BRIDGWATER & Taunton College staff and students have been keeping busy during the coronavirus lockdown, proving support to the local community in whole manner of ways.

As the pandemic took hold, the College worked with partners to repurpose its residential accommodation on the outskirts of Taunton so that some of Somerset's most vulnerable residents could be provided with food, shelter and support.

To support the NHS, BTC donated hundreds of items of PPE to the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust including gloves, gowns and respirators.

The College’s 3D printers have also been set to work, creating protective visors for NHS staff and volunteers working at Musgrove Park Hospital.

In a further effort to support those at the hospital, BTC has donated several electronic tablets which have an app installed so that patients and loved ones can video call each other free of charge.

Elsewhere the BTC Creative Arts department has been collecting materials and donating domestic sewing machines to volunteers to sew scrubs and masks for community use with the group called ‘The Taunton Scrubbers’.

The College’s catering team has supported the opening of a new community shop run by volunteers, while the Business Development Team have been working remotely to support and advise the College’s employer partners.

Principal Andy Berry said, “I’m extremely proud of how well our students and staff have adjusted to the ‘new normal’.

"Most are working from home but there are some staff attending College to fulfil essential roles such as looking after our animal collection, continuing milk production at our farm and carrying out essential maintenance.

"Staff have also attended College to support our most vulnerable students and students whose parents or carers are key workers.”

He added: “We are making plans to invest over £400,000 in digital learning technologies over the coming months to ensure we can provide the best possible learning experience for our students.”

Vocational and leisure subjects are also continuing to be taught, including subjects ranging from automotive to gardening.

Acts of kindness by college students have included calls to regular customers of the College’s Quantock Restaurant for a friendly chat, apprentices volunteering at local care homes, staff members voluntarily helping their local community by picking up groceries, prescriptions and helping run community volunteer-led shops.

Mr Berry concluded: "As we turn towards September, we are exploring ways in which we can open the College safely and we are encouraging people to apply as soon as possible to ensure we have everything in place to support them at the beginning of term."