Message from Principal and CEO Andy Berry

“Following the fire at the Bridgwater campus, I have been bowled over by the love and support shown from our community and cannot thank you enough.

This year has certainly been challenging and the fire has added to this challenge. The Motorsport team are devastated, this team has a UK wide reputation for building and tuning the most amazing racing cars. It’s with great pride that they race, and win, at some of the greatest circuits in the UK. This experience supports our students to go onto some fantastic destinations from Formula 1 to rally teams and into advanced engineering roles in the motorsport supply chain.

Rest assured, we will rebuild the facilities back to a world class standard. In the meantime, we will do our utmost to minimise the impact on our students, we have a number of workshops across our campuses and we will be relocating students to continue their studies when the Covid guidelines allow. We will continue to update you with the plans and the progress for the new facilities.

I am immeasurably proud of all the staff at the College, who I know will rise to this latest challenge.

In the meantime, many thanks for your support, it means a lot to all of us at Bridgwater & Taunton College.”

Andy Berry

Frequently Asked Questions

What has been affected by the fire?

Two workshops have been affected, the motorcycle workshop and the motorsport workshop.

How was the fire started?

The cause of the fire is currently being investigated, however, early indications are that it was arson.

Was anyone hurt in the incident?

The fire broke out during the night when no one was on Campus.  There have been no injuries as a result of the fire.

Why did you shut the campus if only two workshops are affected?

In order for us to work quickly and efficiently to assess the damage and to ensure site safety, we took the decision to shut the campus to support the estates team.

Have other parts of the campus been affected by the fire?

No, the workshops were in one building.  The rest of the campus is unaffected and is open for staff and learners who are timetabled to attend.

I’d really like to help, how can I help?

We have been bowled over by the support from our local community and the motorsport community.  We cannot thank you enough.  If you feel you are able to help with things such as temporary kit and workshop space to support our students please email raceteam@btc.ac.uk 

When will you reopen the workshops?

We have plans to rebuild the affected building. As more information becomes available we will let you know.

I am on a course which uses the affected workshops, will I be affected?

We will be timetabling students into different areas of the College.  Please ensure you check your emails for information.

What will happen to the affected workshops?

We plan to rebuild these workshops.

I have applied for a Motorsport Course at the College to start in September. Will it go ahead?

Yes, we have a number of automotive workshops across our campuses. Rest assured, the Motorsport Course will start as planned in September.

I have applied for a Motorcycle Course at the College to start in September. Will it go ahead?

Yes, we have a number of automotive workshops across our campuses. Rest assured, the Motorcycle Course will start as planned in September.

I wish to apply for a Motorsport or Motorcycle Course at the College – can I still apply?

Yes, applications are still open for all automotive courses. We have a number of automotive workshops across our campuses. Rest assured, the courses will start as planned in September. Please click on the links to view our Motorsport, Motorcycle and Automotive courses and apprenticeships.