University of Warwick hosted three-day festival of books, comedy, science and music

Curious minds and lovers of books, comedy, science, music and more enjoyed a free festival at the University of Warwick.

The University of Warwick’s yearround programme of public events, talks and workshops culminated in the Resonate Festival in July – a free celebration with an eclectic mix of fun activities and fascinating speakers across three days on the University of Warwick campus.

At Warwick Arts Centre, visitors listened to experts in women’s health and a music icon joined by an acclaimed novelist and one of the brains behind Gavin & Stacy.

GP and author Dr Nighat Arif hosted a Q&A on perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause to help people find solutions for their experiences and be able to support their loved ones.

West Midlands-based writing royalty Mike Gayle, author of 12 novels including Mr Commitment, Turning Thirty and Wish You Were Here, shared stories

All ages welcome as Coventry College gears up for Summer Careers Fair

A Coventry education institution will open its doors to the public as part of a free event to help people kickstart their careers from his more than 25 years as a novelist.

Coventry College will host its 2023 Summer Careers Fair on Wednesday, July 19, giving locals the chance to speak to some of the largest employers in Coventry and Warwickshire and get support with CV-writing and interview skills.

Running from 9.30am to 1pm on the college campus on Swanswell Street, the event is designed to help people of all ages find out about local job and career opportunities, training programmes and work placements, or simply provide inspiration over their next steps.

University of Warwick’s Professor Alex Sharpe delivered the final talk in a series exploring David Bowie, called David Bowie and Ideas on Love.

Gavin & Stacy co-creator Ruth Jones, who studied a degree in Theatre Studies and Dramatic Arts at Warwick, talked about her new book, Love Untold, to coincide with its paperback release.

‘Resonate Day Out’ was a creative, informative and joyful celebration of everyone who has been part of the Resonate Programme over the last 12 months.

Suitable for ages six and up, children’s author and comedian James Campbell hosted a side-splitting set, followed by BBC’s Stefan Gates, who hosted Gastronaut, a food and science adventure aimed at eight to 12-year-olds.

Indoor and outdoor activities including Lego engineering, circus skills and read-along sessions, took place across Warwick Arts Centre, the Oculus

Building, and the new Faculty of Arts Building. Guests engaged with science, languages, dance, maths, poetry and more.

The festival was supported by Kenilworth Books, who had a range of books to buy and have signed by special guest speakers. There was also live music.

Dr Kerry Baker, of the University of Warwick, said: “After a jam-packed year of events both on campus and across Coventry and Warwickshire communities, we were thrilled to host a huge celebration with an incredible range of speakers and activities to explore and enjoy.

“Resonate is devised and delivered by university staff, students and community partners in coordination with leading academics, talented artists and entertainers to inspire and engage with people in the communities surrounding our campus, ultimately making the great things happening at Warwick accessible to all.”

It will feature over 20 employers including Coventry City Council’s apprenticeship team, Severn Trent and the Armed Forces. In addition to Coventry College’s dedicated careers service and employer engagement teams, college partners from the National Careers Service and Coventry Job Centre Plus will be on hand to help existing students and the wider Coventry Warwickshire community reach their goals.

Exhibitors include: Anchor Care Group, Aspire2B Sport, Creative Flair Childcare, Derry Building Services, Gray Dawes Travel, Keller, Stellantis, West Midlands Police, The Prince’s Trust, South Warwickshire NHS Trust, Willmott Dixon, and more including the RAF, Army and Royal Navy.

Emma Ingram, Head of Employer Engagement at Coventry College, said: “We are looking forward to the return of our Summer Careers Fair after such a successful event last year when it returned for the first time since the pandemic.

“We have brought together a huge array of employers from a variety of industries to help both our students and members of the public get the inside track on a host of exciting career opportunities in the local area.

“We hope to make a real difference to people in the area and help them put their best foot forward, and we can’t wait to see everybody on the day.”

For more information visit www.coventrycollege.ac.uk/events/ careers-fair

Tom Mongan, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and chair of its North Warwickshire branch.

For those of you with a long memory, you may get a feeling of déjà vu as I start this edition’s column.

Four-and-a-half years ago I wrote about chronic shortage of employment land in our region, and I am pleased to say that the Chamber of Commerce has just launched a major report on this very subject.

There is no doubt that a lack of employment land is severely hampering economic growth and the Chamber is writing to every council and MP across Coventry and Warwickshire highlighting this critical issue!

In my opinion, we have to start finding the right balance between building houses on available land and including a proportionate amount of land for employment purposes – of all kinds.

Many plots of land, from old factories to pubs, seem to be developed for housing and, while the Chamber recognises the need for more homes, this new report shows how a lack of space for employment will, ultimately, cost businesses the opportunity to grow and create jobs and will stifle much-needed investment into our region.

So, I really hope that the powers-that-be take notice of this crucial Chamber report.

My final President’s Golf Day has been and gone and I’m pleased to say it was the best yet.

A big thank you to BMW Rybrook Warwick who sponsored the event, and to Nailcote Hall who hosted it, but most of all thank you to everyone who took part and donated to Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA), this year’s nominated charity.

Needless to say, I didn’t win the President’s trophy but I look forward to supporting the new President on their golf day next year.

Finally, I chaired the Chamber’s North Warwickshire branch meeting at the MIRA Technology Institute recently and what an insightful meeting it was.

In attendance were representatives from Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, Warwickshire County Council, local business leaders and The Rt. Hon. Marcus Jones MP.

I’ve long said that the MIRA Technology Park is a real jewel in this region’s crown and it was wonderful to hear from Sarah Windrum, the Future Mobility Lead at MIRA Technology Park on exciting plans for the 850-acre campus.

It is a great example of what employment land can deliver for its regional economy and for local people.

I hope you all have a wonderful Summer and manage to find some time for some rest and relaxation!

Sue Lawton, a dynamic and experienced professional, has recently emerged as a prominent figure in the realm of education and business collaboration. Having recently become a new member of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Sue brings a wealth of experience and a profound passion for fostering connections between schools and businesses.

For over two decades, Sue dedicated her career to agriculture and in 2009 became part of the AHDB, where she played a pivotal role in the education team, running education initiatives across primary and secondary schools nationwide. Her unwavering commitment to providing quality education and facilitating valuable partnerships between education institutes and the business community, has earned her a well-deserved reputation in her field.

Sue reflects on her time within the agricultural industry with gratitude,