Guests were welcomed to the TASTE Restaurant at Hammersmith & Fulham College for a stylish reception featuring a selection of vegan, plant-based canapés, prosecco, and fresh juices. For the first time, the restaurant housed a GlamBOT, allowing nominees and their families to capture stunning high-resolution slow-motion video footage for their own social media platforms.

From there, they moved to the Sports Hall, transformed into a dazzling awards venue. With stunning lighting and elegant décor (including balloon design and florist courtesy of students and staff at Capel Manor College), the stage was set for a truly memorable evening.

Principal and CEO Karen Redhead OBE welcomed everyone to the event followed by keynote speaker Yared Bizuneh. Yared, who studied Travel and Tourism at �ڹϳ����� in 1998, is a successful entrepreneur, tourism advocate, and innovator. His inspirational speech encouraged nominees to continue their hard work, saying: “Show up and fully engage in every situation. Be present, because your network is invaluable – you never know who you’ll meet or where it might lead. The experiences and education I gained at �ڹϳ����� were instrumental in shaping my journey. With kindness, purpose, and relentless belief in yourself, anything is possible.”

The Award for Excellence in Care, Sport, and Protective Services went to Nabihah Malik, whose dedication and drive stood out, leading to her achieving a full-time role as a teacher. Amandeep Dhuper received the Business, Professional Studies, and Science award, recognising his exceptional achievements and commitment to their studies.

In the Service Industries category, Mariyana Zapryanova was celebrated for her exceptional performance and passion for her craft, notably her presentation at the annual hair and beauty show, where took inspiration from clouds and created an outfit that had hidden water sprayers to create a rain effect.

Our Driven by Determination award went to Madalena Pedro Viegas, recognising her learning journey from when she joined us in 2019 on an ESOL course through to her current Teaching Assistant Level 3 course with GCSE English. She completed the Level 2 course with Functional Skills last year, showing incredible commitment to her studies, whilst balancing caring for her children and working as a professional baker.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield won the coveted Community Partner/Employer of the Year award. Having worked with �ڹϳ����� extensively over the past year to open the West London Retail Skills Hub in Westfield London, situated next to John Lewis and Partners, the award recognised their commitment to our partnership, which exemplifies the proactive measures needed to equip students for the demands of the modern workforce.

The overall Board’s Award for Excellence was handpicked by our Board of Governors, choosing the “winner of winners.” The Board were inspired by the student’s story, and how he continues to give back to the community, choosing Amir Jourabian as this year’s recipient. Governors Maddalaine Ansell, Robin Ghurbhurun, Jonathan Roe, Carole Kitching, Sharon Lambert and Adrien Ong attended the ceremony to present the award to Amir.