The Siddington Evergreen Art Club are holding their Annual Art Exhibition at the Elizabeth Way community rooms in Siddington.  On display will be work produced by the group during classes taught by Fiona Botterill, a Cirencester College Art Tutor. 

There will be a preview by invitation only on Friday 21^st November, but the exhibition will be open to the public on Saturday 22^nd and Sunday 23^rd November 2pm-5pm. 

The "Siddington Evergreens" are an over 55 group who have developed into a dedicated and enthusiastic group of artists.  There will be sales of paintings, cards and artwork to raise funds for the Cirencester Hospital League of Friends.

Rosemary Coop, Community Learning Manager for Cirencester College, says "The Siddington Evergreens are an inspirational group. Not only do they help each other with the downsides of getting older, they produce art work of a really high quality. They show that with support and tutoring, we can all be creative in different ways".

If you are a member of a community group in the Cirencester area and would be interested in working with a tutor from the college, please contact Rosemary Coop on 01285 640994 or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

Nationally three quarters of a million young people aged 16-19 study for qualifications in a sixth form, tertiary or further education college and almost three million adults attend a college each year, Success rates in colleges have also risen year on year for more than a decade and now compare favourably with the best in the world, with 48 per cent of all those entering Higher Education coming from the sector. Unparalleled levels of investment are going into colleges and there is hardly a college in the country that has not had new buildings, is in the process of being rebuilt or which has bulldozers lined up to start. The Government has pledged to rebuild the whole sector by 2015 and, if anything, this immensely ambitious programme is ahead of schedule. The aim is for world class buildings housing world class performance. But colleges do more than support the ambitions of individuals. For many firms, colleges are the source of the qualifications and skills development that they need to drive their business forward. And colleges play a leading part in supporting the development of communities. In many areas indeed they are the social centre for the local population.

And Cirencester College is no exception.  As a Beacon college, rated as "Outstanding" by OfSTED, the college attracts nearly 2000 young people to study for A levels, National Diplomas, and a wide range of other academic and vocational qualifications.  Last week's Open Evening proved highly popular with some 2000 parents and prospective students; searchlights lit up the skies over the college to welcome visitors, a very patient and well behaved horse joined staff in highlighting new provision in animal care and horse management, and visitors had the opportunity to hear talks on college life, the college's innovative employer linked academy programmes and the International Baccalaureate, as well as meeting staff teaching our 57 A level programmes and 13 National Diplomas.  The college has a 99% pass rate and has twice in the last two years headed the national league tables at level 3 (A levels and National Diplomas etc) for Tertiary and General FE colleges.  Many of our students progress to Higher Education, and the college now also offers Foundation Degrees for students who want to gain employability skills and work experience alongside their academic qualifications, and avoid debt by earning as they study!

The recent creation of the college's new Business Training and Development Team is testament to Cirencester's commitment to providing the kind of service our community deserves.  The coming year will see the expansion of training for employers through the Governments Train to Gain and ESF programmes, and the first Apprenticeship programmes run by the college in a number of years.  The college is a Centre of Vocational Excellence in Financial Services and a member of the National Skills Academy in both Media and Financial Services.

The college also prides itself in creating a focus of community activity. The Sundial is hosting I Witness, performed by the Volcano theatre Company, a journey in the footsteps of writer WG Sebald, and last week saw a performance by former student Rupert Luck, now a popular and busy professional musician.  The College's Historical and Archaeological Society is privileged to hear from D Day Veteran Alan McQuillan, an event that is part of the college's attempts to raise money to support the visit of 3 D Day Veterans to France next year.

Recent research by the Association of Colleges highlights the investment that colleges make into their local communities, and Cirencester is no exception.  Employing 270 full-time equivalent people the college is one of the biggest employers in the area, and this year will spend approximately £3 million with local suppliers of goods and services.

For further information please contact Desna McAll on 01285 640994 or email Desna on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A group of hard working adult students with learning disabilities from Cirencester College are looking to help projects in Cirencester by working in the community.

The group, who are supported by an experienced staff team, meet every Tuesday at the College for a range of courses including animal and horse care, horticulture, art, retail and catering, but they are now looking for opportunities to use their skills in the wider community.

The College hope that helping in the community will allow the group to meet other people from different walks of life, and get involved in community life in a positive way by developing their skills through meaningful work.

They already have work experience in jobs that range from clearing leaves and litter to painting fences and growing their own plants and vegetables.

Cirencester College lecturer Brona Langton said, ‘Our students would like to be more involved in development plans and projects in our town.

They have a lot to offer Cirencester and would really gain in confidence if they could interact more.’ If anyone would like our help or can offer us the chance to get involved please contact the tutor Brona Langton by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone Cirencester College on 01285 640994.

Note to editors

Cirencester College provides a wide range of educational courses for around 90 students with learning difficulties. Younger students, aged 16-19, have a full time programme that develops independent living and work skills. Mature students follow an individual programme designed to develop a broad range of skills. The college is in the process of expanding vocational training. There are currently dedicated facilities for training in animal care, retail, horticulture and catering. A new Fast Track course has recently been established to provide students with training and supported work placements. An Enterprise Scheme has seen students in Art and Woodcrafts making items for sale and a new shop will be opening soon on the College site which will be run by our students and open to the public.

Hard-working students from the Marketing Academy have raised an impressive £351 by holding a silent auction in which a range of items were auctioned using a system of sealed bids.

The largest single bid was £234 for a 'pampering weekend'.

The students were presented with a certificate of achievement and a box of chocolates.