Colchester and Walton residents recognised at learning awards

Amy Parker and Jianzhi Chen from Colchester were each handed a Personal Growth and Achievement award at ACL Essex’s Annual Achievement Awards Ceremony.

ACL Essex is an adult learning provider which offers a wide range of courses to support mental wellbeing, languages, plus arts and crafts.

The awards ceremony shines a light on those who have achieved outstanding things during their time at ACL.

Amy studied GCSE English Language at ACL Colchester and commended her tutor for supporting and inspiring her.

She said: “I wasn’t motivated at all when I sat my GCSEs because it was a difficult time in my life.

“I knew that I would take in more as an adult than as a teenager, but as a mature student, I wanted to be around people my age.”

Jianzhi is also based in Colchester but studied a different course in Functional Skills Level 1 course online with ACL.

Through the course, Jianzhi has found that his writing has improved and that his tutor gave him a lot of support.

His goal is to finish the Functional Skills Level 2 course and then find a job.

Upon receiving his award, Jianzhi said: “I was surprised and very excited. I never thought in my lifetime as a student I would receive an award. It feels good.”

Victoria Hepden, from Walton, was also awarded on the evening.

Victoria has taken many ACL courses, is now a part of the parent ambassador programme, and received the Supporting Others Award at the ceremony.

Speaking on her experience at ACL and the award, Victoria said: “I’m very proud. This time two and half years ago, this wouldn’t have happened, but now I’m out there and I want to help others.

“ACL were just so helpful and supportive, and the courses really helped my mental health as well.

“The help, strength, and inspiration that the parenting courses gave me is something I want to pass forward to other families.

“I know that there are families out there who really need ACL’s support because it was so valuable. ACL changes lives.”