Students at Gainsborough College restore food and drink cart in town centre

Students at Gainsborough College showed their skills to restore a damaged cart that is being used to sell food and drink to shoppers in the town centre.
Students and Costa Coffee staff showing that the restored food and drink cart at Marshalls Yard in Gainsborough is ready for business again.Students and Costa Coffee staff showing that the restored food and drink cart at Marshalls Yard in Gainsborough is ready for business again.
Students and Costa Coffee staff showing that the restored food and drink cart at Marshalls Yard in Gainsborough is ready for business again.

The college was contacted by Costa Coffee, who wanted to offer some valuable work-experience to students as part of the restoration project.

And the response the company received was overwhelming as enthusiastic teenagers from a range of courses, including painting and decorating, carpentry and joinery and automotive engineering, all got stuck into the work.

The result was an attractive cart standing outside the Costa Coffee store in Marshall’s Yard that will offer shoppers much-needed sustenance as they traipse around the town.

Kev Gibbon, an automotive engineering lecturer at the Acland Street college, said: “This was an amazing opportunity that saw students gain work experience as well as build their enterprise skills.

“They worked well together, and I was proud to see them engaging with the community to bring something special to the town.

“The cart features the college logo, which will be proudly displayed to shoppers visiting Marshall’s Yard.”

Andrea Turner, regional manager for Costa Coffee, said: “Working with Kev and the team at Gainsborough College has been wonderful. The students showed real dedicarion and hard work, stripping the cart back and rebuilding it to restore it to its former glory.

“We used local suppliers for all the materials, from paint to the canvas for the roof, which was made by Eve Hearn, a local seamstress who used to work at the college.

“Building community relationships within the town is so important, and I feel we have a really strong link now between ourselves and the college.

“The cart will be used to support stores during special event days organised by Marshall’s Yard, which has been waiting very patiently for the return of the cart. We look forward to welcoming Costa Coffee customers to Marshall’s Yard to see the cart in place.”

The project fitted in well with the college’s overall ethos, which is to help prepare students for rewarding careers and to promote a real sense of community.

From its modern, purpose-built campus, boasting excellent facilities, the college offers students a significant proportion of time getting involved in industry environments first hand, thanks to an extensive programme of work experience.

Whether you are studying to get a job or to improve your career prospects, it is common for industry experts to join tutors at the college to pass on their knowledge and experience.

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