TAVISTOCK College has hailed as a success its new initiative to create new ties with the people and organisations of the town and villagers it serves.

Since the covid pandemic the school’s normal links with the ommunity have been weakened and some lost.

However, since the beginning of the autumn term, the community partnership programe has reawakened these close relationships and sparked a new ambition among primary schools, charities and families and many other groups to work with the college on various projects of interest to them, especially on support during the cost of living crisis.

Jack Brokenshire, who leads on the programme, said: “This is a long term scheme which has made a very good start since September reigniting the excellent links we had with the community. We are re-engaging with our partners such as schools and other educational organisations. And reconnecting with the community to meet their particular interests and needs. We have a real meaningful purpose to our community partnership programme and that is to make the building and our resources and our existing partnerships relevant to people’s lives. We’re reinvigorating our purpose and role as a college at the centre of the community of Tavistok and beyond.” One of the partnerships is between students and primary children, enabling the college students to meet the younger children and act as ambassadors, said Jack: “We like to think our students are proud of the college and are effective custodians of the college as a centre of excellence for the next year groups coming up from other schools. Our students are definitely seizing the opportunities to take on that responsibility.” He stressed the people the college was reaching out to were not only families with college links, but anyone who had a particular need. So far the college has held a dog show/summer fair, cooking and basic budgeting sessions and a Christmas wreath-making class, some including former students as tutors.