Leading construction firm ESH group has donated just under £500 to Lakes College Construction student’s football team for a new kit to help them kick off their matches in style.

The team has been formed after Carpentry and Joinery tutors Lee Todd and Karl Sanderson have joined forces with other college construction teams as a way to offer a healthy and fun enrichment activity for their students. So far Furness College, Kendal College and Middlesbrough College have signed up for the football friendly’s.

ESH Project Manager John Coyne joined the team to showcase their kit for the first time outside the new ‘Britain’s Energy Coast Construction Skills Centre’.

The first match will take place after the May half term against Furness College. In the meantime the team will be practicing against the college’s sports students to prepare to take on the other colleges.

To many people in the world of mountaineering and climbing Simon Yates is known as 'the one who cut the rope'.  Simon earned this title after making the agonising decision to cut his climbing partner Joe Simpson free on their 1985 challenge to make the first ascent of extreme peak 'Siula Grande' located in the Peruvian Andes.

When Simon recently visited Lakes College to kick start their series of Mountain Lectures it was clear that the infamous incident almost 30 years ago has not deterred him from climbing and mountaineering.

The British mountaineer and now author has been travelling the world to climb and triumph some of the world’s most remote and arduous peaks. His most recent book 'The Wild Within' is the base of his current tour.

The captive audience at Lakes College listened as he told tales about a very interesting decade of his life. He told exhilarating stories about his most recent expeditions to places such as Tierra del Fuego located at the southernmost tip of South America in the Cordillera Darwin mountain range and pioneering three first ascents in Eastern Greenland.  He also recounted his exciting tale of his trip to the Wrangell St Elias ranges in Alaska where his pilot narrowly missed crashing the ski plane.

"We had completed our climb and were just waiting for the pilot to come and collect us in the ski plane, of course we were not ready and he had to wait whilst we packed our gear. The pilot was not a happy man and we soon realised why.  The weather started to worsen and flying conditions were more than difficult but that was not the challenge.  The first thing we had to do was get airborne but the plane just did not seem to build up speed. Me and fellow climber both knew we were heading for a very sharp drop that seemed to be getting very close very fast and the plane was making all kinds of worrying noises. It was a very nerve-wracking few seconds but thankfully the pilot decided to turn the plane and started the run again, thankfully we made it this time.  Once were up in the air and fairly safe into our journey I plucked up the courage to ask the pilot what was the alarm for that subsequently stopped once we were at a safe height, he replied "That would be alarm that tells me the plane is about to stall!"

Simon has also become a family man and this has made him face dilemmas about his career choice. He explained how he juggles his two passions - his family and the pull of the wild unknown.  "People often ask me about the most significant point of my life, I can say without a doubt it was the birth of my daughter followed by my son. Having children has changed everything for me, I am deeply conscious of my family when I am away whereas beforehand the risks of mountaineering only affected me. That is not to say that I am stopping I am just more cautious, I have even taken them on treks with me."

Steve Scales of Little Broughton attended the talk with family and friends. He commented, "It has been a very interesting evening, Simon’s tales from his adventures around the world were fascinating.  It is unimaginable but admirable when you think about some of the dangers he has faced."

Simon’s lecture was the first of six to take place at Lakes College over the summer months. The next speaker will be acclaimed mountaineer John Porter with special guest Doug Scott CBE. The college is also giving guests the option to attend a 3 course Nepalese themed dinner prior to this lecture.

£5 from each ticket sold for the meal and lecture will be donated to Community Action Nepal (CAN) a UK based charity whose aim is to help the mountain people of Nepal.  An auction will also be hosted by Doug Scott and all proceeds from will be donated to the charity.

Tickets for the Meal and Lecture will cost £25.00 or £12.50 for just the lecture. 

To book online or find out further details about the meal and other upcoming lectures visit www.lcwc.ac.uk/mountainseries or call 01946 839300.

Lakes College is pleased to announce that Chris Nattress, currently Deputy Principal at the College, will take over from Cath Richardson as Principal from 1 September 2013.

Announcing the appointment, Chairman Mark Stanger said,

"We are delighted to have found the college’s next principal after a very rigorous and competitive selection process and look forward to working with Chris to continue local delivery of high quality further and higher education in the coming academic year.

"Until then, we will enjoy the remaining time we have working with our current Principal, Cath Richardson, whose retirement takes effect from the end of August."

Chris moved to Cockermouth with his young family four years ago, when he joined the College as Deputy Principal. A keen sportsman, he has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities for an outdoor lifestyle that West Cumbria offers and looks forward to continuing his career locally, working with local stakeholders and stepping up to the challenges of his new role.

Dan Visser, Sales and Marketing Director at Ambleside’s renowned Langdale Hotel & Spa, will be visiting Lakes College West Cumbria on Thursday 25th April to speak to local businesses about becoming prominent through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Dan has worked in marketing for the past ten years, and for the past five years has been specialising in digital channels and is now pursuing a fully digital marketing strategy. Dan joined Langdale just over four years ago and has seen a significant increase in occupancy levels during this time. In 2010 the hotel won Best Use of Technology at the European RADA Awards (RCI Award for Developer Achievement).

Dan’s talk ‘Social Media Demystified’ covers the opportunities presented to business by social media and the practicalities of how to do it. The talk will be of particular interest to anyone who doesn’t have a social media strategy yet or who wants to revisit a current strategy that is underperforming-

"Social Media Demystified" is the fourth in a range of business lunches organised by Lakes College to support local companies with business development. Previous speakers have included PR guru Jane Hunt, business consultant Ian Irving and business growth expert Tom Edge.

Guests will enjoy a three course ‘fine dining’ experience prepared and served by the college’s talented catering students. The lunch takes place in the college restaurant ‘Graduates’ and will be followed by Dan’s presentation.

Liz Parkes, Commercial Development Officer at Lakes College West Cumbria, said, “The lunches have been organised to give local businesses relevant information from experts to enhance their services and assist business growth. They are also a great opportunity for businesses to get together in relaxed surroundings.

Top solicitor John Wilson from law firm Baines Wilson LLP, one of North England’s leading specialist commercial law firms, will speak at the following business lunch on Thursday 13th June 2013.

The cost is £20 per person and includes welcome drink, 3 course lunch, coffee and seminar.

To book a place or request further information contact Liz Parkes on 01946 839300 ext 1018 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.