A coastal college is proudly leading a national initiative to help its staff and students support and connect with communities in the Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth area.

The Good for ME Good for FE campaign aims to generate £1m of social value via a sustainable programme of community action including volunteering, fundraising and charitable partnerships.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Staff from East Coast College dropping off cakes to Covid volunteers as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.Staff from East Coast College dropping off cakes to Covid volunteers as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign. (Image: East Coast College)

More than 100 colleges across the country have already joined the campaign, spearheaded by London South East Colleges, East Coast College and Loughborough College.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign. (Image: East Coast College)

It builds on the success of FE Foodbank Friday, which saw colleges around the country come together during the pandemic to raise over £47,000 and collect more than 20,000 items for local foodbanks.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign. (Image: East Coast College)

With demand for Foodbanks remaining high, this strand of activity will continue as part of Good for Me Good for FE, to ensure that communities continue to be supported with basic food needs. 

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Staff from East Coast College litter picking as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.Staff from East Coast College litter picking as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign. (Image: East Coast College)

Staff at East Coast College have already contributed 1,000 hours of volunteering - the equivalent of £30,000 in staffing costs.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign. (Image: East Coast College)

Activities have included helping out at Pathways Care Farm in Lowestoft, building bird boxes for schools, donating clothes, toiletries and food to The Living Room charity in Great Yarmouth, baking cakes for Covid volunteers, delivering paint and furniture to local charities, making planters for care homes, litter picking at Gorleston and Lowestoft beaches, making worry dolls for the James Paget University Hospital and delivering bags of sweets to schools that support young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign. (Image: East Coast College)

College chief executive and principal, Stuart Rimmer, said: “We are delighted to be one of the leading colleges in this exciting and important initiative.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Staff from East Coast College litter picking as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.Staff from East Coast College litter picking as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign. (Image: East Coast College)

"Working in partnership with colleges around the country means that we can have a really positive impact on both our own communities and those further afield.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign. (Image: East Coast College)

“We also know that helping others supports mental health and wellbeing – so this is certainly something we are keen to encourage via Good for Me Good for FE.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.Staff from East Coast College volunteering as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign. (Image: East Coast College)

“I am proud of the work 300 members of our staff have already done in the community.”

A list of all the colleges taking part can be found online.