Hopwood Hall secures £5m Barclays loan

GREATER Manchester sixth form college Hopwood Hall has secured a £5.2m funding package from Barclays to finance the construction of a new technology centre in Middleton.

The facility, also funded by a grant from the Government’s Young People’s Learning Agency, will be used by the college for its construction-related courses.

The deal was led by the Barclays Corporate Education team. Relationship director Andrew Ingham said: “As part of our commitment to the education sector, we have provided a flexible finance facility, enabling Hopwood Hall College to manage their campus improvements without concerns over property sales and with specialised treasury advice to help manage future rate risks.

“The support for Hopwood Hall College underlines our commitment to helping both existing and new customers with their financial requirements, ensuring they are supported during the current challenging environment.”

Vice principal John Spindler said: “This is a very exciting project for the college. It will enable us to deliver an updated curriculum including a significant growth in apprenticeships. We will use the technology centre for training full-time learners in construction and engineering trades as well as many part-time employed learners.”