Trowbridge-based education supplier, The Consortium, has launched a new community initiative as part of its responsible business programme.

‘Community Link-Up’ will focus on three key areas; charity fundraising, volunteering in the community and colleague involvement. Talking about Community Link-Up, Melanie Teal, Managing Director at The Consortium said:

“The Consortium’s employees are enthusiastic fundraisers! Last year, we raised an incredible £12,000 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance. Community Link-Up will bring together a range of opportunities for our staff to get involved and help our local communities.”

“This year The Consortium will be supporting the West Wiltshire Special Needs Activity Scheme. This scheme helps children with special needs and their families during the school summer holidays. It is run purely by volunteers who offer fun activities for children such as art and craft, music and messy play.”

To kick off their community volunteering plans, The Consortium is teaming up with Bath Rugby Foundation in April. A group of employees will be volunteering to help deliver a bespoke literacy programme called ‘Stickability’ in local Wiltshire schools.

Volunteer Kate Moss at The Consortium said: “I’m very excited to be part of Stickability. It’s a great opportunity to make a positive difference in schools.”

In addition to the community programme, staff will be involved in a number of other events planned throughout the year, including an international bike ride in September. The fundraising event, which is organised by The Consortium’s parent company Smiths News plc, will start in Paris and finish at the Smiths News head office in Swindon.

We were delighted to sponsor a primary school award at the Youth Sport Trust’s prestigious Innovation Awards last week. The awards were attended by over 500 people, including Olympians and Paralympians, to celebrate the high quality and inspirational work in schools.

The Consortium has been working with the Trust as part of the Business Honours Club and sponsored an award to recognise excellence in harnessing PE and sport as a catalyst for learning in primary schools.

Congratulations to Cullercoats Primary School who won this award in recognition for their approach to developing positive attitudes towards physical activity, including using climbing activities to increase reading and writing skills and Aussie Rules football to improve study skills and behaviour.

Congratulations to all the winners whose inspiring work is so important for the London 2012 legacy!

Hounslow Heath Infant and Nursery School image left to right is: Amanda Coulson, GB Boxing Champion; Helen Reid, Telesales Manager, The Consortium; Katherine Harper-Quinn, Headteacher, Hounslow Heath; Tricia Stack, Deputy Headteacher, Hounslow Heath; John Shannon, PE Co-ordinator, Hounslow Heath.

Cullercoats Primary School image left to right is: Gav Storey, Headteacher, Cullercoats Primary School; Helen Reid, Telesales Manager, The Consortium; Amanda Coulson, GB Boxing Champion; Kev Youldon, Deputy Headteacher, Cullercoats Primary School.

Our friends at the Wiltshire Scrapstore invited us to the official opening of their new community room by The Duchess of Cornwall this week.

The Wiltshire Scrapstore is a thriving children’s and community charity based in Lacock, near Chippenham. Their aim is to promote learning through creativity, by making resources available to the community at an affordable cost.

Visitors to the Scrapstore will find an Aladdin’s cave of unusual materials as they take ‘scrap’ material donated by local businesses and find a creative use for it! They also run craft workshops to encourage all ages to explore their creative side. The new community room will help them to expand the range of activities they offer and make them even more accessible.

The Consortium supplies the Scrapstore with various art and craft items and was delighted to be invited to the official opening. Marketing and Merchandising Director, John Kershaw said “It was a great honour to be invited to this event and see the new facilities receiving the royal seal of approval! It’s a testament to the Scrapstore’s success in providing a valuable service to the community and we look forward to continuing to work with them.”

The Consortium was a proud sponsor of a public speaking competition between three of our local secondary schools on 4th February.

The Young Voice of Trowbridge competition brought together students from The Clarendon Academy, John of Gaunt School and St Augustine’s Catholic College in Trowbridge. Each school brought teams from Years 8, 10 and 12 to deliver their rhetoric and persuade the judges of their arguments.

The debates centred on key issues for the area such as the development of a new cinema complex, local job prospects for school leavers and the influence of young people on the future of the town.

The Consortium’s Head of Marketing, Jo Trigg, was on the judging panel, along with Jane Scott OBE, Leader of Wiltshire Council, Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth DL and Dr Andy Thompson, University of Bath. Jo said of the event “It was a hugely enjoyable evening. All the judges were very impressed by the quality of the arguments the students put forward and the standard of presentation together with the obvious amount of preparation involved. I’d like to congratulate all the schools who took part but particularly St Augustine’s who won the overall award on the night.”

educationresourcesawards.co.uk

Education resources supplier, The Consortium, is celebrating after being shortlisted for two prestigious awards.

The Education Resource Awards (ERAs), highlight the quality and diversity of educational products and resources. The finalists were announced last Friday and The Consortium was selected for two categories: Supplier of the Year (over £3 million turnover) and Education Exporter of the Year.

The Consortium, which includes Midlands-based West Mercia Supplies, has been the winner of the Supplier of the Year category for the last three years, but has never been shortlisted for Education Exporter of the Year before. Managing Director, Melanie Teal comments, “We are especially pleased to be selected as finalists for the Education Exporter of the Year Award as developing our international business has been a particular focus for us. However, being selected as a finalist in two categories is a fantastic achievement! It really does recognise the hard work of all our staff to provide educators with relevant and appropriate products together with high quality service.”

Caroline Wright, director of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) who organise the awards, says of the finalists: “Each year our panel consists of experienced education stakeholders for resources, organisations and teachers that make a real difference to education. By testing and identifying the best resources available to today’s schools and classrooms, schools can look to the finalists, and the soon-to-be-announced winners, as exemplary companies with practical products that are fit for purpose and provide real value for money.”

The winners will be announced at a gala event at The Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on Friday 15th March, the second evening of the Education Show 2013.

In addition to organising their own events, staff volunteered to take part in the White Horse Challenge in July. Despite torrential downpours and the muddiest conditions on record, four people completed the full 55 mile walking challenge and another four completed it in relay teams. Three people finished the One Day Challenge and a further nine took part in the Family Walk on the Sunday. All together, the volunteers walked over 500 miles and raised £4,000 in sponsorship money!

Luckily the weather was kinder for their next major fundraiser: a charity golf day held at Bowood Golf and Country Club in September. The event was supported by the firm’s suppliers and partners who enjoyed a fantastic day of golf that included mini competitions for nearest the pin, the longest drive and beat the pro.

Stuart Taylor, a member of the charity team at The Consortium, said, “Wiltshire Air Ambulance was a hugely popular choice with staff. Everyone really went the extra mile to help us raise as much money as possible. Some organised training sessions for the White Horse Challenge and drummed up sponsorship from friends and family, others organised quiz nights and donated raffle prizes but everyone did their bit to help!”

The awards, which are in their third year and organised by EducationInvestor magazine, celebrate the outstanding contribution of those involved in education, from academies to suppliers and consultants.

The judges’ comments about The Consortium praised our excellent all round service, the range of products we provide to customers and our highly regarded reputation in the market place.

The Consortium’s Managing Director, Melanie Teal, said of the award “We’re thrilled to win another award this year! It really is testament to the hard work that goes on across our business to understand our customers’ needs and make buying easy for them.”

The awards, which are in their third year and organised by EducationInvestor magazine, celebrate the outstanding contribution of those involved in education, from academies to suppliers and consultants.

The winners will be announced at an award ceremony in London on 15 November.

A total of 22 volunteers took part in the two day challenge which takes in Wiltshire’s white horses along its route.

Six staff took on the full 55 miles with another four completing it in relay teams. Three people finished the One Day Challenge of 29 miles and a further nine took part in the Family Walk on Sunday.

Unfortunately the weather was not kind and the walkers endured every kind of rain from drizzle to torrential downpours! Despite this, the mud and many blisters, they walked over 500 miles in total!

The sponsorship money is still coming in but they the final amount is likely to be an impressive £3,600 which will help to keep the Wiltshire Air Ambulance flying. Well done to all who took part!

The Consortium donated flags, whistles and rattles for the children to use to cheer Rachel on and eight staff from the company’s buying team offered Olympic-themed face painting, donned hi-vis jackets to act as marshalls and baked cakes for a celebration tea party after the relay.

Ruth Whitaker, Category Manager at The Consortium, commented “My team are responsible for sourcing educational resources for schools so we were all keen to help Larkrise School with this wonderful event. It was good for us as a team to see how much the children got out of the day as it really brings our work to life.”

Rachel said “The Consortium team helped create the perfect day. The whole school came together to celebrate this little bit of history. My moment to shine, became our moment to shine together!”