Fast Forward students create festive gift range

Fast Forward students take part in Propellor Project to create festive gift range sold in Witney’s The Shop.

This term, Fast Forward students have been working hard with the Propellor Project to create a Christmas gift range which they sold from a pop-up in The Shop, Marriotts Walk, Witney.

The Propellor Project is a social enterprise established to provide work and life skills for students who attend Abingdon & Witney College. The aim of the project is to provide students with a taste of the commercial world, enabling students to develop useful skills for life after leaving full-time education.

During the past term, Propellor students have been working hard to make and create their own gift range. Stock included pinecone wreaths, tree decorations, and table centrepieces. This is the second time Fast forward students have sold a gift range in Witney’s, The Shop. Last year, students created a spring and summer range with pieces for the garden. Their previous stock included mosaiced terracotta pots, butterfly feeders and peg bags.

Propellor’s creative projects are a central part of learning in the Fast Forward department. Beyond creating stock, the project offers students practical work experience as they complete quality checks, price their products, and create shop displays. Working in a retail environment gave students the perfect opportunity to further develop their confidence and communication skills. The project also naturally sparked conversations around legislation and commercial health and safety.

Alongside the hard work of the staff at Abingdon & Witney College, this project would not have been possible without the kindness and support of Witney’s The Shop. The Shop kindly donated their prime window space, taking only commission on what was sold. The pop-up has raised £344 for Propellor which will be reinvested in materials for future projects.

Fast Forward students will continue to learn from this experience as their tutors integrate this experience into their everyday learning in Maths and English. To learn more about our Fast Forward provision, please click here.