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Here at South Hampshire College Group (SHCG) we continue to prioritise safeguarding and wellbeing, taking proactive steps to support students, staff, and visitors. On Tuesday, 15 October 2025, Eastleigh College partnered with Hampshire Police for a planned safeguarding initiative. A temporary knife arch was installed at the main entrance as part of the operation, which forms part of a wider national approach. Schools and colleges across the country are working closely with local police to raise awareness, encourage safe choices, and promote positive community engagement.

The initiative highlights the college’s commitment to proactive education and safety and we would like to reassure our community that this was not in response to any specific incident but was a proactive measure to support community safety and education.

Our thanks are extended to students, staff, and Hampshire Police for their cooperation and partnership in creating a supportive and secure environment for the college community.

Safeguarding and wellbeing remain at the heart of everything South Hampshire College Group does. The Safeguarding Team is always available to provide guidance and support to any student who needs it.

A Level 2 Bricklaying Apprentice has won the Guild of Bricklayers regional competition in Chichester and will compete in the national finals in Sunderland next month.

24-year-old Brandon is in the first year of his bricklaying apprenticeship with his employer CoTrain and learning provider Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group. Despite being new to the field, his dedication to learning and improving made a strong impression. He was put forward for the senior Guild of Bricklayers competition after just eight months, pitting five bricklaying apprentices against each other in a competitive environment. Brandon’s victory was made more notable by the fact that most competitors were significantly further along in their apprenticeship journey, and his achievement was met with a trophy and a brand-new set of tools.

Brandon commented: “I was surprised to be put forward for this senior competition, given how early I was into my apprenticeship, but it’s been a great experience and I find this work really rewarding. My goals for the future once I finish college are to get my blue CSCS card and dive into the industry. As for the finals, I just want to enjoy it and not put expectations on myself – anything more after this would be a bonus.”

Jon Smith, Bricklaying Trainer at Eastleigh College, has worked with Brandon since he started his apprenticeship. Jon said: “We have had good success as a College Group in recent years in this competition and I believe that’s down to our quality over quantity approach. Brandon has made fantastic progress on his apprenticeship and should feel very proud. I look forward to supporting him at the national finals in Sunderland next month.”

After ten regional heats were staged across the country, the focus now turns to the national finals of the Guild of Bricklayers 2025 competition, which will be held at Sunderland College on 5th June. Ten finalists, all winners of their respective heats, will compete for the overall title, producing a project that incorporates all the skills they would have picked up throughout their apprenticeship and workplace experience.

For more information on the Guild of Bricklayers competition, please click here.

Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, has been announced as Catering College of the Year in the 2025 Public Sector Catering Awards.

The ceremony, which took place on Thursday 24 April at the Hilton Metropole in London, was attended by over 600 guests representing all areas of the sector, such as education, armed forces, healthcare, universities and colleges. Over 100 competitors were in the running across 19 categories, with overall proceedings led by celebrity host and magician Ben Hanlin. Guests also enjoyed a three-course meal and a special raffle in aid of the Clink Charity, which aims to rehabilitate prisoners through nurturing hospitality and catering skills in a customer service environment.

Eastleigh College’s triumph in the Catering College category, sponsored by AroundNoon, recognised the exceptional standard of teaching and delivery in the Hospitality and Catering department, including its extensive range of industry collaborations, excellent career progression stories, and 100% retention rate across all subject levels. The student-led East Avenue Restaurant, also run by the Hospitality and Catering department, is the highest-rated restaurant in the Eastleigh area, with a 4.9-star rating on Tripadvisor.

Richard Carter, Lecturer in Hospitality and Catering at Eastleigh College, attended the event and commented: “We are delighted to receive such a prestigious award and this is a fantastic testimony to the hard work and efforts of our entire team, as well as our amazing students. It’s an honour to be recognised on the national stage in this way and we are committed to building upon this success as a department as we continue through 2025.”

David Foad, Editor of Public Sector Catering Magazine, said: “We have been absolutely blown away by the response we have received to the 2025 Public Sector Catering Awards. Nominations have flooded in and are almost 40% up on last year, which itself was the best ever. It shows that despite the massively challenging environment in which public sector caterers have to operate, they still see huge value in supporting their stand-out teams and individuals in the great job they do. In an industry in which such valuable work is often done with so little recognition, they obviously see the Public Sector Catering Awards as offering a chance to put that right.”

The Public Sector Catering Awards, formerly the Cost Sector Catering Awards, were initially launched in 1995 before a rebrand in 2020 to better reflect the sector that nominees operate in. Now in its 30th year of operation, these awards have a long and decorated Roll of Honours list, recognising industry pioneers from across the UK. 2025 saw a record for most entries received, with a total of 242 entries, proving to be a significant 35% jump on the 179 entries received last year.

For a full list of winners on the night, please click here.

For any further queries, please visit our website at www.shcg.ac.uk or email [email protected].

A Level 2 Hospitality and Catering student from South Hampshire College Group has won the 2025 CombiGuru Challenge in Venice, Italy; a competition that was entered by over 3000 students nationwide.

17-year-old Hettie Anderson is a student at Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, and earned her place on the winner’s podium by delivering the highest-scoring main course and dessert to a panel of four expert judges within a strict three-hour time limit. Each competitor had to centre their dish around a random ‘mystery ingredient box’, with Hettie’s being tomato and chives for her main and pistachio for her dessert. Her main course, Roast Chicken served with romesco sauce, heritage tomato salad and lemon caper butter oven-steamed potatoes, was praised for its vibrancy and freshness while her Pistachio Financier dessert, served with vanilla bean chantilly, blood orange, and caramelized white chocolate, was commended for its taste and presentation.

As overall winner, Hettie’s prizes included a state-of-the-art Unox Oven to bring back to Eastleigh College, with free installation included, as well as £1000 worth of Italian cookery classes, a specialist Italian knives set and a kilogram of sustainable cooking flour.

Hettie commented: “This was a fantastic experience and I am beyond thrilled to have won the 2025 CombiGuru Challenge. Beyond the competition itself it was such a fun trip, exploring beautiful Venice, enjoying so much wonderful food from the local restaurants and the hotel was very nice too. The organisers really took care of all us finalists which really helped to make it an unforgettable trip. This competition caught my eye when I first joined the college so to have gone all the way and won it feels amazing.”    

Hettie earned her place in the Venice final by being the top college performer after a 21-day app-based culinary test, that explored cooking techniques, seasoning practices, flavour combinations and more. The competition is open to all Hospitality and Catering students across the UK and always proves popular, with last year’s edition seeing 220 colleges and a total of 3200 students enter. Only the top 40 highest points scorers progress to the Venice final.

Caroline Perrett, Curriculum Director at Eastleigh College, commented: “We are incredibly proud of Hettie’s remarkable achievement at the 2025 CombiGuru Challenge. Her success is not only a testament to her talent, dedication and creativity, but also to the quality of teaching and support provided by our Hospitality and Catering team at Eastleigh College. Competitions like this are invaluable for our students’ growth, giving them real-world experiences and international exposure that truly elevate their learning. Hettie has set an inspiring example for her peers, and we look forward to seeing her continue to thrive as she progresses in her culinary journey.”

Hettie added: “My time at college massively helped me during this competition, I have gained so much confidence during classes and my tutors have really helped me improve my time management in the kitchen which was a big theme of the final. I feel very fortunate to be at a college where we have so many development opportunities as students, and I am planning to continue on to my Level 3 qualification next year.”

The 2025 competition was the eighth edition of the CombiGuru Challenge, which offers aspiring chefs an engaging educational experience, designed to both challenge and enrich cooking skills and knowledge. With its popularity increasing each year, with greater traction across the UK, Italy and Spain, this event has cemented itself as a firm fixture on the Hospitality educational calendar.

For any further information on the CombiGuru Challenge, please click here.

An electrical student from South Hampshire College Group has won the national Sparks Learner of the Year competition, held in Birmingham, taking home a £2000 cash prize and an assortment of cutting-edge industry equipment.

Frankie McAll, a 20-year-old electrical apprentice at Eastleigh College, emerged victorious from eight competitors in what was a closely contested final taking place over two days. Each finalist was tasked with completing a professional installation layout from scratch, following the same illustrated instructions. The action unfolded at the JTL Centre in Birmingham, following a series of regional heats staged across the country earlier this year.

Cheering Frankie to success in Birmingham were his apprenticeship mentor, Dan Hutton from JTL, and his college tutor Paul Austin, who originally put Frankie forward for the competition. Frankie received a cash prize of £2000 as the overall winner, alongside a set of six power tools from the latest range, a tool rucksack, electrical connectors and a series of industry books.

Frankie McAll commented: “I was genuinely surprised and very happy to win. The final was very challenging compared to the regional heat and there was a lot to do in the timeframe. It’s given me a lot of confidence going forward and I’d like to thank all my college lecturers – Alan, Mark, Paul and James, as well as my mentor Dan from JTL and my employer Rob at Cardinal Electrical. I really felt their support throughout the whole competition.”

Paul Austin, Electrical Curriculum Manager at Eastleigh College, commented: “I am a very proud tutor and was extremely happy when Frankie’s name was called out. This is always a very competitive contest and it’s a huge achievement to even get a national finalist let alone a winner. This will open so many career doors for Frankie and hopefully set him up for a long and successful career in the industry. It’s also fantastic for our college and our apprentices will hopefully be inspired to see what can be achieved with hard work and dedication.”

The annual Sparks Learner of the Year competition celebrates the most exciting new talent in the UK electrical industry, allowing students to put their technical abilities, skills and knowledge to the test in a competitive environment. Organised annually by SPARKS Magazine, the contest begins with six regional heats held across the country before the grand final in the Spring. Frankie secured his place in the final by winning the South East regional heat in February.

South Hampshire College Group student Frankie McAll, 20, from Waterlooville, has won the South East regional heat of the Sparks 2025 Learner of the Year competition. He will now compete against 7 others in the grand final in Birmingham this April.

The Sparks Learner of the Year competition is one of the most exciting opportunities for emerging talent in the electrical industry, pitting the brightest and most capable prospects across the nation against each other in a competitive environment. During January and February, outstanding Level 2 and Level 3 students from across colleges in England and Wales have competed in six regional heats, tasked with completing a live practical installation under timed conditions.

Frankie’s success came in the South East regional heat at Aldershot Construction College, where he emerged victorious from ten students representing seven other colleges, as the only individual to successfully complete the installation project within the strict four-hour time limit. This involved carefully following instructions from a detailed spec document in order to put his college education and work experience into practice.

Frankie commented: “It was great to have this opportunity as I’d never taken part in an industry competition before and I was excited to see how I stacked up against others who were also put forward for their skill and ability. I was chuffed to win and I could really feel the benefits of both my workplace experience and time in college in making this happen. It was an intense and tiring day so it’s a little daunting thinking ahead to the final but it’s already really increased my confidence to have made it this far, anything else beyond this is a bonus.”

Paul Austin, Electrical Curriculum Area Manager at Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, taught Frankie during his first year at college and put him forward for the Sparks competition. Paul said: “This competition is always of a very high standard but I could see Frankie’s quality of work in our workshops and knew he could handle this. He was well prepared, motivated and completed the project to a very high standard within the time frame – he has done himself and the College proud. It vindicates what we do as lecturers when we have a talent like Frankie who is able to showcase the skills and knowledge that we try to impart into all our students.”

The grand final of the 2025 Sparks Learner of the Year competition is set to take place in April (date TBC) at the JTL Training Centre in Birmingham. In addition to the competition, this event will provide valuable networking opportunities with industry specialists.

To learn more about the Sparks Learner of the Year annual competition, please click here.

Greg Cheeseman, Hospitality Lecturer at Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, attended the 2024 Pearson National Teaching Awards on 30 November as a finalist and was presented with a Silver Award for Further Education Lecturer of the Year.

Thousands of nominations were received this year in the Pearson National Teaching Awards, often referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of the teaching profession, with a select few receiving the prestigious Silver and Gold Awards. Entries came from schools and colleges from across the UK.

Greg’s Silver Award accolade has put a national spotlight on his impressive devotion and achievements over the ten years as a chef lecturer at Eastleigh College. His dedication and input into empowering and upskilling young people in the local community go far beyond standard teaching responsibilities.

Greg Cheeseman, Hospitality Lecturer at Eastleigh College, commented: “I was honoured to represent South Hampshire College Group at the Pearson Teaching Awards London ceremony. It was a privilege to be in the same room as other like-minded educators listening to worthy winners’ stories. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me over the years, from past lecturers who taught me, to my fantastic students past and present and to the great team I work with today.”

Sue Lyons, Head of Hospitality at Eastleigh College, commented: “It is amazing that Greg has been recognised at a national level for all the work he continues to do on a daily basis to inspire our young chefs and give them the best experience possible.”

Now in their 25th year, the Pearson Teaching awards celebrate the best of teaching across the UK and the impact and dedication of teachers in ensuring the best for their students. The 2024 ceremony, held at The Brewery, London, was presented by TV presenter Gaby Roslin, in a nostalgic throwback to the very first Pearson Awards in 1999, which she also presented.

For more information on the Pearson National Teaching Awards, please visit their website here.

Eastleigh College have hosted their annual Christmas Fair which has proved to be a huge success, raising an incredible £2273.46 for Piam Brown Ward of University Hospital Southampton.

The Christmas Fair was organised by Event Management students and gave them the opportunity to showcase months of meticulous planning and hard work that had been put in since the beginning of the academic year. The students created a winter wonderland filled with immersive decorations, a marketplace with local stallholders and gift sellers, a Santa’s Grotto, and a variety of fun activities and games for the whole family.

Students from other departments across the college also took part, including Kickstart students who were fundraising for their ‘Rise Up’ campaign, Art & Design students selling homemade Christmas Cards, and Hair & Beauty students offering sparkling holiday treatments such as hair tinsel.

The primary focus of the event was fundraising for The Piam Brown Ward, a unit based in University Hospital Southampton that cares for children with cancer. The Event Management students worked tirelessly to support this worthy cause and their efforts were richly rewarded, raising an impressive £2273.46. These funds will help ensure the continuity of quality service that Piam Brown are renowned for, and ensure bespoke support for patients and their supporting staff.  

Eastleigh College would like to thank the whole Event Management department and wider students and staff who contributed to making the event such a memorable and impactful occasion.

A trainee refrigeration engineer at South Hampshire College Group has been named as a finalist of the ACR & Heat Pump Trainee of the Year Awards 2024.

Brendon Fry, a Level 3 Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps student at Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, has been recognised for his remarkable progress on his course and employment, which has seen him become a fully qualified Service Technician at Trane UK. Despite having no previous industry experience and a different prior career path, Brendon defied the odds to secure a permanent position and a promising future in the sector. This latest success follows a remarkable summer in which he claimed the coveted Adult Student of the Year award at Eastleigh College.

The ACR & Heat Pump Trainee of the Year Awards is one of the marquee events on the calendar in the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning industry. It aims to celebrate the sector’s diversity and spotlight the achievements of emerging engineers. The prestigious ceremony will take place on 5th December at the Leeds Marriott Hotel, with a drinks reception, lunch and awards presentation. Five categories will be featured, each offering gold, silver and bronze accolades, with Brendon contending in the Refrigeration Trainee Engineer category.

Brendon Fry commented: “Being nominated as a finalist for the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Trainee Of The Year Awards 2024 is an incredible honour, and I’m beyond thrilled! I owe a great deal of my success to the lecturers in the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump department who have provided the perfect environment for me to transition from the retail sector into a fulfilling and exciting career with Trane Engineering. Every day, I’m grateful for the opportunity to work in an industry I’m passionate about, and this recognition feels like the culmination of a journey I couldn’t have taken without such fantastic support.”

Scott Perry, Refrigeration Lecturer at South Hampshire College Group, said: “As an educator, tutor and trainer, it’s been incredibly rewarding to witness the journey of Brendon Fry from a Co-op Store Manager to now working with Trane Engineering, a globally recognised leader in the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump industry. What sets Brendon apart is his unwavering passion for learning and his determination to succeed. From day one, he demonstrated an eagerness to not only grasp the technical skills but also deeply understand the science and innovation behind Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps.

Brendon’s transition from managing a store to thriving in a service technician role has been a testament to his hard work and dedication. He took every opportunity in the course to expand his knowledge, often going above and beyond class expectations, whether it was hands-on projects or engaging with industry professionals. It’s no surprise that he has become a finalist for the prestigious Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Trainee Of The Year Awards 2024.

This recognition reflects Brendon’s commitment to excellence, and I am deeply confident he will continue to make significant contributions to the industry. Brendon has shown that with passion, persistence, and a desire to keep learning, remarkable career transformations are possible.”

For more information on the upcoming event, please visit the dedicated awards website here.

Students across South Hampshire College Group have hosted a special coffee and cake fundraiser in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, raising a total of £896.50.

In a unique event organised across two of our college sites, Eastleigh College and Southampton College, students from Event Management and Early Years courses organised, prepared and ran a fundraiser selling homemade cake and coffee. A rich assortment of sweets, bakes and chocolates were on display with dairy and gluten-free options available to cater for those with allergies and dietary requirements. A raffle was also staged, with winners enjoying a special selection of premium sweet treats.

100% of the £896.50 raised has gone to Macmillan Cancer Support – a national organisation committed to caring for and supporting the 3 million people across the UK living with cancer. In addition to providing support for this important cause, the coffee and cake fundraiser offered many educational benefits to students. It gave them valuable experience in staging an event, fostering teamwork, collaboration and project management skills, while also giving them the opportunity to learn transferable skills in a customer service environment.

Gemma Braybrook, Lecturer in Media, Marketing and Event Management at South Hampshire College Group, commented: “This event was a great example of how quickly students have settled and adapted into college life, showing great teamwork and leadership skills in just three weeks. It was lovely to see them so motivated and excited to plan this event, for a charity that has helped so many of them. The creativity and communication skills they demonstrated has given them a solid foundation which they can utilise as they join forces with the second year students to plan one of the biggest events of the year – The Christmas Fair – which is happening on Thursday 28th November!”

Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, has unveiled four new Centres of Excellence in time for the new 2024/2025 academic year.

September 2024 marks the launch of Eastleigh College’s new Centres of Excellence in Business and Finance, Health and Social Care, Bricklaying and Electrical Installation. These new centres are part of South Hampshire College Group’s wider £12 million cross-college investment programme in bespoke facilities to create immersive learning environments for students and offer innovative educational opportunities. These facilities will be open to students on career-focused courses including those on apprenticeships, Higher Technical Qualifications and especially T Levels, given South Hampshire College Group’s position as the lead provider of T Level qualifications in the Solent region.

Each Centre of Excellence offers cutting-edge resources specific to the subject area, with a new healthcare ward and elderly care mock flat created to support Health and Social Care students. Business students will benefit from a specialised boardroom, office spaces and interview rooms while Electrical Installation students will have access to advanced equipment that reflects modern industry technology. Bricklaying students will have a brand-new training facility that reflects a bricklayer’s work environment.

Rosie Sharp, Vice Principal of Eastleigh College, commented: “We are very proud to announce the launch of these new Centres of Excellence, successfully established in time for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year. These new facilities look fantastic and do a brilliant job of simulating a workplace environment for students. This will make for an easier transition from college to the workplace and give students a greater degree of practical experience and immersion during their studies.”

Natasha Curzi-Micallef, Curriculum Director at Eastleigh College, commented: “It has been a busy summer preparing these new facilities and we are delighted to welcome our new cohort of students this morning and introduce these new environments to them. The hands-on experience students will gain from these will not only enhance their learning but also better prepare them for their futures beyond college.”

More Centres of Excellence are set to be unveiled across the college group, with Southampton College poised to reveal four further centres in Early Years, Engineering, Motor Vehicle and Digital Industries. These exciting developments follow South Hampshire College Group’s earlier unveiling of the state-of-the-art South Coast Institute of Technology at CEMAST in Lee-on-the-Solent, which specialises in Robotics, Electronics, Advanced Engineering, Digital and Maritime.

Eastleigh College have hosted the final heat of the 2024 Major International Culinary Challenge, with eighteen medals received across the students competing.

It was a strong performance from all students, who were tasked with creating a uniquely inspired dish within a limited time frame, before presenting their dish to a trio of judges. Level 3 Hospitality and Catering Student Oscar won ‘best in class’ for his Pan-fried chicken breast, served with Hassleback potatoes, braised leeks and carrot puree. He will go on to compete in the grand final of the competition at the Excel Centre in London.

Oscar said: “It was a tough competition with a lot of skilled chefs. I’m chuffed to have been awarded best in class and it’s an amazing opportunity for me to get out there in London and network with chefs and employers across the industry.”

The Hospitality and Catering team at Eastleigh College commented: “We are very proud of all our students’ efforts today at the final heat of the Major Chef Culinary Challenge. Eighteen medals is an outstanding achievement and we wish Oscar the best of luck as he goes on to compete in the final later this Spring.”

Andy Mackenzie is an Executive Chef for the Exclusive Chef Academy and was one of the judges for the heat. He commented: “It was a fantastic and impressive display from our competitors today, there was such great imagination across the menus and it really shows that the future is very bright.”

Sky was the recipient of a gold medal in the heat. She said: “I’m very happy to have been awarded a gold medal, it shows that hard work pays off and has given me a real feeling of accomplishment.”

Major International’s annual Major Series is one of the longest-running young chef competitions in the UK and gives learners of varying skill levels the chance to learn new skills, gain valuable tips from industry professionals and experience the competition arena for the first time. Outstanding performers in each heat will progress to compete at the Excel International Convention Centre in London in front of a live audience. With many senior chefs in attendance, the event provides a prime opportunity for networking with industry professionals, with the competition historically often proving a gateway into more exclusive competitions and opportunities.

For any further queries please contact the College at [email protected].

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