Hannah describes coming to SRC Bede Sixth Form as “one of the best experiences of her life”.

While she was at school Hannah relied on her friends for confidence, but she made the decision to come to SRC Bede in order to join the Public Services course despite most of her friends going elsewhere, and she’s never looked back.

She said: “Studying Public Services at Bede really helped build my confidence. Garreth is a great tutor, and he and the other staff taught me to have more faith and trust in myself.”



The former Our Lady & St Bede Catholic Academy student said that the Public Services course caught her eye after she realised that studying A levels wasn’t for her, and whilst she enjoyed sport, a full time sport course would be too much. Incorporating some sport and fitness units, the Public Services course was perfect. With a few colleges in the area to choose from, Hannah settled on SRC Bede after coming to visit and feeling right at home straight away.

“Other colleges seemed really big in comparison, and whilst Bede isn’t tiny it’s small enough that you get to know pretty much everyone. It’s a really friendly environment and a nice place to be – I felt welcome from my first visit.”

Now working at Robinwood in Alston, the former Our Lady & St Bede student admits that working at the outdoor activity centre wasn’t part of her original plans. She said: “I wouldn’t have thought of this career path before – I originally wanted to go into the Navy or one of the armed forces, but that didn’t work out. This was almost like a backup plan for me, but I enjoy it so much that it’s now my main plan. I would never have had the confidence to go into this type of work if I hadn’t done the course, and I’m absolutely loving it.”

With plans to travel and take her work overseas in the future, Hannah credits the Public Services course at SRC Bede with giving her a lot of the skills required for her job and teaching her not to give up when faced with more challenging tasks. She said:

“I wouldn’t have come as far as I have if I hadn’t studied at Bede. For instance, the expedition to Scafell and Cat Bells that we took part in was really challenging for me. I didn’t think I could do it but I did, and the teamwork and determination we learnt has stuck with me. Taking part in things like the Remembrance Day parade and tactical training experiences with the police and fire service have all helped with my organisation too. Garreth makes sure students get as many opportunities as possible, and all of the things we learned on the course have helped in some way.”

“Garreth has two phrases from the armed forces that he uses a lot: “Cheerfulness in the face of adversity”, and “Improvise, adapt, overcome”. I use those all the time, changing the plan when I need to both in the fast-paced environment at work and in my own life.”

 

---

Are you interested in studying Public Services? Read all about our courses here on our website