Hopwood Hall students meet the Marines

Ramon Francis, Natasha Hopkins, Laceylee Stringer, Daryl Cooper, John Hartley, Mohammed Ditta and Lewis Hart

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Hopwood Hall College has been hosting Meet the Marines, with students from Hopwood Hall and neighbouring colleges taking part in a variety of military activities throughout the three day event.

The Royal Marines set up camp at the Middleton campus inviting students from Macclesfield College, Tameside College, Royton & Crompton School, Stockport College, Aquinas College and T2000 (Military Preparation College) to join in fitness training regimes, competitive lessons in observation (spotting from a distance equipment hidden in a woods to demonstrate the hidden dangers Marines have to look out for), laser rifle combat training and survival technique classes.

The visit was an opportunity for the marines to engage with students from the local area, giving them a taster and an education in what being a Royal Marine involves; the responsibilities, what the career offers and what their work involves.

One of the attending marines was a previous student of Hopwood Hall’s Uniformed Public Services course, Daryl Cooper. Now a HW3 Mortar with the Royal Marines Reserves at Manchester, Daryl believes the event is an ideal opportunity for giving young adults from the local areas a look inside a career in the marines.

“Our visit gives the attending students a great insight into what a career in the Royal Marines can offer, what different kinds of equipment you’ll use depending on your role and what skills and disciplines you’ll have to pick up. There are also avenues into sporting opportunities which people often don’t realise”

For me personally, it is great to come back and see old faces and hopefully set a good example to some of the students here on what success you can achieve.”

To further engagement, the Marines brought some of their equipment with them including personnel packs, deactivated firearms, boats and heavy utility vehicles for the students to learn about.

Sgt  Jim Lynskey, Recruiting Senior at RMR Merseyside expressed his delight at being able to hold the visit at Hopwood Hall College, he said: “The facilities here at the college are perfect for us to get the message out there, with the public sports arena, athletics fields and recreational woods. So it is ideal to be able to invite the other colleges in the area here and give the same clear and informative lessons to all of them”

“We have has some excellent students come to us from these areas in the past, something their communities should be very proud of, and we want to ensure that level is kept high.”