Blackburn College International Nursery Project in Line for Top Award

Blackburn College staff and students are delighted after being nominated for a prestigious national award for building a nursery in Malawi.

The top Lancashire college is one of four finalists in the ‘Volunteering Project of the Year’ category at the Good for Me Good for FE awards, for founding the Blackburn College International Nursery.

Students and staff travelled to Malawi in June to set up the nursery and learning environment as part of the Turing Scheme, a Government programme that provides funding for student projects abroad.

Blackburn College International Nursery will also provide accredited qualifications in Early Years care, with the aim to set up a training hub for nursery managers and workers in Malawi.

Matthew Robinson, Blackburn College Executive Director of Student Support, said: “It is fantastic to be recognised nationally for such a prestigious award.

“This nomination reflects the hard work staff and students put in to create such a transformational project in Malawi.

“Further Education is transformative, and this project truly transformed lives, not just of the people of Malawi but also the students and staff involved in the project.

“We are working towards delivering an academic qualification at Blackburn College International Nursery, recognised in the UK, which will ultimately become a training hub for nurseries across Malawi.

“We are looking forward to returning to Malawi next year to carry on with this incredible opportunity to change lives.”

Blackburn College partnered with Malawi Relief Fund UK and raised more than £10,000 last year for the life-changing project, which went towards funding the new nursery.

During the 16-day trip to Malawi last June, the students participated in work placements aligned to their Early Years Education and Childcare courses, including nursery planning, enrichment and displays.

Next summer, another group of Blackburn College students and staff are set to return to Malawi to continue working on the project.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries the world, and adult literacy rates were recorded at fewer than 70 per cent in 2022, according to data collected by the World Bank.

The third annual Good for Me Good for FE Award nominations were announced at the Association of Colleges (AoC) annual conference in Birmingham last week, by awards co-founder Elevare Civic Education Group Sam Parrett and AoC chief executive David Hughes.

Blackburn College and the other 24 finalists are invited to a special House of Lords reception on December 5, hosted by former Secretary of State for Education Baroness Nicky Morgan, where the winners will be announced.