Virtual College Supports the Lord Mayor of Bradford’s Appeal

Virtual College has made a donation of £2,000 to the Lord Mayor of Bradford’s appeal, 'Sprinkle Sunshine'.The Lord Mayor is pictured receiving a cheque from Virtual College CEO, Rod Knox and Chairman Bob Gomersall at a recent event to officially launch the Virtual College e-Shop. The appeal has been set up by the current Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Dale Smith to benefit various deserving Bradford District projects. In his maiden speech Councillor Smith spoke of the appeal’s aims, "I believe the Lord Mayor’s Appeal must catch the imagination and the support of the community at large… the appeal must be inclusive and recognise the value of all our citizens. It must appeal district wide"Whilst the aim of the Lord Mayor's appeal is to benefit a wide range of charities across the Bradford District, the Lord Mayor has confirmed that the Virtual College donation will benefit specifically those charities which help disadvantaged children within the Bradford area, such as the Imagination Library, run under the auspices of a foundation set up by Dolly Parton to provide books to children under five in deprived areas across the district.Since its launch in 2006, Virtual College's Safeguarding e-Academy has donated over £135,000 to children's charities including:- •Together Trusts Woodlands School's sensory garden for children with autism.•Eczema Outreach Scotland which aims to improve the quality of life of people affected by eczema, their families and their carers in Scotland.•The Lighthouse Trust Summer School in Co. Down for sufferers of cerebral palsy.Virtual College CEO Rod Knox handed over the cheque to the Lord Mayor of Bradford in an informal ceremony which took place recently during the official opening of the Virtual College shop at their existing premises in Ilkley.About Safeguarding e-AcademyLaunched in June 2006, the Safeguarding Children e-Academy is an innovative solution to enhance the learning process for those individuals and organsations who work with children. Part of its remit is on-going support of a variety of children's charities to which it donates a proportion of turnover.About Virtual CollegeVirtual College has developed into one of the UK's leading providers of total solutions within the e-learning arena. Its key objective is to help enhance the traditional learning solution through the careful integration of technology.Founded in 1995, today Virtual College has over 850,000 registered online learners and this is growing at a rate of over 700 a day, across both public and private sectors. The company has developed a comprehensive product range, including over 200 online courses, accessed via the company's own Learning Management System, as well as offering a complete content design and development service.By Ben Brady