Students and their supporters came together to celebrate learner achievement at the college group’s annual Excellence Awards.

The annual Capital City College Group (CCCG) Excellence Awards took place on 16 October at the iconic One Marylebone venue in central London. The celebration of learner achievement allowed both current and recently graduated students to accept their awards on stage in front of family, friends, teachers, and peers.

The event was sponsored by the kind donations of Apogee, KitMan, Staffordshire University, QAIM Qualifications and Assessment Group, Able Lifts, University of Roehampton, VTCT iTEC SKILLSFIRST and Ascentis: Awarding Organisation Body UK.

Robin Hindley, Vice Principal of The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) said: “It’s great to see so many of our students here, full of pride in what they’ve achieved.”

The evening began with a drinks and canapés reception in the upper galleries, where award winners and their guests mingled with college staff and affiliates. Attendees then made their way downstairs to the elegant and impressive Soane Hall for the award ceremony.

The ceremony was hosted by Kamal Ellis Hyman, founder of Aim A Little Higher – a foundation that helps young people achieve more. 

Sharon Saxton, Vice Chair of CCCG, officially welcomed award winners and thanked their friends and families for their unwavering support. She said: “I consider myself very fortunate to be Deputy Chair of this institution, surrounded by the brilliance of our learners and staff – and witnessing the boundless potential of our learners and playing a small role in nurturing that potential is incredibly humbling and gratifying.”

With such a wide variety of courses on offer, the Excellence Awards highlighted the impressive range of skills development and academic achievement across CCCG’s four colleges.

Yahya Ahmed, Adult ESOL Learner of the Year, said: “I think the best thing [at the college] was it gave me an immense opportunity to increase my language skills and to learn new skills which are going to help me in my future when I’m pursuing my career.”

Award winners were full of positivity and praise for their fellow students, and teachers and for the experiences that their courses offered.

Naomi Thorpe, Hospitality and Culinary Arts Learner of the Year, said: “The thing I liked most about my course was my teachers, my friend and the Lisbon trip – it was three weeks of work experience in Lisbon. I really enjoyed doing that because you got a lot of independence from it.”

Charity Mauluka, the winner of the Visionnaires Award, said: “My tutor was fantastic. She saw something in me that I’d never seen in myself, so that encouragement has been awesome.” 

Adding to the atmosphere of support and mutual celebration, guests also enjoyed a range of musical performances by students.

The awards recognised both achievement and resilience in the face of adversity, and the enthusiastic applause for each award winner showcased the uniquely supportive sense of community that exists within the colleges. 

Several staff members from across the college group were also recognised for their unwavering commitment to excellence. Henna Abid, a Creative and Digital Media Technician at CONEL was recognised for her commitment, meticulous attention to detail and immense positivity. Fouzia Uddin, an Administration Assistant at City and Islington College (CANDI) was nominated by her colleagues for the part she plays both within her team and beyond it – applying her exceptional work ethic to seeking out solutions, training and supporting others all while fostering a positive outlook. Ivanka Stoyanova, a cleaner at Westminster Kingsway College, was also presented with an award in appreciation of her hard work.

Well done to all the students and staff receiving awards and thank you to the team of staff and students who organized and facilitated the evening. We’re also grateful to our kind sponsors for making the celebration possible.