Guinness World Record for the longest unbroken line of cans of food, with the tins then being collected and taken over to the Food Bank afterwards. 

The College Group and its Brasserie Restaurant sponsored two sections of the 10km course, with staff volunteering on the day to place the donated tins along the course. 93 students from the College’s Public Services courses also helped at the event by carrying the tins to the different sections, marshalling, and showing supporters to their areas of the course. 30 Music students from the College also performed throughout the day to entertain those taking part and 25 Photography students were on hand to photograph the event. 

The College was required to collect 700 cans for the two sections it sponsored, but on the day had far exceeded that number with over 1,800 cans donated by staff and students. All of the cans collected on the day will go to supporting the Food Bank’s service users, with the total of over 100,000 being enough for six months’ worth of food supplies for the communities of Milton Keynes. 

Rebecca Myrie, Head of Community Engagement at the College, commented: “What an incredible event! When the Food Bank approached us earlier this year about the idea of a World Record attempt, we were very excited to take part but we couldn’t have imagined what was achieved today. To see thousands of people from across Milton Keynes come together to support the Food Bank was really amazing.” 

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support we’ve had from colleagues and learners in donating cans for this event. But the highlight has to be the incredible effort we saw from our students on the day. From music students performing to an amazing standard, to our photography students capturing special moments and our Public Services students being so helpful to everyone involved, they really did themselves and the wider College proud. Plus, I hope that the students will have made special memories and gained skills that they will carry with them into their courses and beyond.” 

The feedback from the colleagues and students involved in the event has been overwhelmingly positive. For instance, Mark Davis, Course Team Leader for Public Services at Milton Keynes College, commented: “It was amazing to be part of something so beneficial to the community and a privilege to part of a world record. When it was announced that we had broken the record it took a minute or two to sink in because the total number of cans collected was staggering. The students have said that they feel it was an amazing opportunity and they were proud to be a part of the proceedings. The organisation that went into this event was immense and I would like to say a personal thanks to Louisa and the team at the Food Bank for inviting us to be a part of it”. 

Rachel Glass – Course Team Leader for Photography – and Chris Gascoigne – Photography Lecturer – added: “The whole of the Photography department had a wonderful day at MK Can. All the learners turned up with great enthusiasm and cameras at the ready. They all had a chance to practice their location photography skills while having fun at the event; and they were a credit to the College for their behaviour and professionalism. Plus, the pictures they have taken are superb. The sun was shining on a great day with a Guinness World Record to boot”. 

For more information on the work the College Group does to support our communities, visit Working With The Community – MK College.