Trip of a Lifetime For South Staffordshire College Student

James Prior, a first diploma in Agriculture student at South Staffordshire College’s Rodbaston campus, is off to Borneo on the journey of a lifetime.

James will be leaving in July on a trip organised by the Journey of a Lifetime Trust (JOLT), which will take in the incredible diversity of flora and fauna on the world’s third largest island.  The four-week stay will enable James to see many of the national parks and wildlife reserves with the opportunity to see orang-utans in their natural habitat, snorkel on coral reefs, camp on beaches and explore caves.

The JOLT scheme is aimed at giving renewed life chances to disadvantaged young people. Having spent a good part of his life in children’s homes and with foster parents, James is now making the transition from local authority care to independent living in Penkridge.

As part of the JOLT requirements James has to raise a minimum of £600.00 towards the cost of his trip. To date he has raised £420.00 so he still has a little way to go.

Sponsors Peak Pursuits, a local company providing outdoor pursuits, adventure, team building and other activities, has kindly donated £100.00 towards James’s trip and he is planning to raise the remainder of the money. He has already completed a 2 mile fancy dress walk around Rodbaston campus, raising around £60 and plans to wash cars for staff at the Rodbaston campus and do a car boot sale outside of College before he goes.

James was selected in a party of 64 from more than 160 nominated youngsters and Trudie McGuinness, Director Learner Experience at South Staffordshire College, is very proud of his achievement.  “He is a massive source of inspiration to me and others, and has played a key part in helping me to develop online support services for our other learners who are looked-after children”.