Cultural Diversity Guide

Accrington and Rossendale College is committed to the active pursuit of an equality and diversity policy

Contents
03........................ Introduction 04 - 06................. Valuing diversity 07........................ Christianity 08........................ Islam 09........................ Hinduism 10........................ Judaism 11........................ Other religions 12........................ Asian naming systems 13........................ Food, diet, dress and behaviour 14........................ Languages 15........................ Religious dates 16 - 18................. Glossary 20........................ Cultural diversity monthly calendar This guide is available in a range of formats eg; large format or braille. For more details please call 01254 354354 or e-mail info@accross. ac.uk

02 - 03

Introduction
Accrington and Rossendale College is committed to the active pursuit of an equality and diversity policy which addresses the need and right of everyone in College to be treated with respect and dignity, in an environment in which a diversity of backgrounds experience is valued. It aims to ensure that all staff and students whether existing or potential receive fair and equal treatment when applying to, or working as, members of the College, and to counter any attitudes and behaviour which deny opportunities to people simply or primarily because of their: Age Disability Gender reassignment Marriage and civil partnership Pregnancy and maternity Race Religion or belief (this includes lack of belief) Sex Sexual Orientation

Please read this guide and use it as a source of reference on cultural diversity. It provides a brief description of various world religions. It is intended to help our understanding of the beliefs of others. I hope you find the guide useful and informative. Harry Tallon Vice Principal Quality and Standards

Valuing Diversity
Hyndburn
The resident population of Hyndburn as measured in the 2001 Census was 81,496. The ethnic breakdown is as follows:

Ethnicity

% of population

White 91.7 Mixed Race 0.6 Indian 0.3 Pakistani 6.7 Bangladeshi 0.2 Other Asian 0.3 Black 0.1 Other Ethnic Group 0.2

Religions of Hyndburn
Religion % of population Christian 76.3 Buddhist 0.1 Hindu 0.1 Jewish 0.0 Muslim 7.2 Sikh 0.0 Other 0.1 No religion 9.2 No religion stated 7.0

The College Community for Hyndburn

Accrington and Rossendale College is proud of the fact that it is a multi-racial and multi-cultural college. In the academic year 2010 - 11, the ethnic background of students from Hyndburn was as follows:

Religion

% of population

Asian heritage 23.7 British 72.1 Other 4.1 Not known 0.1

04 - 05

Ribble Valley
The resident population of the Ribble Valley as measured in the 2001 Census was 53,971. The ethnic breakdown is as follows:

Ethnicity

% of population

White 96.2 Mixed Race 0.5 Indian 0.2 Pakistani 1.4 Bangladeshi 1.4 Other Asian 0.1 Black 0.1 Other Ethnic Group 0.2

Religions of the Ribble Valley

Religion % of population Christian 75.7 Buddhist 0.1 Hindu 0.1 Jewish 0.1 Muslim 2.9 Sikh 0.0 Other 0.2 No religion 13.9 No religion stated 7.0

The College Community for Ribble Valley

In the academic year 2010 - 11, the ethnic background of students from the Ribble Valley was as follows:

Religion

% of population

Asian heritage 4.5 British 86.5 Other 9.0 Not known 0.0

Rossendale
The resident population of Rossendale as measured in the 2001 Census was 65,639. The ethnic breakdown is as follows:

Ethnicity

% of population

White 96.2 Mixed Race 0.5 Indian 0.2 Pakistani 1.4 Bangladeshi 1.4 Other Asian 0.1 Black 0.1 Other Ethnic Group 0.2

Religions of Rossendale
Religion % of population Christian 75.7 Buddhist 0.1 Hindu 0.1 Jewish 0.1 Muslim 2.9 Sikh 0.0 Other 0.2 No religion 13.9 No religion stated 7.0

The College Community

In the academic year 2010 - 11, the ethnic background of students from Rossendale was as follows: Religion % of population Asian heritage 13.4 British 84.2 Other 2.4 Not known 0.0

06 - 07

Christianity
A Brief Introduction
Christianity is a religion practised by nearly 2,000 million people worldwide. It originated in Palestine in the 1st century AD and is founded on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. In the UK there are 6 million practicing Christians, however over 35 million people regard themselves as Christians. Christianity in its many shapes and sizes is the worlds largest religion. The roots of Christianity are in first century Judaism. The doctrine of the Trinity (God in the form of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) tries to reconcile Jewish monotheism (the belief in one God). Christians believe they should live according to the example of Jesus Christ by loving God, loving fellow human beings as one loves oneself, and sharing the Christian message. Christians have only one life. This life is judged after death by the way it was lived. Heaven is where the soul resides if one lived a good life while eternal punishment awaits in Hell for those who lead a bad life.

Place of Worship
Worship and practise varies among Christians. However most Christians meet regularly with others, often in church. Most churches include a service in which bread and wine are shared together. This has been an important tradition ever since Jesus ate with his disciples saying of the bread, this is my body and of the wine, this is my blood. Church members will have undergone baptism and confirmation.

Main Religious Festivals

Christmas (25 December) celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Good Friday commemorates the death of Jesus by crucifixion. Easter is the day the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is celebrated. Lent marks Jesus 40 days fasting in the wilderness. Christians may give up certain things during this time. Pentecost, or Whit Sunday is the birthday or the Church - the day the Holy Spirit was received by the apostles and the church was born.

Holy Texts
The Bible is made up of the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) and The New Testament. It consists of 27 books and includes descriptions of the life of Jesus and the writings of some of the first Christians.

Main Branches of Christianity

Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholic, and Protestant.

Love God and love your neighbours as yourself.

Islam
A Brief Introduction
Islam is the worlds second most followed religion, it began in its present form 1,400 years ago in Arabia, but swiftly became a world faith and now has around 1,200 million adherents. There are 1.6 million Muslims in the UK, 600,000 of whom are active. Those who are not active still regard being a Muslim as an important part of their identity. Muslims believe there is only one God, called Allah and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last prophet. Muhammad (pbuh) was not a god, he was a man through whom God revealed his will. Although Muslims revere Muhammad (pbuh) they do not worship him. Everything and everyone depends on Allah. All Muslims, of whatever race, are members of one community; the ummah. Every Muslim must perform the duties known as the five Pillars of Islam: Shahada, is the Muslim profession of faith. Salat, ritual performed 5 times a day by all Muslims over the age of 10. Sawm, (fasting) abstaining each day during Ramadan, the 9th month, in the Islamic calendar. Zakat, a compulsory gift of 2.5% of ones savings each year to the poor. Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca made once in a lifetime if possible. All of life is covered by the Shariah (Islamic law). Some activities are farz (obligatory) such as prayer and fasting. Some things are makruh (detestable but not forbidden) such as divorce or smoking and some things are haram (forbidden) including adultery, pork, alcohol and charging interest (usury). Meat must be halal (killed in a special way) before it can be eaten. Muslims believe in life after death. For Muslims, dress and behaviour should be modest. Many women chose to wear a hijab (head-covering) as part of modest dress. Muslim women can work and have careers. Education is considered essential for both sexes. of 114 chapters (called surahs). Muslims have respect for the gospel, Torah and Psalms.

Main Branches of Islam

Sunni and Shia.

Place of Worship
The Muslim place of worship is called a mosque. The word comes from the Arabic for place of prostration.

Main Religious Festivals

Eid-Ul-Fitr, this festival celebrates the end of fasting. Eid-Ul-Adah, the festival of sacrifice, this symbolises the submission and commitment of each Muslim to the will of God.

Holy Texts
Muslims are guided to follow Allahs will by the Quran, which Muslims regard as the unaltered word of God. The Quran consists

Peace and submission to the will of Allah.

08 - 09

Hinduism
A Brief Introduction
There are 900 million Hindus in the world and most of them live in India. In the UK there are 400,000 Hindus, 160,000 of whom are active in their faith. Hinduism is very complex and has no definable beginning or single founder. It is over 4,000 years old. For many Hindus, religion is a matter of practise rather than of beliefs. Its more what you do than what you believe. Behind every Hindu practise is the belief that every soul is trapped in a cycle of birth and then death and then rebirth. Every Hindu wants to escape from this cycle. Hinduism is about the sort of life one should lead in order to be born into a better life next time and eventually become free from rebirth altogether by attaining Moksha (liberation). Each Hindu has four daily duties; revere the deities, respect ancestors, respect all beings and honour all humankind. Most people think that Hinduism is polytheistic-which means worshipping many gods, but in fact Hindus actually believe in only one supreme God, called Brahman. Hindus believe that God is one, depicted either as the all-pervading world soul or as the Supreme in a variety of forms, but mainly three: Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti.

Main Branches of Hinduism

The Hindu religion recognises many religious paths, three of which are; the path of knowledge (jnana), the path of work and religious performance (karma) and the path of devotion (bhakti). Hindus do not have any particular groups, however, they worship an incarnation which they feel closest to.

Place of Worship
Most Hindus worship at home and have a shrine there. Hindu temples are the focus of religious life, but there is not a strong tradition of corporate congregational worship.

Main Religious Festivals

Dussehra takes place in September. Images of the warrior goddess Durga are immersed into lakes and rivers. Navaratri takes place in October and involves nine nights of worship and commemorates the time when Lord Rama fought demon King Ravana. Diwali takes place in November and commemorates Lord Ramas return from banishment to his kingdom Ayodyha Welcoming lights are put up in homes and fireworks are lit. Holi takes place in March. It is a festival of colour and people throw coloured powder and water on each other.

Holy Texts
The Vedas collections of Sanskrit hymns (written down 1200900 BCE, but based on older oral versions), Brahmansa-ritual instructions (1000-650 BCE), the Upanishads mystical works (400200 BCE), and the Bhagavad Gita (200 BCE).

Karma is general to the Hindu faith.

Judaism
A Brief Introduction
Judaism is thought to be the oldest of the worlds four great monotheistic religions. It is also the smallest, with around 12 million followers around the world. There are 285,000 Jews living in the UK, 85,000 of which are active in their faith, but virtually all the others still regard being Jewish as a vital part of their identity. Judaism originated in Israel around 4,000 years ago. Both Christianity and, to a lesser extent Islam, draw on Judaism. Jews believe in one God and that a Messiah will be sent by God to usher in the redemption. He will judge a persons actions and reward and punish them accordingly. Judaism does not have set doctrines or creeds, but is a religion that follows Torah, guidance from God found especially in Scripture. Jews live in a Covenant with God, not for their sake but for the sake of the whole world. Judaism has a series of important food laws known as kashrut (fitness). Animals, birds and fish might be either kosher (permitted) or treif (forbidden). Jewish law prohibits the mixing of milk foods with meat foods. Practising Jews must be home before sunset on Friday for the start of Sabbath. The Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat), commemorates Gods resting on the seventh day of creation after he had spent the previous six days creating the heavens and the earth and, is considered by Jews to be the holiest day of the week. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and lasts until sunset on Saturday night, and during that time Jews are prohibited from doing any form of work that could be seen as changing the world from how it was before the start of the Sabbath. Jewish people pray three times a day (morning, noon and evening).

Main Branches of Judaism

Orthodox Judaism and Reform Judaism.

Place of Worship
The synagogue is the place where communal worship takes place and the centre of cultural, social and educational activities.

Main Religious Festivals

Rosh Hashanah is Jewish New Year (September/October) Yom Kippur is the day of atonement and is the holiest day of the year Hannukah is the December feast of lights Pessach (Passover) is celebrated in Spring Sukkot is the Autumn harvest also known as the Feast of the Tabenacles

Holy Texts
The Hebrew Bible is known as the Tenakh and includes the Torah (the Law), the Nevim (prophets), and the Ketuvim (the writings, i.e. the Psalms). The Tenakh is supported by the Talmud, which involves legal material, commentary and traditional Jewish practices.

What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your neighbour.

10 - 11

Other Religions
There are many varied religions within the UK, these are either monotheistic, polytheistic or atheistic. Some of these religions are listed here:

Bahai

One of the youngest of the worlds major religions.

Atheism
Atheism is not a belief. Atheism is the absence of belief in God. Atheists are people who do not believe in God or other spiritual beings. Some atheists go further and deny that God or other spiritual beings exist. People are non-believers for many reasons, among them: Atheism is their chosen philosophy. They find insufficient evidence to support any religion. They think religion is nonsensical. They once had a religion and have lost faith in it. They live in a non-religious culture. Religion doesnt interest them. Religion doesnt seem relevant to their lives. Religions seem to have done a lot of harm in the world. The world is such a bad place that there cant be a God.

Buddhism

A way of living based on the teachings of Siddartha Gautama.

Jainism

An ancient philosophy and ethical teaching that originated in India.

Mormon

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Paganism

A contemporary western religion based on reverence for nature.

Shinto

Shinto has no known founder or single sacred scripture.

Sikhism

The religion founded by Guru Nanak in India in the 15th Century CE.

Unitarianism

An open-minded and individual approach to religion.

Asian Naming System

There are different naming systems for those from the Indian sub-continent. Most Muslim names are Arabic names as they are taken from the Quran. They have a meaning or are names of prophets. Those Muslims who come from Pakistan/Kashmir, Bangladesh and India have names that are also influenced by the Persian and Hindu past, e.g. titles like Chaundry, Malik and Raja are based on the Hindu caste/clan system and have no Islamic foundation. There are also names that identify gender. Khan is mainly associated with a male but this can also be a family name. Begum, Bibi, Khatoon and Nisa are female names. Here are some examples: Male Names Female Names Surname Khan Malik Abbas Hussain Akhtar Chaudhry Male Names Female Names Surname Ashvin Anita Patel Anil Bharti Chauhan Dinesh Daksha Halai Jagdish Indira Ghandi Kishore Jyoti Mistry Ravi Meena Parmar N.B. The surname Patel is a common name in Gurajat and means landowner. Both Hindus and Muslims adopt it.

Pronunciation
The naming system in Hindu families is the same as the British system. The surname is usually shared by all and the first two names may be personal which may distinguish the gender or the caste they belong to. The following are examples of common Hindu names: Religion Name Muslim Hindu Wasim (m) Ahmed (m) Mohmed (m) Ismail (m) Fazila (f) Kaushik (m) Bhaven (m) Joyoti (f) Pronunciation W-seem A-med Moham-mud Iss-mile Faz-eela Kor-shick Bar-ven Jo-tee

Imran Aysha Khalid Hafsa Ayub Sabiha Tariq Yasmin Farhad Samina Kamran Nazia

The naming system in Hindu families is the same as the British system. The surname is usually shared by all and the first two names may be personal which may distinguish the gender or the caste they belong to. The following are examples of common Hindu names:

12 - 13

Food, Diet, Drink and Behaviour

Food and Diet
Students are particularly conscious of their religious observance when it comes to eating and drinking. Therefore, it is important to bear in mind beliefs, variations and practises. However, it is important to remember that just as the white communities will enjoy Indian or Italian food, the Asian communities have just as varied taste! For Muslims, eating of pork (including anything made with pork product) is strictly forbidden. Other forms of meat may be acceptable if the animal is killed according to Islamic law and is considered Halal. Meat is Halal only when it is killed in the name of Allah. The Takbeer is pronounced over the animal and its throat is then cut so that it bleeds to death. Fish are considered Halal. Haram means that something is forbidden. Hindus consider all living things to be sacred and interdependent. In the main they are vegetarians and rarely eat even eggs. Some follow even stricter lines, such as the Jains who do not eat certain types of vegetables such as roots. Those Hindus who may regard themselves as non-vegetarians would not be inclined to eat beef at all; this is because the cow is regarded as a sacred animal. There is a similar practise amongst Sikhs who tend to follow the same restrictions as the Hindus in terms of being vegetarian. However, for the more devout Sikhs meat, if eaten, must be from an animal that has been killed with one immediate blow. In Judiasm, only food which is Kosher (see section on religion) can be eaten. The majority of people of African-Caribbean and those of Chinese origin will eat meat and vegetables and there are no dietary restrictions as such.

Dress
Dress among Asian students varies considerably. While the dress of some is culturally influenced and may be an expression of self-identity, the choice of others is based on personal preference and style. Many Muslim female students choose to wear a headscarf (hijab). This is a part of modest dress. Few Hindu students will wear traditional dress apart from at weddings and other family and religious occasions. In some areas of the UK, shalwar kameez and Sari are worn by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.

Social or Cultural Behaviour

There are aspects of the behaviour of Asian and AfricanCaribbean youths that may be misrepresented or misunderstood. There has been misunderstanding as to why young Asian or African-Caribbean males tend to hang around or walk in groups. The general myth is that they are up to no good. In fact, this represents unity and security and it is a social norm. Another form of body contact, which also emphasises the notion of brotherhood, is the shaking of hands or touching of clinched fists.

Languages
With its multicultural student population the College is a very welcoming environment. Many of the students speak a language other than English. Punjabi and Bangla are the most commonly used South Asian language in the College. Other languages spoken include Urdu, Gujarati, Mirpuri, Pushto etc. These are considered to be Indo-European languages since their general structure has a lot in common with many European languages. There are a number of examples which share a common root, e.g. in Urdu the word katna is to cut. The English language also borrows words from both Hindi and Urdu during the British Raj, such as khaki, bazaar, pyjamas, candy and crazy. Students are often to be heard speaking to each other in their mother tongue. When spoken it is important to appreciate, as with some European languages, that the sound system is very different. Whilst Urdu and Hindi may sound very polite and poetic, Punjabi, and Mirpuri are very loud and fast to the untrained ear the conversation could be interpreted as being in dispute or conflict. Bangla and Gujarati are also normally spoken fast. The majority of the Asian students in the College are bilingual and speak English as their major language.

Language and Religion

Ethnicity Religion First Language Also speak Bangladeshi Muslim Bangla Indian Hindu Gujarati Hindu Indian Muslim Gujarati Hindu Pakistani Muslim Urdu/Punjabi The information below covers the main languages, but the languages or dialect actually used depends on the students areas of origin.

Pakistani / Kashmiri
Area of origin - Punjab (Gujrat), Azad Kashmir (Mirpur and Kotli), North West Frontier Province. Mother tongue - Urdu, Punjabi, Pahari, Mirpuri-dialect, Pushto.

Bangladeshi
Area of origin - Southern Bangladesh, Dacca, Sylhet district. Mother tongue - Bangla, Sylheti-dialect.

Indian
Area of origin - Delhi, Punjab, Central-southern Gujarat, Kutch. Mother tongue - Hindi, Gujarati, Kutchi.

East African Indian

Area of origin - Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi. Mother tongue - Gujarati, Punjabi, Swahili.

14 - 15

Religious Dates
Please note: Certain dates are dependant on the lunar calendar and dates are approximate and can be subject to variance.

Christian Holidays Ash Wednesday Palm Sunday Good Friday Easter Christmas Islamic Holidays Muharram
(Islamic New Year)

2012
- - - - 25th Dec

2013
13th Feb 24th Mar 29th Mar 31 Mar 25th Dec

2014
5th Mar 13th Apr 18th Apr 20th Apr 25th Dec

Jewish Holidays Purim begins Passover begins Rosh Hasanah Yom Kippur Sukkot begins Hanukkah begins

2012
- - 16th Sept 25th Sept 30th Sept 8th Dec

2013
23rd Feb 25th Mar 4th Sept 13th Sept 18th Sept 27th Nov

2014
15th Mar 14th Apr 24th Oct 3rd Oct 8th Oct 16th Dec

2012
15th Nov - - - 26th Oct

2013
4th Nov 24th Jan 9th July 8th Aug 15th Oct

2014
25th Oct 14th Jan 29th Jun 28th Jul 4th Oct

Hindu Holidays New Year Holi Navarati begins Diwali

(Festival of Lights)

2012
- - 16th Oct 13th Nov

2013
11th Apr 27th Mar 5th Oct 3rd Nov

2014
31st Mar 1st Mar 8th Oct 23rd Oct

Milad-un-Nabi

(Muhammads Birthday)

Ramadan begins Eid-ul-Fitr

(Ramadan ends)

Eid-ul-Adha

(Festival of Sacrifice)

Chinese Holidays New Year

2012
-

2013
10th Feb

2014
31st Jan

A Brief Glossary of Religious Terms

A
Al-hijra

Start of the Islamic calendar. Commemorates the migration of the Prophet Muhammad.

Christmas

Celebrates the birth of Jesus who Christians believe to be the Son of God.

All Saints Day

All Hallows, All Martyrs. This day provides a chance to offer thanks for the work and witness of all saints.

Corpus Christi

Feast to celebrate the Body of Christ. Bread and wine are significant on this feast.

All Souls Day Ascension

On this day the departed are remembered and prayed for.

Divali (Hindu/Sikh)

The day marks 40 days since Easter and commemorates the last appearance of the risen Christ who ascends into heaven.

Festival of lights. Celebration of good over evil. Victory of Lord Rama over demon Ravana and end of over 14 years of exile of Lord Rama. Also prayers for Goddess Laxom for prosperity and beginning of financial year.

Ash Wednesday

First day of the Lenten Fast, name gained from ancient customers of sprinkling ashes over penitents head.

Durga Puja Dusserah

On the 8th day of Navarati with prayers for the Goddess Durga.

Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh (Sikh) Birthday of Guru Nanak

Special day where the demon Rasana is burnt on large bonfires his destruction is celebrated with fireworks and parties.

The 10th and last human guru who established the order of Khalsa.

Birthday of founder of Sikhism. This is the holiest festival of the Sikhs which is celebrated over a three day period.

Easter

Resurrection of Christ. Easter is joyous with Easter eggs and spring symbols to represent new life.

16 - 17

Easter Sunday

Jesus resurrection is celebrated. Easter eggs are given as a celebration of new life.

Holy Saturday

The last day of Lent. Special services are held which include the lighting of the Paschal Candle and baptismal vows are renewed. IJK

Eid-ul-Adha

This festival marks the end of Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and also commemorates the Prophet Abrahams offer to sacrifice his own son Ishmael. An animal is sacrificed. A third is distributed to the poor, the remainder to relatives.

Lent

A period of 40 days of fasting in preparation for Easter Christians traditionally give up something to remember the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness which ends on Easter Day. M

Eid-ul-Fitr

This day marks the end of the month of fasting for Muslims (Ramadan). The day is marked with prayers and festivity and presents for children.

Navaratri

9 days of dance (Garba) and celebration when the Goddess Laxmi is worshipped. O

Epiphany

This is the twelfth day of Christmas and celebrates the coming of the Wise Men (Magi) to the infant Jesus. F

Palm Sunday

Good Friday

This day commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.

The first day of Holy Week which remembers Jesus last week of earthly life. The day is commemorated with processions with congregations carrying palm fronds or tree branches to remember Jesus entry to Jerusalem where he would be crucified.

Passover

Holi

Spring Festival of Colours for Hindus. Coloure powder and water are scattered on each other, also dances.

Recalls the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and celebrating the barley harvest. Unleavened bread is eaten with a special meal (Sedar), with food, prayers, games and song.

Pentecost

Birthday of the Church. Followers of Jesus Christ first received the Holy Spirit and produced the Gospel. Q

Sukkot

Harvest festival which commemorates the 40 years in the wilderness on the way from Egypt to Israel.

Raksha Bandhan

Sisters tie the holy thread onto brothers wrists for protection. Brothers in return give sisters presents.

The Assumption

Feast where the Virgin Mary is accepted into heaven to sit by Christ.

Ramadan

The Islamic month for fasting from dawn to sunset every day, normally 30 days ending with Eid-ul-Fitr.

The Prophet Muhammads Birthday

Milad-un-Nabi. The day is celebrated with presents, stories and lectures on the life of Muhammad. U

Rosh Hashana

Creation of the world - begins with 10 days of repentance and self examination during which God sits in judgement.

Vaisakha (Baisakhi)

Founding of Khalsa (Sikhism) order of the Guru by Guru Gobind Singh - he baptised five disciples known as the Five Beloved Ones.

Shavuot

Celebrates the revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai, a wheat harvest.

Vaisakha / Puja / Wesak

Theravadin celebrate the birth of enlightenment and final passing away of Gantama Buddha. WX

Shrove Tuesday

Day set aside to go to church for confession, repentance and to be absolved of all sins.

Yom Kippur

Day of Atonement. The last day of ten days of repentance and the holiest day of the year with fasting and prayer. Z

18 - 19

Safeguarding and Protecting Young People and Vulnerable Adults Policy

Accrington and Rossendale College (accross) recognises that its staff and students have an important role to play in safeguarding the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and preventing abuse. The College has a comprehensive protection policy to ensure that the welfare of our students is always placed at the centre of all activities. If you would like to see a copy of this policy please contact the Information+ Centre on 01254 354354. Alternatively the policy can also be viewed on our web site at www.accross.ac.uk/thecollege/Learner_Support

Equal Opportunities and Cultural Diversity

Accrington and Rossendale College (accross) is committed to the active pursuit of an equality and diversity policy which addresses the need and right of everyone in College to be treated with respect and dignity, in an environment in which a diversity of backgrounds experience is valued. It aims to ensure that all staff and students whether existing or potential receive fair and equal treatment when applying to, or working as, members of the College, and to counter any attitudes and behaviour which deny opportunities to people simply or primarily because of their: Age Disability Gender reassignment Marriage and civil partnership Pregnancy and maternity Race Religion or belief (this includes lack of belief) Sex Sexual Orientation

20 - 21

Greening the College

Accrington and Rossendale College (accross) prides itself on being green organisation, which has undertaken a series of initiatives designed to reduce the size of our carbon footprint. We promote the use of sustainable resources and discourage wasteful or damaging environmental practices and continue to raise awareness and understanding of environmental issues among all staff and students.

Accrington and Rossendale College (accross) exists to provide high quality education and training to the widest range of local people. The details in this course guide were correct at the time of print. The college however, reserves the right to alter the information contained in this publication at any time. Classes will run subject to sufficient student numbers, please check with our staff if you want to be sure that a programme is running or a specific facility is in operation. Please call the colleges main reception with any enquiries you may have on (01254) 389933.

Broad Oak Campus | Broad Oak Road | Accrington | Lancashire | BB5 2AW accross at the Waterside | St James Court West | Accrington | Lancashire | BB5 1NA Eatery 1853 | The Globe Centre | St James Square | Accrington | Lancashire | BB5 0RE T_01254 389933 | F_01254 354001 E_info@accross.ac.uk | W_www.accross.ac.uk

The first choice college for a career-focused education