SEEVIC

Students Daisy O’ Brien, 16, from Basildon and Malachi Wilks, 16, from Colchester are being followed by BBC Look East after recently starting a course at the College linked to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The students have enrolled on the Personal Best training and volunteering programme, funded by Essex County Council, which will give them a chance to be volunteers at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The course gives participants the opportunity to gain new skills as well as achieve a level 1 qualification. On completion each student will get a guaranteed interview to become a London 2012 volunteer.

Daisy said: “I found out about the course through Connexions and thought it sounded interesting. I’m really into sport and like to keep myself busy and help people so the course sounded perfect for me.  I’m looking forward to doing the course because I will meet new people, get some hands on experience and learn some new skills.

“I have been a competitive swimmer since I was young so if I got to work at the Olympics I would love to work in the aquatics centre. My heroes are Rebecca Adlington and Michael Phelps, so if I got to meet them that would be amazing!”

BBC Producer, Shaun Peel, recently visited Daisy and Malachi at their homes in Basildon and Colchester to talk to them about the course and find out more about each of them. The BBC plans to visit both students at various stages throughout the ten-week course to follow how the East Region is shaping up for London 2012.   

SEEVIC College are now recruiting for a second intake of students to begin the course in May 2010. The course, aimed at those who are not in education, training or employment, has two intakes one for 16-18 year olds and the other for those aged 19 and over, starting at the end of March.