On the 26th of May, Matrix College received a visit from Lord Wharton, Chair for the Office for Students. They are an independent counselling training organisation based in Wymondham which attracts students from Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and beyond.

At the start of the year, the Matrix team had spotted an online article by Susan Lapworth (Chief Executive for OfS) about organising visits to Higher Education institutions for senior OfS staff and board members to improve mutual understanding. Matrix wrote to OfS to invite them to come and meet staff and students. They wanted to show Lord Wharton and his colleagues how the college fulfils an essential role in retraining mature students and providing counselling at a time when these services are in great demand.

Matrix has a programme of teaching that allows students to continue working whilst retraining. As a degree of life experience and reflective ability are required for prospective counsellors, the students are all mature, and the age range this year is from 28 - 61 years old, with most students in their 40s. The cohort of students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and previous academic achievements and from all walks of life. Each will bring their own life experience and subjectivity to the one-to-one encounter with their clients.