Students help children's hospice at best-of-British dinner

An evening of food and music with a best-of-British theme boosted the favourite charity of students at West Nottinghamshire College in Mansfield.
Students with their raffle prizes at the best-of-British event.Students with their raffle prizes at the best-of-British event.
Students with their raffle prizes at the best-of-British event.

The fine-dining experience took place at the college’s Refined restaurant at the Derby Road campus, and was organised by tourism and events management students as part of their studies.

It was a big success, and the event raised a total of £231 for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice in Sheffield, which the college has supported for more than six years.

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For the three-course extravaganza, the travel and tourism students worked closely with student chefs to prepare a British-themed menu, which included dishes such as lemonade-battered fish, served with chips and mushy peas, and Eton mess.

They also liaised with other students who are learning about hospitality to create suitably-themed drinks, such as The Bramble, a cocktail of gin, sugar syrup, lemon juice and blackberry liqueur, for diners to enjoy with their meals.

Entertainment was provided by the college’s music students, who sang a medley of classic British songs. And the fundraising was done via a raffle and the sale of novelty of goods, staged by volunteers from the hospice, Elaine Milner and Jan Crowson, plus a tombola and the collection of £5 from each diner’s meal price.

Student Bradley Houlton said: “It was really interesting working with the student chefs to come up with our menu. They helped provide lots of suggestions for tasty British classics with a twist.

“As a group, we worked really well to organise the fundraising dinner, and we’re getting more and more confident with putting on large-scale events and managing them effectively.”