Emotional Night for Chelmsford College at the Jack Petchey Awards

The 17th of September 2024 bought around one of Chelmsford College’s favourite nights of the year. The Jack Petchey Awards took place at the Civic Theatre, with some of the College’s talented and well-deserving learners and staff in attendance.

For many at Chelmsford College, the highlight was seeing a posthumous award awarded to Layla Blake, a learner who sadly passed away last term. Receiving medallions, Layla's father and sister accepted the award on her behalf. With emotions high, Layla’s classroom peers Spencer Coppen, Shannon Walshe, and Hadley Quincey prepared and wrote a heartfelt poem in her remembrance, which they then read aloud. Inspiringly, Macie Garnham then joined the trio to perform the Backstreet Boys hit song "I Want It That Way". What made this performance even more enduring was hearing that these four learners performed this song at a talent show last year and Layla was their biggest fan who loved their performance. In a mix of emotion and celebration, these learners brightened the Jack Petchey Awards by getting the whole audience to sing and clap along.

The awards didn’t end there as all of the below were also among Chelmsford College learners who proudly accepted their Jack Petchey Awards. Laura Eastwood, the Life Skills and Enrichment Manager for Chelmsford College, expressed her pride by exclaiming "On this emotional night, all of the learners were a credit to us as well as themselves".

Award Winners:

Isabelle Glenn
Jordan Barnes
Edward Mckean
Grace Fox
Jack Petchey
Megan Miles
Kasey Turner
Jayce Hawkes
Kaiffe Turner
Louise Clipson
Suela Hasi
Sarah Callington
Lola Coles
Fariah Peters
Baylee Smith
Erin Horne
Nicky Bushell
Layla Blake (posthumous)