Cardiff and Vale College Painting and Decorating students brush up St Albans RFC

Painting and Decorating students from Cardiff and Vale College have taken part in a community project live brief where they redecorated St Albans Rugby Club in Tremorfa.

The learners, from across CAVC’s Painting and Decorating cohort at all levels, repainted the changing rooms and corridors with paint donated by College partner Johnstone’s Paints.

CAVC Painting and Decorating Lecturer Colin Simpson said: “The project is a great help to the club and community where there are two senior rugby teams and two senior football teams and on average between 200-250 junior rugby and football members playing for the club and who use these facilities. It also gives our students the chance to practice their skills in a real, working environment.”

Jamie Williams, Territory Manager at Johnstone’s Paints, said: “We’ve donated about £350 worth of paint – we’re absolutely happy to help out as we are very heavily involved in the community. We like to help the learners progress – if there’s anything we can do, we will.”

Michael Thomas, Head Coach at St Albans RFC, said: “It’s fantastic – it’s really good as a community organisation to have this relationship with the College and to have the students come in to help. It might seem like a small job but it’s a massive job for us.

“Everything starts in the changing room for our players, in both the junior and senior teams, so for them to have the best experience is great.”

Ian Watkins, team Manager at St Albans RFC, added: “We run a free policy; we don’t charge because what we do is all about the community and the area we are in. For the College and Johnstone’s Paints to contribute in such a manner is a massive deal for us – it’s free and high quality work.”

Painting and Decorating learner Pat Groves, who is 39 and from Penarth, said: “It’s brilliant. It’s been fantastic to apply what you have learned and do it in real life. We’re also putting something back into the community to help people.”

“It’s been a nice chance to use some of our skills and put what we have learned into effect in a real life environment,” fellow student Ash Cosgrove, 38 and from Barry, added. “It’s given us the chance to build our skills and work as a team with other year groups at different levels.”

Another student, Vincent O’Brien, 48 and from Cardiff, said: “I love helping out the community where I can. The College has done a lot for me – I’m a single parent and it inspires my son when I get home and he hears about me painting and decorating.”