Charitable Trust projects

Pears Youth Social Action Programme - phase three

April 2025 - June 2027

What is it?

Due to the success of phase two of the programme, the Pears Foundation have funded a phase three. Phase three aims to draw upon the learnings from phase two of the programme whilst piloting a regional model to support the potential for a national role out in the future. The programme will include five Youth Social Action Apprentices that will deliver social action activities with students across two colleges each within Yorkshire and Humber. The programme will also pilot a new role called the Regional Enrichment Coordinator who will provide adhoc support to colleges who want to develop their enrichment offer.

Who will benefit?

AoC member colleges in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

For more information please click here.

Creating a Greener London – Sustainable Construction Skills

December 2022 – August 2025

What is it?

This project, delivered with support from JPMorgan Chase, is a programme that aims to provide future generations in London with the skills and knowledge necessary for green jobs in the building and home sector. It focuses on developing green career pathways at Level 2 and above through partnerships between further education colleges and employers, and co-designing and delivering green skills training alongside existing Level 2 qualifications.

How will I benefit?

The two pilots, South Thames College Group (STCG) and London South East Colleges (LSEC) will establish local collaborative partnerships, to identify existing and emerging green job opportunities available, and the skills required from level 2, which enable progression to green employment in the construction sector. The selected pilot projects will provide the opportunity for students to gain valuable green skills, as well as access to high quality careers information and guidance.

How can I find out more?

A project blueprint has been developed to draw on the initial findings from the pilot projects, demonstrating effective processes and procedures for establishing partnerships working to deliver green skills training in the homes and buildings sector. Our aim is for this blueprint to be used by as many organisations as possible, outside of the pilot projects.

Click here to view the Year 1 Blueprint for the Project. For more information - click here for our project webpage

Creative Arts in FE 2025 – developing student voice through creativity

What is it?

Following the success of the Creative Arts in FE 2024 programme, we are delighted to launch a new edition for 2025, sponsored by Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) and UAL Awarding Body. Creative Arts in FE gives students in FE colleges the chance to create their own piece of work in response to a brief set by UAL Awarding Body. The theme for this year’s brief is ‘Love Letters’. Celebrating creative writing remains at the core of this opportunity, and we would love to see responses to the brief that also include photography, visual and fine arts, film, animation, performance and spoken word.

How can I get involved?

More information on the brief, how to entre along with resources can be found here.

This is a great opportunity for students to creatively explore issues that are important to them. We of course welcome submissions from the whole college community and would particularly encourage students who might not be enrolled on creative courses to take part.

With the help of an editing panel, we will read, look at and watch every submission and select a number of works to be included an online anthology and gallery. We’ll also be sharing selected submissions throughout November in a social media celebration and at the AoC Annual Conference in Birmingham.

Creative Arts in FE

December 2023 – November 2024

Supported by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) and UAL Awarding Body the Creative Arts in FE 2024 encouraged students to submit creative writing, film, animation, fine arts and photography

UAL Awarding body developed a brief for students to respond to, which used aerograms as a framework to build submissions around, and CLA supplied lesson plans and additional resources for colleges to use.

AoC Student Governor Summit 2024

November 2024

The AoC Charitable Trust were pleased to support the AoC Student Governor Summit for the first time in 2024. It ran parallel and in conjunction to the AoC Annual Conference. It demonstrates the significance of inclusive governance in shaping the future of further education. With 26 student governors in attendance, the event showcased the diverse perspectives and vibrant engagement that student representatives bring to the sector.

The summit provided a dynamic programme, including keynote speeches, interactive workshops, and opportunities for collaboration and networking. Student Governors appreciated the focus on practical skills, with one attendee sharing, “It was an amazing experience for team building, networking, and learning more about the role we do as student governors.” Workshops and breakout sessions also addressed current governance challenges, providing actionable takeaways for participants to equip student governors with confidence and key tools for use as part of the college governance team and in their future careers.

The event’s success reflects the AoC Charitable Trust’s commitment to supporting governors at all levels. As one delegate concluded, “I’m now ready to embrace the challenges of governance and celebrate some wins along the way!”