There is nothin' like a dame!

The festive season wouldn't be complete without a trip to the panto and this year our students enjoyed Mother Goose at The Courtyard Hereford.

The magic started before the curtain rose when the Courtyard team provided a tactile touch tour, allowing our students to explore the set, props, and costumes firsthand. This behind-the-scenes access is invaluable, helping everyone understand the scale of the show and providing the context needed to make the production fully accessible and inclusive.

The performance itself was incredible and our students joined in the usual panto fun - lots of goose "honk honks!" were heard from the audience.

A final highlight of the trip was meeting the 'fab-lus' Dame Lucie Goosie (played by Dion Davies). There really is 'nothin' like a dame!'

Accessible D&D at RNC!

Many of our students love playing Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), and now thanks to the support of the DOTS RPG Project and Die Hard Dice, the game has become even more accessible. 

Joe, teacher of Assistive & Digital Technologies and IT, runs the D&D group for students during Learning and Leisure every Wednesday afternoon. He said:

'Rolling dice is a huge part of the fun in Dungeons & Dragons, but accessible versions were hard to find. Thanks to the DOTS RPG Project and Die Hard Dice, our students now have ten full sets of Braille dice they can roll and read themselves. It’s empowering, and they’re excited for every session ahead.' 

Thanks to both organisations for bringing accessible gaming to life at RNC.

Ding Dong! The tradition continues...

This year’s Christmas Ding Dong was another brilliant success. 

Planned and delivered by our Business students in the College’s Working Office, the annual tradition gives them valuable real‑world experience while bringing together staff and fellow students in a celebration of community and festive cheer. 

The students made sure every detail was covered. A Master of Ceremonies kept the day flowing, a Quiz Master entertained with a festive quiz, and the atmosphere was lifted by a student‑curated playlist alongside live piano music. 

Braille and large print lyrics were prepared so everyone could join in the big Christmas sing‑along. Behind the scenes, teams organised Welsh cakes, secured donations for the hamper, and managed everything from welcoming guests to selling raffle tickets and calendars with Braille labels. 

A special thank you goes to Tina Boarman, Manager of the Hay on Wye Spar, whose generous sponsorship of the refreshments was gratefully received. The hamper raffle also added to the festive spirit, with proceeds contributing to resources for the Working Office. 

Well done to everyone who made this year’s Ding Dong such a memorable occasion.

V.I. student prompted to launch campaign encouraging people to ask before assisting

Most people you see navigating the world with a white cane or a guide dog have undergone extensive mobility training. They are often experts at navigating their local routes, using their skills to move through busy streets with confidence and independence. Sometimes a kind-hearted passerby might step in to help without realising that an unexpected touch can be startling. Imagine the experience of being pulled by someone you cannot see. Without a quick 'would you like some help?', a gesture meant to be supportive can unfortunately feel overwhelming or even frightening.

This loss of basic communication and respect for personal space has prompted a former RNC student, Rowan Todd, to take action. Read Rowan's story...

Students hear powerful Holocaust testimony 

As part of their studies, RNC students heard the powerful testimony of a Holocaust survivor.

Lu Lawrence, a second-generation Holocaust speaker, gave a talk as part of a visit organised by two RNC students and the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET). 

The testimony was followed by a question and answer session with Lu, whose father survived the holocaust, to enable students to better understand the nature of the Holocaust and to explore its lessons in more depth.

In the photo from left to right is Susannah (History, English and German teacher), Lu Lawrence, and student Amy.

Shopping with confidence

An exciting collaboration between the charity Look UK and the fashion retailer New Look, saw our students participate in a special evening dedicated to inclusive shopping.

From testing out 'wardrobe hacks' to sharing tips on how technology and human support go hand-in-hand, it wasn't just about finding the perfect outfit, it was an opportunity for our students to share their lived experiences and a valuable exercise for retail staff who wanted to understand the realities of shopping with sight loss. Thank you to Look UK and New Look for organising such a worthwhile event. Click below to read the full story.

RockTape UK teach dry cupping to massage students 

In November, our Massage and Complementary Therapies students were busy learning new skills.

Physiotherapist Daniel Lawrence from Rocktape UK visited RNC to teach dry cupping with RockPods. This technique, widely used in professional sport including the Olympics, can help reduce pain, improve flexibility, and support mobility.

Students practised both passive approaches, where cups are applied during relaxation, and active approaches, where cups are used alongside stretching or movement.

The workshop gave students valuable practical experience with techniques recognised internationally. 

Major incident training with the emergency services

In November, staff and students from the RNC Sports Academy headed to the Courtyard theatre to participate in a major incident training exercise. 

They played the roles of casualties, complete with realistic wounds and bruises, including one student who played an unconscious casualty throughout. 

It was a brilliant, hands-on experience that gave our students an understanding of how emergency responses work. It also helped build their confidence, encouraged them to communicate clearly, and to use self-advocacy, ensuring their visual impairment was understood by first responders.

The exercise was equally valuable for the police, ambulance, and fire crews, providing them with real experience of working with visually impaired people and adapting their communication and procedures to ensure everyone's safety.

Tactile art inspires students

Students at RNC can now enjoy a special print created by well-known illustrator Lucy Claire, which has been adapted to become tactile, thanks to their art tutor, Mel Davies. 

Mel bought the beautiful illustration of former student Chris McCausland and his dancing partner Dianne Buswell, following their Strictly Come Dancing win last year. When she ordered a digital copy to adapt, Lucy Claire kindly gave her the file for free.

The original print below, which states: ‘for everyone out there who was told they couldn’t do something’, was specially adapted using a variety of materials so that students could explore it through touch.

Diwali celebration for Level 1 vocational students 

Before half term, Level 1 Vocational students marked Diwali, the Festival of Light, through a creative and reflective session. Each student lit a battery tealight to celebrate something positive that had happened recently, then created tactile rangoli patterns using coloured rice while listening to traditional Indian music.

The celebration combined elements from Personal Growth and Wellbeing and Art lessons, ending with sweet treats and a shared moment to reflect on progress since the start of term.

Biology and Geography students visit the Eden Project 

Six students took an epic six-hour journey to Cornwall to determine the carbon content of rainforest trees that are found in one of the Eden Project biomes.

RNC’s A Level Biology and Geography students enjoyed a two-day fieldwork trip to support their studies. They explored rainforest and Mediterranean biomes, calculated their own carbon footprints (each student would need around 300 trees to offset theirs!), and discussed sustainability, forestry, and global farming practices.

Students also completed beach studies at Dawlish Warren and visited the Met Office and Beaver Trust for inspiring talks on conservation, climate, and careers.

Huge thanks to volunteer Kevin and teachers Cherith, Catherine, and Annie for making the trip possible.

Business students learn about marketing strategies 

Sophie, RNC's Marketing Manager, gave a fantastic presentation to our Business students, on the topic of 'Marketing Strategies and Campaigns'. It was a great opportunity for students to understand how classroom theory translates into real-world practice.

Student Shabaz, who is interested in pursuing a career in Marketing, said: 

'We enjoyed a very detailed and interesting talk from Sophie who explained how the Marketing team operates within the College. This allowed us to understand how Marketing works across RNC and the impact it makes on the College. This will be used as a case study for one of our marketing assignments.'

Lauren, Teacher of Business, extended a huge thank you to Sophie for her time and effort in making marketing theory a reality for her students.

Health & Social Care students learn about patient-centred care

Level 2 and Level 3 Health & Social Care students joined together to visit St Michael's Hospice in Bartestree, near Hereford, recently. The focus of the visit was on the 'Person-Centred Approach to Care', which both groups have been learning about.

The group was shown around by a lovely volunteer, Jackie, who has been supporting the Hospice for 14 years. Jackie toured the students through the remembrance garden, the education facilities where they teach doctors and nurses from all over the West Midlands about end of life care, and the outpatients day care facilities. 

Following this, they were shown into the in-patients area where there are facilities for individuals and their families. The group learned about the doors which not only open from each bedroom into a garden area, but are also large enough to take a bed outside if the weather is good.

Totally tactile art trip

BTEC Level 1 Vocational Skills students (formely ASPIRE), all of whom study Art as one of their vocational subjects, visited Nature in Art in Gloucester to explore the fantastic new Totally Tactile exhibition. 

This unique, fully tactile exhibition encourages visitors to experience art through touch, from wood and metal to abstract pieces. Our students were warmly welcomed and spent time exploring the diverse artworks, getting 'up close and personal' with every piece. They even had the chance to try printing with the artist-in-residence and discovered the outdoor sculptures in the garden

A special shout-out to Molls, Kai, and Kara, who gathered inspiration and peer feedback for their 'Planning and Marketing an Exhibition' unit. The trip was a huge success, sparking creative ideas and offering a truly inclusive, sensory, and memorable art experience. Huge thanks to the Nature in Art team and RNC staff, Mel, Debs, Cherith, and Sam, for making the day so memorable.

Celebrating languages and culture

To celebrate European Day of Languages, students had the opportunity to sample a delicious variety of foods, including chorizo, Jamón Serrano, tortilla, Spanish cheeses, and sweet treats from Italy. A selection of biscuits added to the spread, and a special highlight was a Sri Lankan coconut pancake prepared by teacher Narada. 

Euro pop music set the tone and the celebration reached a lively peak when teacher Claire led everyone in a performance of the Macarena, bringing students and staff together in dance and laughter. Thanks to all the staff who organised this enjoyable get together.

Bringing Business Studies to life

Level 3 Business Studies students studying Unit 16: Project Management had an enjoyable session with Jane Jones, from RNC’s Fundraising Team, during the Autumn Term.

As part of their coursework, students are required to analyse a real-life project. Jane shared how RNC successfully raised funds for a new minibus for our Sports Academy. 

Jane's presentation offered valuable insight into the fundraising process and highlighted the importance of resource acquisition in supporting student activities. The students thoroughly engaged with Jane’s talk, which brought their coursework to life. 

Lauren Leighton, Business Teacher, said: 

‘We would like to say a huge thanks to Jane for giving up her time on a day that was already busy with the Will Writing Scheme. Thanks to her contribution, the students are now well-prepared to begin their first assignment.’

Defence of RNC's European title kicks off

In December RNC began their title defence in the European Blind Football League. 

They kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win over Quartotempo Firenze (Italy), thanks to a sharp finish from Rainbow Mbuangi. 

They followed up with a hard fought 0-0 draw against Pirsos Thessaloniki (Greece). The boys showed great resilience to battle through illness and low energy levels, still producing some really positive football to earn another point. 

RNC currently sits third in the table, unbeaten and yet to concede. 

Round 2 takes place at Borussia Dortmund (Germany) on Saturday 21 February, with RNC set to face the hosts and Bondy Cecifoot Club (France).

Raising the bar

In December our Sport and Recreation team hosted the first Christmas Deadlift Dash in the student gym, and it proved to be a brilliant event. Students and staff took on a deadlift challenge, lifting a weighted barbell from the floor to a standing position, all while getting into the festive spirit with Santa hats. 

After calculating everyone’s maximum lifts, the combined total was the festive equivalent of: 

34,000 mince pies 

151,000 candy canes 

95,000 pigs in blankets 

A fantastic effort from everyone involved!

Wearing new Judo belts with pride following grading

At the end of a very successful term for RNC Sports Academy, there has been great progress in Judo, with another successful grading. Congratulations to Shabaz, Jonathan, Emily, Emma, Logan, Alex, Lewis, and Ana (not pictured) who were awarded their new belts.

They are pictured here alongside their coaches and the rest of the class.

Students awarded international caps

It was an unforgettable evening in December when three of our Sports Academy students - Amelie Ford, Olly Johnson, and Lucja Wyrwantowicz - attended the England Para Awards 2025 at the iconic National Football Museum. 

All three were presented with their International Caps following their participation in recent tournaments in India. A huge congratulations to Olly and Amelie who received their very first caps, an incredible milestone in their sporting journeys. 

It was also amazing to see so many ex students receiving their caps too. Moments like this highlight the incredible impact RNC has on the England para football pathway. A special shout out to former student and Hereford based Megan Smithson-Booth, who was honoured with the Para Lioness Award.

Medal haul for acoustic shooting students

Five of our students competed in the National Small-bore Rifle Association’s Air Rifle League Supported Winter 2024–2025, shooting against other vision impaired clubs and groups across the UK.

They competed in four different divisions, and came away with five medals:

• Emma – Division 11, 1st place 
• Freeman – Division 10, 1st place
• Anastasija – Division 8, 1st place 
• Humna – Division 6, 1st place 
• Harvey – Division 6, 2nd place 

Medals were presented by Executive Principal Lucy, and Jim, who leads acoustic shooting at RNC.

Acoustic shooting uses sound to guide aim. The pitch changes as the rifle moves closer to the target centre, helping visually impaired shooters to align their shot with precision.

We’ve now entered nine students into the 2025–2026 League and will be aiming for more success in the future. Well done to all of our students!

Winner, winner, Christmas dinner!

In December, some of our students helped draw the winners of this year’s RNC Christmas Raffle. All funds raised go directly towards supporting student overseas trips, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who bought a ticket. 

Three festive hampers were up for grabs, and congratulations to our lucky winners!

New keyboards for Audio Media Production students

Trustees of the Gordon and Aileen Stephens Memorial Trust have made a generous donation of £10,000 following a recent visit to RNC. 

This gift will enhance the College’s Eveson Audio Media Studio, going towards five new Arturia Keyboards, helping students continue to explore and enjoy music. 

Earlier in the Autumn Term, Executive Principal Lucy Proctor and Senior Fundraiser Fiona Bain welcomed the trustees for a tour of the College. They were particularly moved by a student demonstration of keyboard devices in the College’s Audio Media Studio. 

This support is especially meaningful as Gordon Stephens himself was a student at RNC during the 1940s and 1950s. After losing an eye and suffering severe damage to the other when his family home in Cardiff was bombed during the Second World War. Gordon learned Braille, music, piano tuning, and shorthand typing, and made lifelong friendships during his time at the College. 

He became a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music, worked as a piano tuner in London, and later built a successful career in the civil service, including computer programming. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the MBE in 1988.

Gordon’s love of music endured throughout his life, as he taught piano to young people in his community and continued to play well into later years. He shared this journey with his beloved wife, Aileen, with whom he was married for nearly fifty years.

Massage and Complementary Therapies Suite officially opened

RNC was delighted to host the official opening of its new Massage and Complementary Therapies Suite conducted by Helen Bowden, The High Sheriff of Herefordshire. This project represents a significant investment in our students' education, providing an outstanding learning environment and industry-standard facilities.

We sincerely thank our key funders. The Bernard Sunley Foundation contributed £15,000 for installation of a modern ventilation and air conditioning system. The Powell Family Foundation (£10,000) and the One Stop Community Partnership (£1,000) provided essential equipment and consumables (hydraulic beds, on-site massage chairs, etc.).

The event was well-attended by supporters and partners, including Sean (Herefordshire Veteran Support Centre), Tonia and Daniela (NHS), Luana (The Body Clinic Leominster), and long-time client Len. 

Running for RNC at the Cardiff Half Marathon

The Autumn Term marked a return to running for RNC teacher Nigel O'Neil. Despite an injury that made his participation 'touch and go', Nigel's determination saw him cross the start line of the Cardiff Hall Marathon.

A seasoned runner, Nigel added Cardiff to an impressive list of completed races, including the London Marathon, a solo Hereford marathon during the pandemic, and half marathons in Worcester, Reading, Bristol, and Newport.

For Nigel it was a double mission. Firstly to regain his fitness and secondly to raise awareness and funds for RNC.

Nigel went on to finish in just under two hours and said:

'I finished in 1 hour 59 minutes and followed the 2 hour pacer most of the way. There were a couple of tough moments, some uphill/incline sections towards the end I could have done without and a bit of cramping at 19k, but close enough to the finish line to run through it. The spectators were brilliant and I got quite a few shout-outs along the course as they read my name on the RNC vest.' 

Nigel was really pleased with the run and is now considering doing it again next year!