Save Ashford Campus

The protest outside the college yesterday was very well attended, with in excess of 500 signatures taken, (many more than our post office and pensions petitions) and many more residents of the area made aware of the sad situation of the threat of closure of the college. If it were to happen, 1000 students would have no college places in Spelthorne next year, and all the students currently in Spelthorne schools would have no local college places for the future. The facilities and opportunities offered to our young people at the Ashford campus cannot be duplicated by using sixth forms in the local schools. It would just not be feasible to have, for example, the excellent Hair Academy, with its rows of specialised basins and beauty treatment beds, the catering facilities, building course facilities and much more, in every Spelthorne school, or have the young people travelling all over the place to find the course that they want. These young people are the tax payers of the future, they therefore need to be employable, so that they can pay our pensions, and they don't want to be a burden on our benefits system. It was good to see that some prospective parliamentary candidates had taken the time to come along and speak to the people that they could, in future, be representing, and that others that were unable to attend, had pledged their support. Please support the students and staff at the college by signing the petitions.