West Suffolk College, based in Bury St Edmunds, announces plans to celebrate centenary including ‘100 voices’ campaign

A college that has been educating the people of Bury St Edmunds and beyond for 100 years has revealed its plans to celebrate its centenary.

West Suffolk College, which is part of Eastern Education Group (EEG), will be celebrating 100 years with a series of events for students, staff and the public, with plenty of opportunities for alumni to get involved.

The plans include a family day, giving people the opportunity to see the facilities, a scheme to sign up 100 apprentices in 100 days, and a ‘100 voices’ campaign to share the experiences of 100 people who have studied at the college.

West Suffolk College began in 1925 as the Evening Institute, offering evening classes without any buildings of its own.

Over the years, it grew significantly, renaming itself the Technical Institute in 1948 with the introduction of apprenticeship daytime classes.

In 1951, it established its first permanent home on the site of King Edward VI Upper School.

By 1960, the college had outgrown this location, adopting the name West Suffolk College and moving to its current site, in Out Risbygate, in Bury.

The college has had plenty to celebrate in recent months, having received an ‘outstanding’ rating across the board during an Ofsted inspection that took place in November 2024.

To kickstart the centenary celebrations, staff attended an internal launch outside the West Suffolk College campus in Out Risbygate to discuss upcoming plans.

Carrie Edwards, head of marketing and brand for EEG, said: “We are proud to have supported the people of Bury and this region during the last 100 years.

“We now support thousands of people across the country and buoyed by our recent ‘outstanding’ Ofsted grade, we are looking forward to continuing to deliver excellence by helping generations to come achieve their educational and career goals over the next 100 years and beyond.

“We have lots of exciting plans, including a family day on 20 September where we’ll be opening our doors to the families of East Anglia to enjoy our facilities and see what Eastern Education Group has to offer.

“Other centenary activities include a scheme to sign up 100 apprentices in 100 days, a lecture about the history of the college on 25 September, a student celebration of achievement in June, a graduation ceremony in October and lots more besides.

“We have set up a dedicated webpage for our 100th year, and we would love to hear from people who have studied with West Suffolk College at any point over the last century so they can share their memories and help paint the picture of this fascinating and unique piece of local history.

“It will be a real opportunity to reflect on 100 years of delivering education, inspiring innovation, and supporting the East Anglian community.”

Dr Nikos Savvas DL said: "I feel privileged to be CEO of Eastern Education Group at the time of our centenary. Over the past 100 years, our organisation has grown from a small technical college offering a handful of evening classes to a thriving educational group encompassing three colleges, primary schools, and Special Educational Needs schools.

“Education has always been a powerful force for change. In 1925, between two world wars, access to learning was limited to the few.

“Today, Eastern Education Group stands as an anchor institution in our community—enriching the lives of thousands and shaping a brighter future.

“As we celebrate this milestone, we honour a legacy of bringing people together through education and look forward to the next century of opportunity and transformation."

The centenary team at West Suffolk College are looking for 100 people who have studied at the college to reflect on their experiences and be part of the ‘100 voices’ campaign.

If anyone wants to get in touch about this, or the centenary celebrations in general, they can email: 100yearsofWSC@easterneducationgroup.ac.uk or they can also visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/eegcommunity

EEG supports around 15,000 students locally and nationally, including through Abbeygate and One Sixth Form Colleges, primary and special educational needs schools, and a University and Professional Development Centre, in Bury.

Additionally, the group is home to an award-winning XR Lab, in Bury, as well as a number of adult learning centres across Bury, Chatteris, Haverhill, Ipswich, Thetford, Soham, and Sudbury.