The Cooks Charity has supported Lakefield for many years by annual grants of £12,000 including City & Guilds matched funding.
This year, Lakefield piloted a new programme of collaboration with industry by organising two-day placements over the academic year in the Dorchester, Boodles, the Oxford and Cambridge Club and Spaghetti House. These placements provided an opportunity for students to really learn and experience what it is like to work with professionals. At the same time, it provided an opportunity to create relationships between the students and the businesses they were working in, providing a natural pathway for some of the students to employment at the end of their studies. Already, three students are continuing with their employer either permanently or part time from September.
Broader experiences were also provided as part of Lakefield’s ‘role model’ network which included a visit to Stephen Carter at Boodles, a session with Olympic hockey player Alex Dawson, talks from Steve Munkley and visits to The Dorchester and Spaghetti House. The students also helped at the Salon Culinaire stand at HRC and took part in the competitions, all the girls achieved a medal which is testimony to the mentoring received via Lakefield.
The training, work experience and mentoring that the students received has a positive impact on the students and the Worshipful Company of Cooks experienced quality of the students Hospitality first hand at a recent meeting of the Masters’ Committee held there.
The year end finale of a celebratory lunch and end of year certificate presentation was attended by parents and friends and executed by the students.
…Before Going into Hibernation for Much Needed Refurbishment
Lakefield College is going into a period of hibernation while extensive renovations are carried out and will not be accepting new students for the next three or four years. They will use this time to review how the College can uphold its ethos and mission and remain relevant for the future.
