Pictured above: An artist's impression of the new Bournville College campus at Longbridge

Birmingham Press Club has agreed a sponsorship package with Bournville College, one of the city's leading education establishments.

The deal will mean the College sponsoring a number of events being hosted by the club in 2011, the first of which will be a lunch on 12 May featuring former BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons.

The event will be the first public speaking event undertaken by Sir Michael after he steps down from his role as chairman of the BBC Trust, which is the governing body of the BBC. He has successfully completed a four-year term in the role.

As well as sponsoring this high profile event, Bournville College will be the main sponsor of several other Press Club functions later this year. 

Bournville College is a community college offering a wide range of courses for school leavers, adults, employers and international students. 

In September, the College is due to relocate to a new £66 million campus in Longbridge which will offer state-of-the-art learning facilities that are among the best in the UK.

Norman Cave, College Principal, said: "We're pleased to be associated with the Birmingham Press Club, in this pivotal year for the College as we move to our new £66 million campus in Longbridge." 

Press Club chairman John Lamb said: "Our agreement with Bournville is a first, as I'm not aware of the Club being sponsored directly by an educational establishment before.

"However, we are trying to develop links with the education sector, for example through the Midlands Media Awards, which now has a number of categories designed to recognise the efforts of media students who are at the beginning of their careers.

"We hope to further develop our relationship with Bournville College during the year, and we also have plans to extend our ties with the colleges and universities around the region."