FORTY construction students from Lancaster & Morecambe College (LMC) are overseeing the major revamping of a city centre space.

Students are renovating a shopping space in Lancaster city centre as part of a project by Lancaster University called The City 2.

It is an 11 week project involving a variety of University departments as well as many local businesses and community organisations.

This year, they have requested the help of LMC construction students to re-vamp the space, previously the Trespass shop on Lancaster’s Cheapside.

LMC construction tutor, John Ladell said, “It’s a fantastic opportunity for the students.

"You cannot replicate a real working experience.

"Getting out into a real work environment is invaluable: it makes our students more employable.”

Coordinating Campus in the City 2 is Joe Buglass, the University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Enterprise Officer, who has been impressed with the students’ progress.

He said: “The students are in there every day working hard to get the space ready for Campus in the City 2.

"It has been interesting to watch the space transform and I can’t wait to see the end product.

"It has been great to work with Lancaster & Morecambe College.

"This project has really strengthened the links between the College and the University.”

The construction department are eager to develop this project into an ongoing scheme.

Programme Area Manager, Ryann Williams said: “It’s important that the College works with the local community and our students benefit from real work, so following the completion of the project, we are planning to work with local charities to offer affordable construction projects, where they would only have to provide the materials.”

Any local charities or small businesses interested in working with the construction department on a development project should contact Ryann Williams on 01524 521373 or r.williams@lmc.ac.uk.