Get Involved

This club is for anyone with an interest in games, whatever their level of experience. Board games, card games, dice games – come along and try them out or bring your own. Currently there is a very active Magic the Gathering group,  but you are always welcome to suggest new games. No knowledge of the rules is required and most of the games we will be playing are simple enough to get playing in a few minutes.

The Charities Group offers students the opportunity to organise and get involved with fundraising events that take place in college throughout the year. From the annual Christmas Hamper collections to bake sales, book swaps and dress-up days, the Charities Group run a variety of events to raise money and spread awareness for good causes. Working closely with a number of local and national charities, the weekly sessions may include guest speakers from charitable organisations, learning about volunteering opportunities, and preparing for fundraisers. We are always open to new ideas and welcome all enthusiastic students who want to support their local community! 

Beginners and masters alike will be welcome to form part of the college chess club. Chess helps to develop qualities of forensic analytical power, decision making and the ability to function under pressure. We meet once a week at lunch and play chess! 

All welcome to come for a time of chat, friendship, Bible Study, discussion of the big issues of life, worship, hearing God, and hearing what God has been doing in people’s lives…

This is your college. The college council enables you to have a say in what goes on and to contribute towards making sure college is a lively and enjoyable place in which to study. To get involved, a student usually firstly becomes a tutor group representative and will then attend the monthly College Council meetings. The elections for the College Council Executive take place in the autumn term. Any tutor group representative can stand for a variety of executive posts or can become chairperson of one of the committees.

College Council Executive: This is the key co-ordinating body of the council and consists of the chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, treasurer as well as the chairpersons of each of the following committee’s: -

- This committee organises trips and creative events for all the students. Each year the committee decides for themselves what they would like to do. Some recent favourites have been workshops in ceramic, paper and clay, a henna stall, and trips to “Harry Potter World”. Students will be involved in The Arts and Culture Festival that takes place in the summer term.

- The Culture Committee is a safe space for people of all backgrounds. We mark international events such as Black History Month and Chinese New Year and work with other groups such as the Arts Committee and Storm Radio. The Culture Committee also contributes to tutorial material and College resources on issues such as racism awareness. We hold weekly discussions relating to news items and cultural trends and open these up to a larger audience as an informal debate called ‘Culture Conversations’.

- The Environment Committee encourages students to take an active part in enhancing the local environment – both in the College and across Colchester. Activities include promotion of environmental and sustainable initiatives within the College, organising and running of events to raise awareness of green issues. Over recent years, the committee have been instrumental in driving college-wide recycling programmes, fast fashion clothes swapping events and raising awareness of carbon literacy. Another successful activity, backed by the Marine Conservation Society, has been a campaign to raise awareness of the effect of single use plastic in the oceans and the threat to sea turtles around the world face. In college, we recently launched the ‘our space… our litter’ campaign to encourage people to use bins. We also launched the ‘save a cup, bring your mug’ initiative and we are in the process of planting trees with significance to wildlife around college and reduce noise pollution. The Environment Committee is fun to join, a great way to make friends and participation is a huge asset for your UCAS application.

All the fun activities are organised by this Committee such as student parties and the ‘Knollfest’.  As well as helping to organise these very popular events it is a great way of meeting people.

We promote sporting opportunities within the College and arrange a wide variety of sporting activities and competitions based around current worldwide competitions and other popular but less known sports such as Dodge Ball. If you are interested in event organising, think this will be beneficial on your CV and love sport the Sports Committee is perfect for you. 

The Sixth Form College conservation volunteers take part in practical conservation work on local nature reserves including Abberton Reservoir. We assist Essex Wildlife Trust wardens and the conservation volunteers with habitat management tasks including tree-planting, coppicing, and constructing boardwalks. We have also helped with the construction of a low carbon building at Bradfield on Sea. Work parties take place on Sundays (approximately one a month) in the course of the year. It is suitable for students on all programmes of study and especially for anyone interested in wildlife and environmental issues. It can count towards the volunteering components of The Duke of Edinburgh Award.

This is a student and staff group that meets once or twice a half-term to discuss books (all genres) by writers from diverse backgrounds. The group started partly inspired by Black Lives Matter but also to address a collective sense that at present, the curriculum does not adequately represent the work of writers of colour – and we now look to broaden our reading list to include books by queer authors, translations of non-English texts, and more! Our purpose is partly to extend our reading horizons but also to use what we discover to make recommendations to exam boards to diversify what is on offer on English courses. Choice of books is driven by students, and the Book Club is a great way to meet like-minded readers and discuss important issues.

Dungeons and Dragons is a collective storytelling game where a group of players take on the roles of characters in an ongoing fantasy story. This group uses the 5th edition rules and usually has multiple games running. Everyone is welcome, whether they are a new player or an experienced dungeon master. You don’t need to know many rules to get started. There will be a meeting at the start of the year to organise groups but you can ask to join later.

Want to learn more about equality, feminism, and fostering mutual respect regardless of gender? Join The Feminist Society! We are a welcoming and safe space for everyone to engage in open discussions, participate in fundraising, and get involved in community events. Together, we’ll explore ways to influence positive change both within and beyond our College. 

Friends Not Foes is a society that aims to be inclusive, reliable and supportive. It’s not just a club, but an encouraging community that is trustworthy and diverse. We aim to create awareness of those who feel misplaced in society,  to encourage students to become more accepting of others. This group also contributes to the college tutorial programme. As a 4th course additional study, we meet once a week to discuss current issues and to arrange volunteering and fundraising activities. In recent years we’ve organised a vintage clothes sale, care packages for disabled refugees, a bake sale for a charity working in conflict zones and other great events for very worthy causes! We are especially proud of our homework club which runs after college once a week to support children from refugee families and which reflects our continuing and positive relationship with those who have found refuge in Colchester and the wider community. Friends Not Foes have won a Colchester Youth Award and the Group of the Year Award at the Essex Teaching Awards. Everyone is welcome.

The Holocaust Memorial Programme is an additional study that encourages students to learn about and reflect on the Holocaust. It is not an overly historical approach and will include focus on literature, art, psychology etc. The programme includes a three-day trip to Poland and a visit to Auschwitz (cost to be paid by students and subject to numbers). This opportunity is open to all 2nd years, regardless of what you study. There is no examination at the end; it is however a way of showing universities that you have a deep interest in learning outside the classroom.

This is an informal social group for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, queer or questioning, as well as for their friends and allies. There will be discussions about history and pop-culture, fundraising events, and celebrations of LGBTQ+, History Month and other awareness days. Mainly, the aim of the group is to provide a safe space to meet with others and have fun! All welcome.

The College organises local fieldwork, day trips, national and international residential trips and many students will have opportunities to participate in residential field trips and day or part day visits;  for example, there are annual field trips organized by the Biology, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Art History, Sociology and English Departments amongst others. The Modern Languages Department regularly offers exchange visits.  In addition, there are many other field trips and visits open to all students. Recently, groups have visited France, Peru, Italy, Belgium and Germany.  All departments build visits into their programmes of study and there are many more general opportunities for theatre, sport, dance and music trips.  Students should ensure they check the student bulletin and Moodle frequently.  Departmental trips will usually be initially aimed at students within those curriculum areas but where there is space for other students to apply, they will be advertised in the student bulletin on a first come first served basis.

Everyone has mental health. If you are interested in understanding more about mental health and how to improve emotional wellbeing, this course is for you. You will learn about common mental health difficulties and their impact. You will also learn some techniques to help deal with challenges, such as breathing exercises for anxiety.

In the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, there is only war - The Warhammer Club offers students the chance to dive into the world of Warhammer in a friendly, creative, and inclusive setting. Open to everyone, from complete newcomers to seasoned veterans, sessions provide opportunities to build and paint miniatures, learn, and play games using personal models or club kit. Explore the deep lore of the setting. Alongside gaming, members can discuss stories, factions, and strategies, while meeting and contributing to our growing Warhammer community.

Discover the power of stitching to heal, reflect, and express. Yarn Collective is your space for creativity, patience, and personal growth.

Learn various textile skills in a welcoming inclusive space where creativity and mindfulness meet. Whether you're picking up a needle for the first time or refining your skills, you'll find joy in every stitch. Together, we'll learn patience, resilience, explore personal journeys, and celebrate the magic of making — one thread at a time.