College students clean up the canal

Hopwood Hall Progressions students help tidy the towpaths

Students from Hopwood Hall College have taken part in a volunteer day at Rochdale canal. The students are currently studying at the College’s Middleton campus on the ‘Progressions’ course, which is a course which helps learners to build up their skills to enable them to progress in their chosen area/career.

They were involved in clearing the tow paths near to lock 64, not far from the Middleton Campus of the College. Trees were trimmed and undergrowth cut back, some students got to grips with the build up of moss on the old cobbles near the lock gate.

The volunteers spent the whole day working alongside volunteers from British Waterways, arranged by V Volunteer during a tutorial session.

The weather stayed fine and the students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and most of them have signed up for the prestigious V 50 awards, given out once 50 hours of volunteer work has been undertaken.

The College is now hoping to take part in a British Waterways scheme to adopt a piece of local waterway for 1 year; students from the College would then work to improve their 1 mile stretch of the Rochdale canal for the benefit of all in the local community.

Principal Derek O’Toole said: “I’m delighted with the voluntary work that our students have completed; we are a local college, serving the local community and we encourage our staff and students to get involved and help our local community.”