The new South Gloucestershire and Stroud College launches officially tomorrow as staff and students embrace an exciting new era and celebrate the merger between Filton and Stroud Colleges.
Kevin Hamblin has been selected to become Principal and Chief Executive of the new South Gloucestershire and Stroud College after successfully leading Filton College over the last ten years. During his leadership at Filton, student numbers doubled and success rates placed Filton College in the top 10% of colleges nationally.
Kevin Hamblin comments ‘the merger between Filton and Stroud Colleges is central to realising our shared ambition to extend and protect our provision for learners, employers and local stakeholders – to meet the challenges of the economic development of individuals and the social regeneration of our connecting communities. Both Filton and Stroud colleges were extremely successful independently, but as a merged institution we can secure a sustainable future that can weather the turbulence of the national environment over the coming years.
South Gloucestershire and Stroud Colleges has the ability to meet the needs of all our learners and employers through the pooling of our resources, expertise and aspirations. The merger is the union of two like-minded organisations: compatible cultures, harmonised vision, and equally high standards of learner success’.
The founding Board of Governors of South Gloucestershire and Stroud College consists of four governors from the previous boards of Filton and Stroud Colleges respectively and is chaired by John Huggett, the former Filton College Chair who has been an active college governor for the last two decades.
John Huggett adds ‘we are committed to providing the best possible environment for all learners and to build on the complementary strengths of both Filton and Stroud Colleges. Merging from a position of strength, the new college will maintain and improve performance whilst reducing costs and increasing participation. This merger will maintain our treasured local cultures, identities and relationships with the local community’.
Staff at both Filton and Stroud Colleges have spent today marking the end of both colleges with a series of celebrations to recognise the achievements of both institutions and to recognise the impact they have had on learners and their local communities. The day’s events at Stroud College were especially poignant as staff and students said goodbye to retiring Principal Beri Hare. Beri has been pivotal in transforming Stroud College into a top achieving and highly regarded Further Education College. Her services to education were recently recognised when she was awarded the OBE.
Bottom row left to right - Marie-Annick Gournet / John Huggett / Martin Jones
Top row left to right - Carole Garfield / Nigel Cooper / Kevin Hamblin / Mike Farmer / Sharon Glover (Clerk to the Corporation)
Posted 31 January 2012
