Don’t forget to come and say hello tomorrow as the team from Bede Sixth Form College and the Education Training Collective (Etc.) join the Festival of Thrift.
The event (Saturday 23 September 2023) which celebrates sustainable living with a variety of live performances, costumes and ethical food, music and stalls, has moved to Billingham.
This is the fifth time that our group of local colleges, which incorporates Bede Sixth Form College, Stockton Riverside College, Redcar and Cleveland College, NETA Training and The Skills Academy in Billingham, has been a Festival of Thrift partner.
With Bede Sixth Form College and The Skills Academy just down the road, as well as Stockton Riverside College and NETA a stone’s throw away, Etc. is looking forward to its students and staff taking part in a host of activities and joining all the fun of the festival.
You will find us at the Etc. trailer in John Whitehead Park.
Patrick Jordan, principal of Bede, said that partnering with Festival of Thrift allows the college to support events in the local community while reaching out to young people and adults to let them know how the college can support them to work towards their future career goals.
He added: “Here at Bede and the wider Education Training Collective (Etc.), we are proud, once again, to be sponsoring the Festival of Thrift, particularly with its exciting move to Billingham this year.
“This is an opportunity to join our communities as they enjoy what promises to be an exciting and vibrant event, while also taking inspiration from the artists, workshops and exhibitions, to find ways to ensure our everyday habits, like shopping, living, and indeed studying, can benefit, not harm the planet.”
Since first backing the event, Bede and the wider Etc. has gone on to prioritise ways to implement positive change and reduce its own carbon footprint.
Alongside a group-wide ‘Green Initiatives Group’, where staff share ideas to promote recycling, reducing general waste and energy consumption, the college group has achieved the silver standard from the Investors in the Environment (iiE) and certified “carbon neutrality”, working with Carbon Neutral Britain, for the last two years running and is now working towards the iiE Green Award.
Festival of Thrift Executive Director Emma Whitenstall said: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming back Etc. again as partners this year. We really value their ongoing support and their commitment to environmental sustainability as an organisation is really commendable.”
For more details visit: Festival of Thrift - Come & Celebrate Sustainable Living
