Colleges Week took place from Monday 15 October to Friday 19 October 2018 and was part of the ‘Love Our Colleges’ campaign and sees colleges across the country hosting events to showcase the brilliant stuff they do, day in and day out. The ‘Love Our Colleges’ campaign is a partnership between Association of Colleges (AoC), National Union of Students (NUS), Association of College and School Leaders (ASCL), University and Colleges Union (UCU), Unison, GMB, TUC and National Education Union (NEU). Whether it’s through top-class technical education, basic skills or lifelong learning, colleges help people of all ages and backgrounds to make the most of their talents and ambitions. Rooted in local communities, they are crucial in driving social mobility and providing the skills to boost local and regional economies. Over the last decade, colleges have had to deal with an average 30% funding cut, whilst costs have increased dramatically. This has resulted in a drastic drop in learning opportunities for adults, fewer hours of teaching and support for young people, and teacher pay at less than 80% of schools and support staff seeing no increase in pay for several years. This situation  ultimately impacts upon students, businesses, communities and the wider economy.   That is why unions, students and colleges came together during the week to request fair funding. It is also asking Department for Education to provide exceptional funding, ring-fenced for teacher pay. David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges, said: “Every single day colleges like the College of West Anglia provide a world class education and transform the lives of millions of people. Colleges Week provided a opportunity to celebrate the brilliant things that go on and a chance to showcase the brilliant staff that make it possible.  It is simple, if we want a world-class education system then we need to properly invest in it.” You can help to support your college by following the link below and signing the petition. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/229744