Tour of Britain 2010

West Suffolk College students joined in a concerted effort to support and promote the Tour of Britain 2010. Stage 7 of the Tour started from Bury St Edmunds on Friday 17 October, with the pack of elite racing cyclists heading for Colchester.

Several rugby and football players from the College’s Sports Academy had the honour of joining a group of around 100 volunteer cyclists from various local organisations in leading off Stage 7 from Angel Hill at 10.15am.

There was a real buzz on Angel Hill as crowds of spectators waited for the off.

The Sports Academy team of cyclists joined the other volunteers – including a man on a penny farthing cycle – on the starting grid in brilliant sunshine and led the racers out of the town centre to the cheers of spectators.

The event kicked off on the previous day, with College students closely involved in a programme of activities based on the Abbey Gardens.

Travel and Tourism students and Business students acted as volunteer stewards.

The College supplied five bands for a programme of Music in the Abbey Gardens. The performers were: Sarah and Laura: Acoustic / Soul, Soul Atom: Funk / Soul / Acoustic, Groove and the Prairie Hounds: Blues Rock, Three Green Wizards: Rock and The Peripheral: Alternative Rock / Indie

County Upper School and King Edward VI Upper School also supplied bands.

The E0.45 dancers (first and second year College students) performed half a dozen dance routines in two time slots between music sessions.

Rugby and football squads held their training sessions in the Abbey Gardens as part of the pre-event celebrations, to promote sporting activity in general.

West Suffolk College keenly promotes sporting activities, including football, rugby and basketball. A number of former students have represented their country in their sport, and some have gone on to take up professional contracts with football or rugby clubs.

As well as competing in local league and non-league sports, the College offers a range of opportunities for students to take part in other activities, from rowing to archery, as part of the Intramural Sport scheme which promotes participation in sport and an active lifestyle.