13 March 2026
From Monday 9 – Friday 13 March, we celebrated Proud 2 B Me, a special week dedicated to celebrating diversity, inclusion and community across our Colleges.
On Monday we welcomed Fight or Flight, a local community group and regular visitor to the college, who delivered a presentation on addiction, followed by a boxing and yoga session with students to promote mental health.
On Tuesday, Hair and Beauty students hosted ‘Relax and Refresh’ an open salon for those across the college to come and get their hair styled or plated. Guest speaker Rebecca N Mwisiya hosted ‘Our Stories, Our Impact’, a session discussing the importance of speaking openly about sexual health.
Later that afternoon Reigate School of Art hosted a packed live lounge session. Pictured above, the college band Quick Draw performed their first ever gig together, alongside other acts including Forever Knowhere and musician Max Brogan, who performed a piano piece.
On Wednesday, our Vice Principal, Rebecca Taylor, shared her personal story of growing up in Saudi Arabia and how this shaped her perspective on the world. She spoke about her diverse upbringing, as well as the challenges of adjusting to life in the UK as a young teenager and how these experiences helped lay the foundations for her career.
The team in the LRC also took part in Proud2BMe Week with their ‘Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover’ initiative. Books were wrapped in paper with only the first paragraph printed on the front, encouraging readers to choose a book based entirely on the first few sentences.
On Thursday, guest speaker Rebecca Mwisiya from the NHS led ‘Our Stories, Our Impact’, a session highlighting the importance of speaking openly about sexual health. She discussed the work the NHS does to support young people and the services available to them.
The Samaritans also visited our students to talk about how to be a good friend. The session encouraged group participation and focused on ways to offer support, listen actively, and recognise when someone might be struggling.
Canteen staff also celebrated the diversity of our community representing cultures from around the world, with jollof rice, mutton curry, chicken satay, lamb tagine, and chicken dhansak being served throughout the week.
Reflecting on the week, Enrichment Officer Jordan Johnson said:
It’s been great to deliver another Proud 2 B Me Week, celebrating our diversity and showcasing the voices and talents across OSC. We’ve also raised awareness of a wide range of important causes, and I’d like to thank all the external visitors who came to speak with our students – your contributions have made a real impact.
Learn more about Enrichment at East Surrey College
