Chichester College business students organise charitable event for local boy’s recovery

Students from Chichester College hosted a charity event selling salads and smoothies this week.

Level 2 business students built a salad and smoothie bar on Tuesday 21 May, which raised £64.50 for Charlie, a local boy who had two strokes last December after emergency brain surgery.

During a class discussion, students came up with the idea to attach a bike to a blender, which sent an electrical current when peddled to create smoothies which were sold by the students.

With support from the team at Aramark, who currently hold the college’s catering contract, students made smoothies of various flavours such as banana and honey, minty pineapple and coconut and berry and avocado. The students also sold chicken and pasta and falafel salads.

Creator, Lola Gomez, said: “We were discussing ideas and one of us said ‘milkshakes!’ but it wasn’t healthy, so smoothie being the alternative, we went with that.

“We just put a bunch of ideas together and went with it. We had to make it environmentally friendly, and we thought using a bike would be a good way of doing it, and it makes it a bit more special.

“It feels pretty incredible to watch it all come together. We had our chief executive Andrew Green get involved which is really encouraging. We want to expand the business. We’re really inspired.”

Vicki Smith, business and management lecturer, said: “The level 1 and 2 business students worked really hard today to put on an event to show that food can be healthy as well as fun by using a bike to power a smoothie maker.

“They worked together as an effective team and had a good time while they did it. Thank you to everyone that came and supported them.”