College gets back to normal after floods

LEARNING is back on track at Hillsborough College - after the two-year-old building suffered hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage in the summer floods.

Staff worked round the clock during the July and August break to make sure the 27 million centre was open in time for the beginning of the autumn term.

When the Loxley and Don broke their banks on June 25, the whole of the college's ground floor was left under nine inches of water.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Twenty members of staff were trapped at the college and had to spend the night up on the roof.

"It was like a river was flowing through the whole of the college - but we didn't make a song or dance about it as much worse was happening elsewhere in the city," said college director Trevor Pollard. "We had an army of people working all summer to put things back together. We had to remove part of the walls to replace the insulation - the efforts put in by the staff were tremendous."

It wasn't just carpets, floor tiles and wall coverings that needed to be removed and reinstalled - huge amounts of equipment had to be scrapped and replaced.

"We tried to get as much stuff as possible off the floor to safety, but that wasn't possible with the heavy equipment in the workshops and gym," Trevor said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Also ruined were mowers and other garden machinery used by the college's horticulture students, as well as general furniture and classroom fixtures throughout the campus.

The college refectory also needed completely refitting, and large amount of computer equipment had to be replaced.

"We worked hard and just got on with the job - and we were ready on time for enrolment and opening," Trevor said.

Eighteen-year-old Vicky Thorne, on the first year of an art and design foundation course, said she'd heard the college had been badly damaged. "But it was fine when I started, everything looked great and it was business as usual. I come here every day from Mosborough but I feel this is the right course for me," she said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Second year A-level student Jack Huckstepp, 17, from Norton Lees, said he had seen the hard work that had gone on in the holidays.

"By September everything was fine, although some computers were lost and the sports pitches aren't yet usable - the all weather pitch was just swept away," he added.

Trevor said fortunately the library and resource centre had been completely unscathed as it was up on the first floor.

"Many staff didn't get much of a summer break this year and I'm very proud of their efforts" he added.

Click here for more news.

What do you think? Post your comments below.