EKC Group Scoops Prestigious National Beacon Award

Staff and students have been celebrating across East Kent after @EKC__Group was announced as the winner of the coveted ‘Pears #iwill Award for Social Action and Student Engagement’ during the 25th annual Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Awards 2019-20 on Thursday 4 June.

The AoC Beacon Awards celebrates innovation and outstanding practice in Further Education. The ‘Pears #iwill Award for Social Action and Student Engagement’ was presented to EKC Group in recognition of its pioneering social action initiatives in the communities it serves.

Chief Executive Officer Graham Razey said: “It’s absolutely wonderful to win such a prestigious award in such a hugely relevant category right now. The current context has shown just how important social action is, and the activities that our students do within our communities has real importance attached to it. This win really celebrates those projects that our students have led, and recognises the passion shown to enhance our communities and make the whole of East Kent that little bit better. Well done to all of the staff and students who’ve been involved!”

During its biannual ‘Community Weeks’, students and staff members from across the Group’s family of six Colleges and three Business Units engage in a wide range of projects, from providing workshops and activity classes, through to rejuvenating community spaces and supporting local businesses.

In the previous academic year alone, students clocked more than 40,000 hours of volunteering to deliver over 400 individual social action projects.

Chair of EKC Group, Charles Buchanan, said: “Many congratulations to all of the staff and students across EKC Group’s family of Colleges and Business Unit for winning this award. It is testament to the huge amount of transformative social action projects which they deliver within the communities we serve, and is a real endorsement of the Group’s ethos as a socially conscious organisation which wants to make a difference.”