South West College to celebrate unsung Fermanagh heroes with gourmet dining event

As South West College’s flagship Erne Campus reaches another milestone, the end of its first academic year, the management team are inviting members of the local community in Enniskillen and the surrounding areas to nominate friends, family members, neighbours or colleagues who they believe deserve recognition for their contributions to community life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The college will host a special Gourmet Dining evening in the Erne Restaurant on Thursday 26^th May and a number of nominated 'Community Heroes’ will be invited to enjoy a feast prepared by students from the campus’ culinary arts programmes. The menu for the evening will also celebrate local produce and the event has been designed as a thank you to the community who have not only warmly embraced the new college development but have made a difference to the lives of so many people since the on-set of the pandemic in March 2020.

Reflecting on the upcoming event and the call for nominations, Carol Viney, Campus Manager said:

‘This has been a truly momentous year for South West College in Enniskillen with the long-awaited opening of our new Erne Campus. The reaction to the building from our staff, students and local community has been overwhelming. Over the past few months as COVID restrictions have been relaxed we have been able to open the doors to our on-site Erne Restaurant and this very special evening will give us the opportunity to pay tribute to and thank those who have really stepped up to the plate in many different ways since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

When asked who might be nominated as an unsung hero, Carol advised that there are many people who might be considered for recognition from health care professionals in our hospital and medical centres, to front line retail workers, delivery service personnel, transport providers, teachers, or even family members and neighbours who went out of their way to support loved ones or members of the wider community.

Nominations may be submitted by completing a short online form available on the South West College website and social media channels. Alternatively, nominations can be left with the Erne Campus reception team, between 9am and 5pm (Monday to Thursday (3:45pm Friday) or by emailing donal.monaghan@swc.ac.uk with the subject line ‘Community Hero Nomination’

The closing date for the receipt of nominations is 12 noon on Wednesday 18^th May.