Department Newsletter
Welcome
Greetings from the Sport & Public Services Department at Wakefield College!
I am thrilled to introduce you to our amazing department - where passion meets profession, and where every challenge is a stepping stone to success.
In this edition, you can expect to find a wealth of information. We’ll bring you the latest news from our department, keeping you up-to-date with current trends and departmental achievements.
We proudly showcase our students’ successes with many of them now in roles at professional sports clubs, the armed services or progressing on to Higher Education.
These stories are nothing short of inspiring, demonstrating the high level of dedication and talent nurtured within our College walls. Explore their testimonials to understand what truly sets our department apart.
Finally, indulge in some fun facts and figures about the worlds of sport and the public services. These enlightening snippets offer a fresh perspective on the diverse and exciting paths you can explore in these dynamic fields.
Good luck in your exams and we look forward to welcoming you in September!
Sport Student Makes the Winter Olympics
Former Sports student, Leon Greenwood, competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan for Team GB in the Men’s 4-Man Bobsleigh team. Finishing in seventh place, the team placed bobsleighing on the map with the hope of inspiring the next generation.
Amy O’Keefe Head of Sport & Public Services
Leon has always had a keen interest in sport. However, bobsleighing has not always been his chosen discipline. He began his career as a sprinter, setting a personal record within the 100-metre sprint of 10.42 seconds, before being told the devastating news that he would never be able to run again after a severe ankle injury. After two years of rehab, Leon found himself on the unlikely path into bobsleighing. He now wants to encourage more sprinters to get into the sport.
Through sheer determination, Leon progressed into the elite bobsleighing programme in just two years.
Not long after, his dedication meant that he achieved his dream of being selected for the Milan Winter Olympics. As a brakeman for Team GB, this involves pushing the sled and operating the brakes to stop it: with bobsleighs reaching speeds of 97 miles per hour, this is an incredibly important role within the team.
Studying Sports at Wakefield College allowed Leon to work alongside industry experts and prepared him for a career within sport.
Sport Fun Facts
Golf on the Moon
In 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission, making it the longest golf shot in history due to the low gravity.
Olympic Origins
The modern Olympic Games, revived in 1896, were based on the ancient Greek Olympic Games, which date back to 776 BC and included running and long jump.
The Longest Baseball Game
The longest professional baseball game lasted 33 innings and took eight hours and 25 minutes to complete in 1981.
Public Services
Fun Facts
World’s First Police Force
The first police force in the world was started in London in 1829 by Sir Robert Peel.
The UK’s Speedy Ambulance Services
The NHS aims for ambulances to reach life-threatening emergencies in 7 minutes or less, though actual response times vary based on location and demand.
Firefighters Do More Than Fight Fires
They also respond to floods, road traffic accidents and chemical spills. The London Fire Brigade even helps rescue animals stuck in tricky places!
Hear from our Students
Public Services
George
“I’m now working as a Police Officer, and my ultimate ambition is to progress into Firearms Police. The part of the course I enjoyed most was the practical days out with my class – they gave me a real insight into police life. The support from tutors was always at a high level, and I learned so much about what a career in policing involves.”
Sport
Lucy
“We’ve done a lot of sessions outside of the classroom such as visit Thornes Park’s athletic track and local gyms. We’ve also got a lot of use out of the College’s Sport Lab which has a range of different facilities including an exercise bike.”
Students Take Part in
Emergency Services Exercise
Level 3 Uniformed Public Service students got to see behind the scenes of one of the region’s biggest emergency service exercises at York Minster.
Involving police, fire crews and ambulance staff, the operation aimed to test the response of blue-light services to a potential terror attack. The exercise included an acid attack, knife attack and a siege.
The students convincingly portrayed victims in the simulated chemical attack, aiding in the training of emergency services. This practical experience was invaluable for our students, emphasising the importance of hands-on training in emergency preparedness.
