Prestigious awards for Bucks adult learners

Two Buckinghamshire adult learners, together with one course tutor, have won prestigious awards from national skills and learning body the City & Guilds.

Pattie Wallington, from Gerrards Cross, was awarded aCity & Guilds Gold Medal for Excellence for Floral Design. She completed the City & Guilds course in Floral Design, Levels 2 and 3 in June 2017 with Buckinghamshire Adult Learning.

On receiving the award, Pattie commented, “When I heard that I had won the award I was truly amazed as I never expected I’d be successful. I felt tremendously excited and emotional and I’m not sure even now that I quite believe that my work was found worthy enough. I am thrilled, however, to win and I would like to thank the judges for considering my work of the standard required to be awarded the Gold Medal of Excellence in Floral Design.”

Sarah Nicholson, from Princes Risborough, was awarded a City & Guilds Gold Medal for Excellence for Stitched Textiles having completed her City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Design and Craft (Patchwork and Quilting) in June 2017 with Buckinghamshire Adult Learning.

Sarah said of her award, “I still can’t believe I’ve been awarded the Medal for Excellencefor doing something which I so enjoyed. The course has helped me gain confidence and review the way I think and work, the benefits of which have flowed into other aspects of my life. One of the biggest benefits with the courses run by Buckinghamshire Adult Learning is that you find people with similar interests- the value of learners swapping ideas and supporting each other is not to be underestimated.”

Buckinghamshire Adult Learningtutor Janice Gunner was also awarded a tutor medal for Patchwork and Quilting.

Mike Appleyard,BuckinghamshireCounty Council Cabinet Member for Education & Skills, said: “Congratulations to Pattie, Sarah and Janice for achieving these awards from City and Guilds- it’s a great recognition of the excellence of their work, and a testament to the quality of our adult learning courses in Bucks”.

Pattie and Sarah will be presented with their gold medals at Buckinghamshire Adult Learning’s Adult Learner of the Year Awards Ceremony on 14 June at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

For more information about courses run by Buckinghamshire Adult Learning, visit www.adultlearningbcc.ac.uk or call 01296 382 403.