Worcestershire County Council backing proposed business plan to save Malvern Hills College - The Malvern Observer

Worcestershire County Council backing proposed business plan to save Malvern Hills College

Malvern Editorial 16th Mar, 2021   0

WORCESTERSHIRE County Council has thrown its backing behind the proposed business plan to save Malvern Hills College

A Malvern Hills Save Our College Task Group has been set up to explore the options available, which would see the college remain open and provision of adult learning continue.

Coun Marcus Hart, the authority’s Cabinet Member for Education and Skills has expressed his support in this latest development for the college’s future.

He said: “I fully support the principle of the community seeking to retain adult learning opportunities in the Malvern community as a continuation of the education experience into adulthood.




“I know there is a very strong strength of feeling from the local community that a facility of this nature should be retained in Malvern.

“Our Education and Skills Strategy in Worcestershire (2019 to 2024) recognises the significance of education pathways and lifelong learning and the continuation of the provision would be supportive of our priorities to promote health and well-being along with championing support for local business.”


A business plan is being developed to see if the college’s current offer of leisure and well-being opportunities can be extend to the wider community.

This would look to include young adults with SEND and parents seeking new experiences that may lead onto further training and work.

Last week we reported that Malvern Hills District Council, Worcestershire County Council, West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin and the SOS Task Group had written to the Education and Skills Funding Agency to map out its argument for keeping the college open.

On February 22, the task group announced it had raised £850,000 for a formal offer to be made to Warwickshire Colleges Group (WCG) for the Malvern Hills College building.

At the same time, WCG confirmed it had received the bid and stressed the need to for necessary due diligence and regulatory requirements to be carried out as part of any formal offer process.

It added: “We are working to ensure that the WCG Corporation Board meets its statutory obligations and as part of this, continue to take advice from our appointed independent advisors, who have made contact with the Foundation.”

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