Students Get in Training for London 2012

Two Leeds City College students have been busy making last minute preparations for this year’s 2012 London Olympics.

The students are not competing – but will be providing valuable on-site services for the residents and visitors of the Olympic village for the duration of the Olympics and Paralympics, spending the summer months as salon juniors within the Athlete Village and the Press Centre on the Olympic Park.
Laurie Wing and Danielle Avery, who are both studying Level 2 hairdressing at the College’s Horsforth Campus, won their places after entering a competition run by Podium, the Further and Higher Education Unit for the 2012 Games, in which they had to describe in 50 words why they wanted to be salon juniors.

The duo will be on-site between July and September working with Wella, alongside award winning stylists who have created looks for Chanel, Mulberry and Vivian Westwood.

Danielle, 18, said she was honoured to be selected and was looking forward to being part of British history.

“My first year in hairdressing has been fantastic and the experience couldn’t really get any better than working at such a major global event,” added Laurie, 21.

The girls have secured sponsorship towards their costs from VTCT (Vocational Training Charitable Trust), the awarding body of their current college course who they will progress onto studying their Level 3 qualification with when they return to college in September.

They have also done some fundraising to help finance their stay, with a recent raffle run as part of the Horsforth Campus Showcase and Community Day raising more than £200.

Leeds City College Head of Faculty for Hair & Beauty Maxine Walker said: “This is a fantastic, once in a lifetime opportunity for our students, not only for them to develop their skills but to gain valuable practical experience while working as part of the world’s greatest sporting event.”

“We, as a faculty and a college, are extremely proud of their achievements and look forward to hearing about all their experiences afterwards.”

• 

Press Contact
Zoe Ward
Marketing Assistant
Leeds City College
t: 0113 284 6223
e: Zoe.Ward@leedscitycollege.ac.uk