A coastal college has signed off a successful academic year by celebrating the achievements of students and staff, its contribution to the local community and progress in major local educational projects.

East Coast College hosted four nights of student awards last week, celebrating further education students at both Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth, apprentices, Lowestoft Sixth Form and Access students.

The week culminated in an all-staff celebration, with awards presented to teachers, managers and support staff, followed by an afternoon of volunteering in the community with around 500 members of staff involved as part of the Good For Me Good For FE campaign.

Activities including Welding students making and auctioning off a log burner, Hospitality and Catering students baking and donating 3,000 portions of cake for Sotterley Country Fair and Prince’s Trust students collecting over 76kg of rubbish joining forces with other local organisations to sweep Great Yarmouth beach.

The end of the academic year also saw the launch of the college’s Annual Review, setting out East Coast’s progress over the past 12 months in developing its curriculum, delivering student success, progression and wellbeing, supporting its people and improving the business.

Key milestones included the college’s leading role in the development of a new £12m University Centre in Great Yarmouth, a ground-breaking new partnership with the James Paget University Hospital and University of Suffolk to further strengthen educational and training opportunities in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft and more than £1m investment in new T Level facilities.

The college has also worked hard to secure a brand new £50m campus for Great Yarmouth set to be built by 2024, as well as working with Sizewell C to secure significant investments into the Lowestoft Campus and new Civil Engineering Centre at Lound.

East Coast College chief executive Stuart Rimmer said: “The year has been fast paced, exhausting and hugely rewarding.

“To our students I express my admiration.

"They are amazing.

"Their fortitude and resilience to college life and creating a better future for themselves and their families is superb and the barriers that some must overcome are simply inspirational.

"To our staff a most heartfelt and public thank you.

"Every single person makes up an essential part of Team ECC and helps to change thousands of lives each year with their passion, dedication, and commitment to serving our communities.”