Blackburn College Moodle

Dear Students,

Vaccinations

As part of national guidance, 16 and 17 year olds are now being encouraged to come forward and have their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Vaccination Bus

On Friday 10th September 2021 a Covid-19 vaccination bus will be visiting Blackburn College between 10-4pm. A further visit is planned on Thursday 16th September 2021.

No appointment is necessary. The bus will be based outside the Beacon Centre. You can simply attend and get your first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination.

You do not need to be registered with a GP or bring any ID other than your Blackburn College ID badge. It might help to bring your NHS number, if you know it, but this is not necessary.

Please note: If you've already had your 1st dose, you need to wait 8 weeks before having your 2nd dose.

Walk-in Vaccination Centres

Walk-in vaccinations are available for 16 and 17 year olds getting their first dose at the following sites. No appointment or booking is required.

• Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn – Monday to Sunday, 8:30am to 7:30pm
• The Mall, Ainsworth Street, Blackburn – Monday and Tuesday, 8:30am to 7:30pm
• Everest Pharmacy, Darwen – Saturday and Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm (subject to change –  call 01254 777230 for current times).
• Ivy Street Community Centre, Blackburn – Friday to Sunday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Times and locations are subject to check, you should check online before attending.

Home Testing

Next week home-testing (also known as Lateral Flow Home Testing) kits are available for collection from the Beacon Centre reception and from the University Centre Students’ Union area.

Thank you for your support and we hope you are enjoying your first weeks at Blackburn College.

If you would like to bring your own device to site to assist with your studies, this is absolutely possible. To use your own device, laptop, mobile phone, you’ll just need to access our guest WiFi at ‘BBCol WiFi’ – you do not require a password as it is an open WiFi network. You can then access the internet, and by clicking on the following link you can access the main systems/user guides that you need, this includes any instructions you may need: Staff and Students | Blackburn College.

There is also a link to the ‘free Microsoft Office’, which as a student you are entitled to download whilst you study with us.

If you require any specialist software as part of your studies, it is best to speak with your course tutor who can then discuss this with the Computer Services department.

Dear Students

Welcome to Blackburn College. We can’t wait to welcome you back to campus. Whilst we help you settle into life at Blackburn College we wanted to remind you of a few items.

Covid-19 Symptoms

The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.

What to do if you have symptoms

If you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, even if they're mild:

• Do not attend Blackburn College
• Get a PCR test (test that is sent to a lab) to check if you have COVID-19 as soon as possible.
• Stay at home and do not have visitors (self-isolate) until you get your test result – only leave your home to have a test.

Hand-sanitiser and Hand Washing

Washing your hands and using hand-sanitiser helps control the virus spread. Please ensure you use hand-sanitiser regularly and when you enter our buildings and practise regular and thorough hand-washing.

Masks

When you start or return to your studies at Blackburn College you will not need to wear a mask during your lessons or when you move about our campus. Wearing a mask or a face covering is however, a personal preference and there may be circumstances when you feel more comfortable wearing a mask. If this applies to you, please feel free to continue to wear a mask. Replacement masks are available from the Beacon Centre reception.

Please respect others who wish to wear a mask in certain situations or whilst in College.

On-Site Testing and Home Testing Kits

You should ensure you perform two Lateral Flow tests before starting at College. Testing is available on site. From Monday 6th September from 9-1.30pm if you wish to have support with your test simply visit Food4Thought café in the Elizabeth Building.

We also have testing kits available for you to use at home. You should ensure you follow the instruction booklet and should ensure you log your results.

You can log your results here: https://www.blackburn.ac.uk/home-test-results/

And on the Government website here: https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result

We will send you more information about vaccinations for 16-17 year olds in the coming days.

Until then – enjoy your studies!

As part of national guidance, 16 and 17 year olds are now being encouraged to come forward and have their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The young adults of Blackburn with Darwen are advised to play their part in helping us return to normal life by getting their Covid vaccination.

This is particularly important as the end of the Summer holidays approaches and we see the return of education and apprenticeships.

Please note, you will not receive a personal invitation for your vaccination by text message or email. You should make arrangements to attend a vaccination site yourself.

All bus operators in Blackburn with Darwen are offering free transport to anyone going to get their Covid vaccination. Just let the bus driver know where you’re going when you get on!

Walk-in vaccinations are available for 16 and 17 year olds getting their first dose at the following sites.

No appointment or booking is required:

Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn – Monday to Sunday, 8:30am to 7:30pm

The Mall, Ainsworth Street, Blackburn – Monday and Tuesday, 8:30am to 7:30pm

Everest Pharmacy, Darwen – Saturday and Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm (subject to change –  call 01254 777230 for current times).

Ivy Street Community Center, Blackburn – Friday to Sunday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Site opening times and locations are constantly being reviewed and updated subject to demand. Please visit the Healthier Lancs website for the most up-to-date information.

Currently, only first dose vaccines are available to 16 and 17 year olds as we await further guidance.

Ivy Street Community Centre, Ivy Close, Blackburn, BB2 3RR have walk-in clinics (no appointment needed) this week for the COVID Vaccinations as detailed below. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are for anyone over 18 years of age.