Talented Paul makes thank you gift for his college
A student from a specialist Shropshire college has made an impressive wooden bird table and dovecote as a leaving gift to the staff and students who have supported him towards a new career.
Talented crafter, Mark Williams, from Powys, will be leaving Derwen College, near Oswestry, at the end of the summer term, and already has employment lined up at Coed y Dinas superstore, in Welshpool.
He will be working in the store using his craft and retail skills to build and sell garden furniture and sell garden machinery in his first paid job.
Mark is a Retail and Enterprise student at the college for young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). He has been preparing for the next step in this career journey by practising his travel training and learning to travel independently to work by taxi.
Mark, who is autistic, has previously sold his wares in aid of Derwen Charity at the Derwen Christmas Fayre. As well as woodworking skill, he’s also a skilled knitter, and has sold hand-made gifts, ornaments and hand-knitted scarves.
The new bird table will be housed in the College’s Woodland Walk where students, staff and visitors can enjoy it. The dovecote will be fixed to the bungalow where Mark lives, the home where he has learnt daily living skills – like cooking, cleaning, shopping and money handling – which will help him to be as independent as possible after College.
This week is Learning Disability Week, and Derwen College is busy busting myths about people with SEND and highlighting the incredible things that our students go on to achieve.
Mark said: “I wanted to give everyone at College a gift to remember me by. I’m excited to have a job at Coed y Dinas and to be travelling there on my own. I am hoping to move into supported living in the future to be more independent, but I want to settle into my job first.”
Derwen College Lead practitioner Emma Millington, who supports students who live in the College bungalows, said: “We are very grateful for Mark’s thoughtful gifts which are lovely mementoes for us all to enjoy and remember him by. We all incredibly proud of what he’s achieved during his time with us at Derwen, and look forward to hearing all about his new job and life after College. Well done, Mark!”
