There
are no traffic jams when you go the extra mile
”
- Zig Ziglar
Five SRC Students Awarded the James Kane Foundation Scholarship!
Five students at the College have been awarded a scholarship from the James Kane Foundation. This is the second successive year students from the College have been awarded a scholarship from the Foundation. Pictured are three of the five students winning the 2024 scholarship. These are:
Student Name Course
Amy Ringland Creative Imaging BA (Hons) Level 6 Degree
Jodie Davidson Creative Imaging BA (Hons) Level 6 Degree
Jennifer McParland Creative Music & Audio Production BA (Hons) Level 6 Degree
Campus
Southern Regional College in collaboration with The James Kane Foundation launched the scholarship award in 2023 for Higher Education and Higher-Level Apprenticeship students living within the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council area.
Applications were open to any student from the ABC Council area studying a higher education course in specific areas. The scholarship will enable students to meet the additional costs incurred in pursuing a higher education course. The scholarship is awarded to successful students for a duration of up to two years. The James Kane Foundation intends to offer the scholarship to SRC students for at least the next two academic years with the next round of applications due to be made via the College in September 2025.
Pictured (L-R):
Back row: Lorraine McKeown (Assistant Director –Student Services & Marketing), Lynn Connaughton (James Kane Foundation Board Member), Michelle O’Callaghan (Campus Services Manager), Charlotte Roddy (Campus Services Co-ordinator)
Front row: Jennifer McParland, Jodie Davidson, Amy Ringland
full storyhere
Banbridge
Banbridge
Armagh
Health & Social Care Students Visit Stormont!
As part of their Social Policy Unit, first-year level 3 students visited the Parliament Buildings to explore the workings of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, discovering how laws and policies are established in Northern Ireland.
Special thanks to James Stewart from the Education Department at Stormont for the tour!
Level 3 Health & Social Care students enjoying their visit to Stormont and learning about lawmaking in Northern Ireland!
Project Based Learning in 2025!
Happy New Year from the Project Based Learning (PBL) team! With the new year in full swing, now’s the perfect time to explore the PBL resources if you haven’t already! The team have put these together to make your life easier.
Scan the staff QR code to sign up & stay updated!
The Canva site is packed with valuable information, including convenient ‘grab & go’ toolkit resources to save time with the PBL themes. To stay up to date, join the Staff PBL Teams site for regular updates.
Simply scan the QR code to submit a “request to join” the PBL Teams channel. Once your request is approved, you’ll gain access to all past posts as well as upcoming updates.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated so email pbl@src.ac.uk with any suggestions as this will help make the product even better.
Stay tuned for next month’s update on PBL’s progress!
Supporting Alzheimer’s Society NI
SRC staff and students selected Alzheimer’s Society NI as the new charity partner, aiming for a fundraising goal of £10,000.
Alzheimer’s is prevalent within our society. 1 in 3 people born in the UK will be diagnosed in their lifetime, which means we all know someone who has been affected. The College fundraising activities help to support those who need it most and fund groundbreaking research to transform the future for everyone living with dementia and contributing to the charity’s vision of “A world where dementia no longer devastates lives”.
Below are the totals raised through our fundraising efforts:
£845 through a Christmas Coffee Morning
£400 via a pudding fundraiser
468 foodbank items collected
234 volunteering hours contributed
68 toys donated for the Toy Appeal
On 17th December 2024, the College hosted numerous fundraising activities, featuring the sale of freshly baked goods at each campus, a festive Christmas quiz, and a raffle with prizes generously sponsored by our contractors. The charity calendar can be viewed via SharePoint/PeopleHub.
The original target was £1,000 and an amazi Fundraising is a fantastic way to promote teamwork and build friendships among staff. Get involved and let the Organisational Development team know about any fundraising events to support the College’s official nominated charity partner, Alzheimer’s Society NI.
Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) Productivity Booster
This initiative is designed to help SMEs embrace learning and upskilling opportunities, complemented by tailored mentoring to enhance workplace productivity. Key focus areas for boosting productivity include leadership and management, project planning, communication, creativity, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and automation.
Business Improvement Techniques
Skill UP
Why Innovate Podcast
The ‘Why Innovate Podcast’ is now live! This podcast is supported by ConnectedNI.
The podcast explores the world of innovation, sharing insights from leaders, creative problem-solvers and businesses that are bringing new ideas to life. Guests include Deborah Loughran (King Communication), Creative Spark FabLab team in Dundalk and Feargal Murphy (Murch Movement).
(L-R): Ryan Mann and Kieran Swail from Business Support, along with Carl McAteer, FabLab Technical Manager, and Thomas Connaty, Innovation Manager.
ZINE
Make the most of Half-Term with Loved Ones
How are you spending your half-term?
October Competition ZINE
Halloween was originally known as ‘Samhain’ in Ireland and Scotland.
What is it thought to translate as?
Catch up over coffee Walk and talk Share a meal together
Whatever you choose to do, take the opportunity to slow down and appreciate the people around you— because the best moments are the ones shared.
SRC Defibrillator training
A huge thanks to our Health and Safety Manager, Estates team and incredible students in the Faculty of Professional Services for organising free defibrillator training for SRC staff across various campuses!
This training equipped staff with the knowledge to use a defibrillator, allowing them to respond swiftly and confidently in case of an emergency. Defibrillators are life-saving devices and a crucial part of health and safety measures. The College has defibrillators available at each campus reception. Please see the link below to the various locations.
Thought of the month
February is a great time to reconnect, recharge, and appreciate the people around us. Whether it’s catching up with a friend, treating yourself, or sharing a simple moment, small gestures can make a big difference
Upcoming Events
Who’s Who
Name: Stephanie Cardwell
Job role: Exams Co-Ordinator
Campus: Armagh Campus
What enticed you to be an Exams Officer?
I have been working within the exams department at Southern Regional College since May 2017, as an Exams Invigilator alongside my previous position as a manager of a Playgroup based in Portadown. I was encouraged to develop my role further in exams as I am very driven and like to see students succeed in their opportunities to learn, to develop their skills as they grow and move forward into the workplace and chosen career.
What is the most fulfilling part of your role?
I like the challenge that each day in exams brings, no two days are the same! I enjoy getting to see the student’s faces of relief when they have completed their exams, having put in the hard work and effort throughout their course, to finally come to an end.
What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
I am the eldest of four sisters. I have also been a student in SRC, in the Portadown Campus when I studied Business and then in the Banbridge and Newry campuses when I studied Leadership and Management.
What’s the last book you read/movie you watched?
The last book I read was ‘Mr. Pikes: The Story Behind the Ibiza Legend’. It was a real eye opener. The last movie I watched was ‘The Substance’.
Best piece of advice you have received?
You cannot please all the people all the time. If you remember one thing today, please remember that. We always struggle to please everyone all the time, and sometimes it is impossible, and in trying to do so, we get ourselves into a lot of stress and anxiety.
If you could switch lives with one person for a day, who would it be?
Probably any one of my teenage children, I think they have a great life, obviously as their mum I would say that. However, it would be nice to understand their challenges a bit more as it is completely different now to when I was a teenager…just a few years ago…. lol
Staff Changes
Role Changes or New Starts
Name Contract Description
Alice Berry Temporary PT Lecturer - Hairdressing/Barbering
Stephanie Cardwell Permanent Exams coordinator
Alex Clyde Temporary Lecturer in Health and Social Care
Michelle Connolly Temporary PT Lecturer - Beauty
Michael Delahunt Permanent Lecturer - Quantity Surveying
Joel Ewart Temporary PT Lecturer - Comp TIA A+
Emma Foster Temporary Secretary to Governing Body
Mairead Hughes Permanent Finance Business Partner
Michelle Lavery Temporary Lecturer in Early Years
Claire Lois Lively Permanent Associate Lecturer - Counselling
Brendan McCourt Temporary Lecturer in Science
Catherine McCullaugh Temporary PT Lecturer - LEAP
Aideen McReynolds Permanent Lecturer in Health & Social Care
Nicole Murphy Permanent Learning Support Mentor
Jacek Stachowiak Permanent Technician Demonstrator - Engineering
Matthew Trouton Permanent Course Administrative Officer
Leavers
Danielle Doran Permanent Learning Support Assistant
Emma Loughran Permanent Monitoring & Placement Officer
Sana Rabbani Permanent Lecturer in Science
Denise Rooney Permanent Finance Business Partner - Management Accounts
Carolanne Ruddy Permanent Senior Finance Assistant
Jenni Spice Temporary Key Worker
Location Department
Newry Professional Services
Armagh Examinations
Banbridge Health & Science
Lurgan Professional Services
Newry Building Technology & Engineering
Portadown Computing Design & Academic Studies
Newry Executive Team
Newry Finance
Armagh Health & Science
Newry Health & Science
Newry Health & Science
Banbridge Health & Science
Newry Health & Science
Newry Learning Support
Portadown Building Technology & Engineering
Portadown MIS
Portadown Learning Support
Newry Skills Training
Portadown Health & Science
Newry Finance
Newry Finance
Newry External Engagement