WORCESTER STUDENT
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
£3.5 MILLION NEW HALLS ERECTED IN JUST 12 DAYS signs for port vale
kids enjoy university boost
The internal newspaper of the University of Worcester
Summer 2008
www.worcester.ac.uk
Founding Chancellor installed The Duke of Gloucester was formally installed as the University’s Founding Chancellor at Worcester Cathedral on April 10.
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he Duke, who is the Queen’s cousin, officially opened the University of Worcester in 2006 and agreed to become the first recipient of the University’s highest honorary position last year.
students. He was welcomed at the Installation event by the Dean of Worcester, the Very Reverend Peter Atkinson and University of Worcester Vice Chancellor, Professor David Green.
As part of the ceremony, His Royal Highness processed from the Guildhall to the C a t h e d r a l i n h i s of f i c i a l robes along with a colourful procession of University staff in their academic gowns. The ceremony also saw the University confer five fellowships on influential national and regional figures. In his role as Chancellor, His Royal Highness will preside over Degree Congregations and officiate at other major University events.
Speaking on his of f icial acceptance of the role of
The Duke’s installation day involved a presentation and tour of the University’s new £120 million City Campus; a chance to see the Universit y ’s riverbed management and flood impact research work at first hand; and an oppor tunity to m e e t w i t h p a r a m e d i c
Chancellor, His Royal Highness, said: “It gave me very great pleasure to officially open the University of Worcester. “These are exciting, positive times for the University, City of Worcester and wider region. I hope that the current and continuing capital developments will bring a wealth of educ ational , cultur al and economic benefits to the region. I a m ve r y h o n o u re d to h ave b e e n i nv i te d to b e co m e t h e University’s founding chancellor and I look for ward to seeing much fruitful progress during my Chancellorship.” Professor David Green said: “His Royal Highness T he D uke of Gloucester has a great interest in higher education and social and cultural development. His concerns fit closely with the v a lu e s , a i m s a n d o bj e c t i ve s of th e U ni ve r sit y. To have a member of the Royal Family agre e to u n d e r t a ke t h e ro le of the Universit y ’s Founding Chancellor is a great honour. His Royal Highness will be an out standing ambassador for the University and the City and region as a whole.”
W of your Welcome tofirst edition Welcome to the
elcome to the Summer 2008 edition of News & Views, collecting together everything you need to know about what’s been happening at the University of Worcester over the last few months.
new-look News & Views.
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his paper edition will be published quarterly and you’ll also receive regular email updates to ensure that you keep abreast of everything happening at the university. Our intention is that each edition of News & Views will feature a broad mix of stories covering university milestones, staff and student
success, up-and-coming events and other points of interest, but Thank you to everyone who has contributed newsworthy we can only achieve this with your help. Please send any stories stories for this edition. We have endeavoured to include as and/or achievements to newsandviews@worc.ac.uk The next many of will yourbestories as possible, although the volume your of edition a graduation special so we would appreciate newsworthy events has inevitably led to a few interesting thoughts and pictures by the beginning of November. stories not making the final cut. As promised, the lead
story this issue is the report on the installation of His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester as the University’s founding Chancellor, although there are plenty of other stories on these pages that would otherwise have qualified for ‘front page status’. The next edition will be the first of a leaner, faster and more personal News & Views with added emphasis on the ‘human interest’ stories. So, if you have any news please keep us informed by sending it to: newsandviews@worc.ac.uk
Work to start on new Storytelling Library and History Centre festival P
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rimar y school children from throughout Herefordshire and Worcestershire attended an inspiring festival of storytelling and creativity at the University in June.
g ro u n d b re a k i n g £6 0 m ill i o n Library and History Centre for Worcester will soon move a step closer to reality with the beginning of initial demolition works. The new Centre, which is being developed by Worcestershire County Council and University of Worcester i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h Wo r c e s t e r City Council and Advantage West Midlands, will be built at the city council’s refuse depot in The Butts. It is set to attract over one million visits a year and will link through to the University’s new £120 million second campus – creating a whole new Learning and Cultural Quarter for Worcester. Funding for the project, which is due to be completed by 2011, includes £40.9 million from Government Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits and £10 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with Advantage West Midlands, the County Council and University also contributing.
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A general lending and research library open to all, complete with the latest computers, modern learning technology and comfortable reading areas.
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Multi-purpose exhibition spaces and meeting rooms.
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Co u nt y Co u n c il H e r it age S e r v ice s , i n c ludi ng History Centre and Record Office and Archaeology department.
The new Centre will include: •
The Worcestershire Hub customer service centre, providing access to County and District Services.
A flagship children and young people’s library, offering books, music, drama, art and story telling sessions to inspire creativity in young people.
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A Business Intelligence Library.
A summer celebration
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uly’s annual staff garden party was a memorable occasion, with much to celebrate and look forward to. Despite the threat of unseasonable weather forcing a relocation to the MARRC building, the atmosphere was never less than convivial and was enhanced further by a three-piece jazz band. A s a tribute to J o h n Ye l l a n d ’s 13 years as a member of the University’s Board of Governors (including eight as Chair), a recently commissioned p o r t r ait of J o h n was unveiled by the artist, Kathy Priddis. John is now the founding President of the new College of Fellows and the portrait will have pride of place in the Peirson Library. This Summer also sees three of the University’s Heads of Institute stepping down, after many successful years. The contributions made by Richard Pearson, John Fagg and Malcolm Armstrong during their time at the University are massive and wide ranging. This was reflected in the warm reception they received at the
garden party. Each was presented with a copy of the recently published ‘The University of Worcester: An Illustrated History’ by David Green before entertaining the crowd with reminiscences of the many good times they have enjoyed at Worcester. Although they are stepping down as Heads of Institute, Richard, John and Malcolm are all staying on at the University in various capacities. The next issue of News & Views will detail their new roles, as well as profiling the three esteemed academics who are becoming the new Heads.
The annual Children’s Storytelling and Creativity Festival is an exciting collaboration between the University, Worcester City Library, local schools and many national and local arts practitioners. The aim is to create a distinct and high profile annual festival for children in Worcester, with real educational, social, cultural and economic benefits. Over the course of two days, children participated in numerous workshop sessions, all aimed to develop and promote creativity within children. A magnificent yurt (a Mongolian tent) was erected within the campus grounds for the festival and acted as the main storytelling area.
Worcester tops the popularity charts
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he University of Worcester is growing in popularity faster than any other university in Britain, new official figures reveal. The number of applications for places at Worcester is set to rise by over 100% this year compared with five years ago. The latest figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), published this July, show that prospective students have so far applied for 8,438 places on courses at Worcester. This represents a 98.9% increase on total applications received by the University by the end of 2003. Applications are also up by more than 10% compared with last year. The five-year rise is the biggest by far of any university in Britain. It comes as applications numbers have fallen over the same period for many higher education institutions across the country, due to the number of choices students are allowed to make being reduced this year from six to five. It is expected that the total number of applications received by Worcester will have risen further by the end of this year’s applications cycle.
This is your newsletter. Please send news of noteworthy research, publications or other points of interest to: newsandviews@worc.ac.uk
Marathon success for Lee and Alice S
port lecturers Alice Mooney and Lee Pritchard both enjoyed great success in April’s London Marathon. Alice completed the gruelling run in 4 hours and 10 minutes, while Lee dipped under the four hour barrier with 3 hours and 55 minutes, “The London Marathon was a fantastic occasion to be a part of,” said
Alice. “Both the race and weekend were a lot of fun shared with special people and great energy, atmosphere, music, street parties and charity work. I raised £1,650 for my charity, HEART UK, which will contribute to essential research into cardiovascular genetics and premature cardiac death. I think we all have happy memories and a bug to run many more races!”
University confers five new fellowships as part of the duke of gloucester’s chancellor installation ceremony, the university conferred five fellowships on influential national and regional figures, who will now take on embassadorial roles for the university.
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ichael Brinton is the Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, as well as being a Patron of many o r ga n i s a t i o n s a n d charities including Worcestershire County Cricket Club, The Three Choirs festival and the Elgar Birthplace. A native of Belbroughton in Worcestershire, Michael studied languages at the Universities of Vienna, Aix-en-Provence and Perugia before joining his family’s carpet manufacturing company – Brintons Limited – in 1962. He is currently the company’s Chairman.
is currently Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire and has served one or both of the two counties in that capacity since 1977. Claire Warnes, a Principal Advisor for independent advisor y ser vice KPMG, led the comprehensive feasibility study for the University of Worcester’s n e w £ 12 0 m i l l i o n C i t y Campus expansion. With over 14 years’ experience working in the public sector, Claire specialises in leading complex change and transformation projects in central Government depar tments, executive agencies and other large public sector organisations.
Sir Thomas Dunne was Chair of Worcester Porcelain for 18 years and a trustee of the Dyson Perrins Museum Trust for several years. Sir Thomas’s early career saw him serve in the Royal Horse Guards from 1951-1959, after a military education at Sandhurst. He
Sir Brian Follett, Chair of the Teaching and Development Agency for Schools, is a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford. Sir Brian has enjoyed an outstanding academic career.
After taking his PhD in Pharmacology in 1964, he held posts as a lecturer in Zoology at the Universities of Leeds and Bangor, before being appointed in 1978 to the Chair of Zoology at the University of Bristol where he remained as Head of Department until 1993, when he was appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick. He is currently a non-stipendiary Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, where he teaches animal physiology. Nick Paul has made an enormous contribution to the West Midlands region in a number of capacities. He has been Chairman of Advantage West Midlands since December 2002. He was Deputy Chief Executive of the international manufacturing group, IMI Plc and is currently Chairman of Tricorn Group Plc, a group of companies that develop and manufacture products and services for the environmental engineering sector.
NEWS IN BRIEF
ASGA’s successful spring seminar series
Unitots Nursery’s Easter Bunny Morning was a great success. Twenty-five families had great fun, raising £115 for nursery funds in the process.
pplied Sciences, Geography and Archaeology held a successful seminar series on a range of topics last semester including glacial developments, wetlands and food security in Ethiopia and visitor impact management of canyoning adventure recreation. Dr Nigel Hardiman from the Worcester Business School presented on the latter subject, discussing his PhD research on the sport of canyoning in the Blue Mountains National Park in Australia.
macroinvertebrates (which live in streambeds and are widely used for assessing pollution and disturbance). His study concluded that there was no significant difference in water quality or macroinvertebrate assemblages b et wee n highly visited a nd low visited c a nyons . However, the long term effects of continuing ecotourism of this type are unknown and further research is necessary to maintaining Australia’s ecosystem.
To o b s e r ve t h e e f fe c t s of h u m a n t r a f f i c o n t h e n a t u r a l e nv i ro n m e n t , N i ge l’s re s e a rc h i nvo lve d analysing eight canyons over two years using benthic
ASGA and Worcester Business School will be offering a joint module – BUSM1603 Sustainable Development – from September.
Clare Harris (BAEd, PGCE) has been awarded the West Midland Region Outstanding Learner of the Year Award in recognition of her journey from a cleaner at Sunfield, through her professional and academic development to qualified teacher. Dr Colin Price has had his innovative research into using computer games as teaching aids mentioned on the New Scientist website. T h e I n s t i t u t e o f H e a lt h , S o c i a l C a r e a n d Psychology has been awarded a Leonardo da Vinci Mobility Project grant.
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Students’ earthquake appeal U
Senior History Research Fellow Gerry Douds wrote a chapter for the newly published book ‘Forgotten Captives in Japanese Occupied Asia’.
niversity students whose families were among those affected by the recent huge earthquake in China have raised more than £4,500 to help the victims.
MARRC’s Technical Engineer, Mark Corbett, recently completed the gruelling ‘Escape from Alcatraz’ Triathlon in San Francisco, finishing 157th out of 1,600 entrants.
The University had 11 students from the Sichuan province, where the earthquake struck on Monday, May 12, claiming almost 70,000 lives.
Twenty-five-year-old Wang Li, who is studying for a masters in business management, thanked everyone for their donations.
Peter Kerswell Jensen, Captain of the University Rowing Club, won his class at the M a r low International Regatta with a time fast enough for victory even in the class above.
The students held two charity collections, at the university and in Worcester city centre, raising £1,042 and £3,500 at each respectively.
She said: “It has been so terrible. We just wanted to do something to help our people.”
The students then travelled to the Chinese Embassy in London to present a cheque for £4,542 to help with the relief efforts.
What are your students up to? Please send news of student achievements, whether they’re academic, professional or sporting, to: newsandviews@worc.ac.uk
examining witchcraft through the ages
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outledge has recently published the second edition of ‘The Witchcraft Reader’, edited by University of Worcester History lecturer Darren Oldridge. With two-thirds of the contributions different from the first edition, ‘The Witchcraft Reader’ draws together some of the best
historical writing on the subject, exploring the fear of witches. The book traces the development of witch beliefs in the late Middle Ages, the social and political dynamics of witch-hunts in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and the continuing relevance of the subject today.
Premier Fun for Worcester kids T
he University of Worcester has been working closely with Premier Fun Soccer over the last few months, in a project to rebrand their marketing materials. Premier Fun Soccer is a well-established football coaching scheme for boys and girls aged 5 to 13.
the logo and illustrated characters, photography and typography across a range of printed materials including leaflets, posters, banners, clothing, business cards and contact cards. The Premier Fun Soccer website has also been designed by a third year Art and Design student, Hannah Pingriff, in keeping with Kayte’s design style. This was a great business par tnership, not only giving students the experience of working on a live project, with a real client and deadlines, but also bringing the creative design and marketing skills of students and lecturers, to a local company.
Worcester goes green
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he University of Worcester has been named the highest climber in this year’s People and Planet’s Green League and is now rated one of the top British Universities for environmental performance. Worcester has jumped a massive 71 places, to 22nd out of 119 Institutions overall. The League, published by the student campaign group People and Planet and sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, highlights the strength of environmental initiatives and carbon management schemes in the UK’s Higher Education sector over the past year.
Jon Rew, Director of Premier Fun Soccer, said that he was absolutely thrilled with the work, especially the football cartoon characters, and hopes that the children will love it as much as he does. Benjamin Holmes, aged 8, a regular Kayte Rickards, a third year Art and Design student has participant in Premier Fun Soccer, said that he really looks designed the corporate identity for Premier Fun Soccer, as forward to school holidays and thinks the coaches are a work placement project. Kayte’s role included designing great. “The coaches have nick-names like Chicken, Deck Chair and TC. We have a great time – we work hard but have a good laugh too. I often bump into my Premier Fun friends in town – we always say hi!”
Paul’s high octane read Student wins U
niversity of Worcester Senior Lecturer and Sport Psychologist, Dr Paul Castle, has examined the use of psychology in motorsport with his recently launched book: ‘Psychology of Motorsport Success: How to Improve Your Performance with Mental Skills Training’.
The Sports Psychologist has b e e n wo r k ing as a consultant with leading names in British Superbikes a n d Fo r m ul a B M W fo r the last six years. During this time he has focused the minds of racers to cope with the stresses, strains and pressures of competing at various levels of motorsport. Paul said: “This book focuses on a range of psychological factors, including mental imagery and visualisation, relaxation, methods of concentration and emphasises the importance of exercise and nutrition. The aim is to enhance a racer’s mental approach and optimise their success on-track.”
football contract U
niversity of Worcester student Rob Taylor has been signed up for Port Vale as he finishes his degree in Sports Studies. The 23-year-old impressed Vale manager Lee Sinnott during recent trails for Vale reserves, after initially catching the eye of scouts following his strong performances for Nuneaton Borough in Conference North. The Shrewsbury-born former Bridgnorth Endowed schoolboy, said: “I took sports studies at SCAT (Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology) and then progressed to the University of Worcester. My plan was to ensure that I had an education and degree to fall back o n l ate r in life, and I ’ll now be giving it my very best to succeed at Port Vale.”
Conference season for Claire! C
laire Cochrane has just emerged from an unusually hectic period of conference attendance. As the Secretary of SCUDD (Standing Conference of University Drama Departments) she worked with other members of the Executive on the programme for the 2008 Annual Conference hosted by the Department of English and Drama at Loughborough University from 14-15 March. Immediately after Easter, Claire then flew to Slovenia to join a meeting of the Historiography Working Group of the IFTR (International Federation for Theatre Research) held
under the auspices of the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television at Ljubljana University. Last but not least was an intensive three day international conference ‘British Asian Theatre: From Past to Present’ held at Exeter University and organized by the Drama Department leaders of the major AHRC-funded British Asian Theatre Project. Claire gave a paper on ‘British Asian Communities in Birmingham and the Experience of Theatre’ and then chaired panels on other aspects of regional and community theatre.
Exciting archaeology at City Campus site
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oman pottery, a mediaeval burial, the entrance to an underground gaol tunnel and 1940s post-war dance invitations, are just some of the exciting finds so far unearthed at the former Worcester Royal Infirmary site, where City Campus work continues apace. Discoveries charting over 1,700 years of history have now been recorded by Worcestershire County archaeologists and CgMs Consulting, who are documenting finds at the derelict five-acre site. During the ongoing demolition process, the archaeology team has unearthed evidence of the previous existence of at least two Roman buildings and a series of large pits which were probably dug for the disposal of rubbish. Large quantities of Roman pottery have been found in the buildings and pits, including large pieces of Samian ware, which demonstrates trading links with Roman France One of the unexpected results of CgMs’ work has been the discovery of personal items tucked away for decades, sometimes centuries. In the former nurses’ homes, dating from 1931/2, a wealth of postcards, polling cards, letters and invitations to dances were found when the fire surrounds were removed, presumably placed on the mantelpiece before falling behind and being forgotten. Karl Hulka, who is overseeing the historic buildings recording for CgMs, said: “We have uncovered a fascinating history not just from recording the standing buildings but also from studying them as many are demolished.”
We all have lives outside the University. Please send news of marriages, births or other life-changing events to: newsandviews@worc.ac.uk
Supporting Macmillian
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nce again the University of Worcester is taking part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning organised by Macmillan Cancer Support in the Main Reception foyer of the University on Friday 26 September. There will be coffee, tea and scrumptious home made cakes for sale.
dpp outlines vision D irector of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Sir Ken Macdonald QC outlined his vision for a 21st Century Prosecution Service at the inaugural West Mercia Police Authority Conference, at the University of Worcester on 3 July. It is hoped that the lecture will strengthen the already strong education and research links with West Mercia Constabulary.
GB coach’s keynote speech F
ormer Great Britain Athletics Coach, Dr Frank Dick OBE, delivered a keynote speech to the region’s business leaders, at the University of Worcester’s annual Business School lecture in April.
Frank, who is the current President of the European Athletics Coaches Association, has in recent years, combined his talent for inspiring sporting achievement with the business world.
The coach, who has worked with some of Britain’s greatest Olympians, including Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Daley Thompson, held a free masterclass in motivation and leadership to members of Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s business community.
Although still involved in coaching top sportsmen, such as golfer Justin Rose, he has increasingly been asked to provide business techniques to major global companies, which recognise the similarities between effective sports coaching and the workplace.
Swedish double success
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he University of Worcester’s pioneering Swedish Double Degree initiative is currently enjoying great success. Simon Utas and Frida Ekenberg opted to take their final year of study at Worcester, as part of an exciting partnership between Worcester and Högskolan Halmstad University, in Sweden.
T hrough the Double Degree ar rangement, U K or Swedish student s are able to study for an agreed period of time in either country and gain both a British BA Honours Degree in Business Management and a Swedish Bachelors degree. Frida Ekenberg, aged 23, from Gothenburg, is thoroughly enjoying her time at the University and wants to undertake a Business Masters Degree at Worcester, next year. “I’ve always wanted to study abroad for part of my degree and this course has provided an ideal opportunity,” she said. “It’s great to experience life in a different country and to meet new people. I’m now hoping to successfully complete my undergraduate studies and take my Masters Degree at Worcester.” Twenty-eight-year-old Simon, also from Gothenburg, has his sights set on a career in banking and hopes to become an account manager within a leading UK bank, based in Worcester. “It has been great studying at the University of Worcester and the City of Worcester is good too. It’s a friendly City – not too big – so it’s ideal to get to know people. Studying in England has helped to improve both our language skills and we’ve become much more familiar with English business and financial practice, and business terminology.”
Lifelong Learning Network’s great C first year A
Golf glory ongratulations to Sally Smith who, together with her golfing partner, Sylvia Andrews, recently won the local round of The Rohnisch Masters.
regional network, designed to help people of all ages and backgrounds access higher education courses, has celebrated its first birthday.
The Lifelong Learning Network for Herefordshire & Worcestershire, which is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), held its first annual conference at the University of Worcester. Made up of 36 organisations from across the region, the network is headed by the University. Debbie Lambert, Manager of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Lifelong Learning Network, said: “We’ve had an extremely successful first year in setting up a network of organisations committed to helping people with vocational qualifications and those in work to study for foundation degrees, HNDs and degrees. We all work to provide more flexible courses and long distance learning opportunities and ensure that students are supported and helped throughout their study.”
Amongst other goodies that Sally bagged on the day is an all expenses trip to play in a tournament in Sweden at the end of September. There she will pit her skills against competitors from the UK, Sweden and Norway.
University team races for life T
he University of Worcester was well represented at this year’s Worcester Race for Life. Fifty female members of staff were among the 5,000 runners who gathered at Pitchcroft Racecourse on Sunday 1 June to raise money for Cancer Research UK by completing a 5,000 metre course through the streets of Worcester, finishing at the High Street. The University team, led home by Abigail Harradine from Communications & Development, raised a grand total of £1,141 in sponsorship money, easily beating their target of £1,000. The University’s men also played their part on the day, with a team of 10 volunteer race marshal s ensuring the event was a success. Sports Lecturer Alice Mooney was a welcome sight for the finishers as she accompanied a group of Sport Therapy & Rehabilitation students, providing a free sports massage service to the runners.
Students head to Beijing Olympics T
he Olympic dream has become a reality for staff and students at the University of Worcester, as they head off to compete for Great Britain in the Beijing Paralympics. Sports Science students, Ajmal Ahmed and Keryn Seal along with Business Studies student Lee Greatbatch and Will Norman, University of Worcester Widening Participation Officer, are all squad members of Great Britain’s five-a-side Blind Football team. Fellow student, Andy Elleray, is reserve keeper for Team GB and may also join the team in Beijing if a member of the 10 man squad picks up any injuries. The team, captained by Ajmal, qualified for the Paralympics after reaching the finals of the European Blind Football Championships in Greece last September. The University of Worcester, in conjunction with the FA through the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS), has supported the students with the demands of combining both their study and elite level training. Professor David Green said: “We are very proud of the team’s achievement, hard work and dedication in the way that they’ve prepared for the Beijing Paralympics. They are ambassadors, not just for the University, but for the country and we wish them every success in Beijing.”
We don’t all spend all day sat in front of our pcs. if you would like a printed version of news and views, please send an email to: newsandviews@worc.ac.uk
paramedic award for nadean N
adean Reid, a second year student on the Pre-hospital, Unscheduled and Emergency Care (Paramedic) Foundation degree course, has been awarded a prestigious commendation from the West Midlands Ambulance Service for professional conduct at a double cardiac arrest. Nadean received the commendation from Chief Executive of the West Midlands Ambulance Service, Anthony Marsh.
Course Co - ordinator Sharon Hardwick said: “ We are delighted that Nadean has received this award from the West Midlands Ambulance Ser vice, which acknowledges her commitment to patient care and professional standards. We also wish to thank her mentor, Phil Crowther, for the support provided to her during this incident and for his continuing support of the Foundation degree.”
Hockey scholarship launched T
he University of Worcester and Worcester Hockey Club have joined force s to of fe r s tude nt s the opportunity to gain a hockey scholarship, combining
foster care matters F
oster Care Mat ters, an inclusive group for the promotion of best prac tice in foster care, was successfully launched at the University on 6th June to an audience of over 50 foster carers, academics, practitioners and ex foster children.
The initiative is a joint one between the Institutes of Health and Education, made possible by funding under Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Exchange monies. Peter Unwin, himself a foster carer, facilitated the launch event which included a range of local speakers, all with links to the University. Gail Hesketh, foster carer and MA student, spoke about the challenges and learning involved in caring for refugee foster children from totally different cultures; Pauline Edwards, Specialist Nurse for Gloucestershire’s children in care and an ex University of Worcester student gave a county wide perspective on the health needs of fostered children; Kate Cairns, just back from a lecture tour of Australia (and not yet unpacked!) gave a stimulating presentation on the uniqueness of the fostering role; and Penney Upton, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, shared some research on Quality of Life Measures she had used as part of a Welsh study, encouraging local carers and practitioners to use her materials locally. Kerry Howells, ex University of Worcester student and foster child, ended the conference with an inspiring and poignant reflection on how her journey to University and subsequent experiences of ‘the system’ had further disadvantaged her in comparison to peers not in the care system.
playing for one of the County’s leading clubs with studying at the University of Worcester. Andy Waters, Chairman of Worcester Hockey Club, said: “The Club is delighted to forge this link with the University of Worcester at an exciting stage in its development. Worcester Hockey Club can offer significant opportunities for students to develop their hockey careers, with excellent and specialist coaching available. Students will also be able to gain coaching qualifications and take part in community sports development projects. The link with the University has already got off to a very good start with a number of students playing in the 1st XIs and other teams last season.” T he scholarship will enable student s to combine the challenges of studying and playing at a top level while gaining much needed financial support towards playing a nd tr avelling cos t s . O th e r b e n ef it s w ill include pastoral guidance towards planning for study, training and playing schedules and benefiting from the Sports Science and training facilities at the club and University.
New halls erected in just 12 days Another funding T success for Val D
he new Sansome Hall development has been erected in just 12 days.
r Val Chapman (NTF) has had her funding bid to the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme selected from 68 stage one bids and 21 stage two bids to receive £199,506 funding over the next two years. This brings the total project funding brought into the University by Val over the last 10 years to £1,427,692. Val’s new project provides a sector-wide initiative that will lead to enhanced graduate employability by equipping disabled students with skills to match employability competencies. Drawing on the wide experience of three National Teaching Fellows with recognised expertise in the field of disability, the project will build on the knowledge acquired by the establishment of the existing heavily used resource SCIPS (Strategies for Creating Inclusive Programmes of Study) to develop a new web based resource called Usemyability. In offering guidance to adjusting practice, the resource will make a significant contribution to institutional strategic priorities across the sector in relation to the Disability Equality Duty (applicable to all HEIs), and to the national strategy of encouraging employers to employ more disabled people.
The five-storey halls of residence is made up of preconstructed ‘pods’, which were made in Holland before being shipped to the site and carefully put into position with a crane. Each pod contains a study bedroom and bathroom, with full accessibility for disabled students. Now that all the pods are in place, stair ways and lifts will be added and the whole construction will be clad in brick and facing materials. Andy Barham, head of modular solutions at Markey Builders, said: “We decided to use this method as it is a lot quicker and allowed us to finish the development 30 weeks earlier than a traditional build. It is not a new method, but I don’t think it is one that has been used for student accommodation in Worcester before.” Builders are on target to complete the development in time for the start of the new academic year in September. The building will provide housing for 83 students and is being constructed by Markey Builders, working in partnership with Severn Vale Housing Society and the University of Worcester.
Rising basketball star lured to Worcester O ne of the most exciting English young basketball talents has been lured back to the UK from France to play for the up-and-coming University of Worcester-based professional team, the Worcester Wolves. Although several professional clubs in the UK and France were interested in signing Wallace, it was the chance to study for a degree while developing his playing talent that persuaded him that Worcester was the best option. Wallace said: “I have set myself three goals over the next four years – to play professional basketball, to be selected for the British Olympic squad for 2012, and to achieve a solid
education. Worcester can help me tick all of those boxes.
“There are only a handful of pro clubs in France that could offer pro basketball with a solid programme for student athletes, hence my reason for looking at offers back in the UK. So when the offer from the Worcester Wolves presented itself, it was like a dream come true.” Last year Wallace captained the England under-18s side that became the first English team to win the prestigious Cherbourg tournament in its 21-year history. In the previous year he was named the under-16s English Player of the Year.
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