Friends of Hope
Summer 2012
Inside: Alumni Art Exhibition - Newest Honoraries - Campus News - CPD at Hope
Welcome to the Summer 2012 issue of Friends of Hope
A word from the Vice-Chancellor
As another academic year builds towards its
end, with the examinations period imminent
and the graduation ceremonies only a few short
months away, the University can be proud
but not complacent about the progress we
continue to make. In a difficult economic and
political climate, we have stayed true to our
belief that planned and thoughtful investment
in solid scholarship, research and the student experience is the key
to ensuring that Liverpool Hope continues to offer a unique and
relevant University experience.
We continue to recruit the best available academics from across
the world. At the last count we numbered thirty three nationalities
among our teaching staff and students from almost ninety countries
have chosen to study here at Hope. Evidence that our continued
investment in the students’ learning experience is paying dividends
Friends of Hope is published by the Development Office,
Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, L16 9JD.
Tel: 0151 291 3219
Email: alumni@hope.ac.uk
Website: www.hope.ac.uk/alumni
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includes the fact that we now boast the lowest drop out rates of all
universities in the North West of England and, according to the
National Students Survey, we have the most satisfied students in the
country in subjects such as Theology and Geography.
As well as looking forward to the future with optimism, it is
important that we continue to remember and recognise the great
work of those who came before us and played significant roles in
the story of Hope. I was therefore delighted that the University was
able to confer an Honorary Doctorate of Letters on Dr James Burke,
former rector of LIHE, at the recent Winter Graduation Ceremony.
It remains essential that the entire Hope community works together
to further our objectives and it is vital that we keep in touch with
our Alumni. I encourage you to be our ambassadors, with the
understanding that you will always be “friends of Hope.”
With best wishes, Professor Gerald J. Pillay
Vice-Chancellor & Rector
The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not
necessarily represent those of Liverpool Hope University.
Editor: Clare Morgan
Editorial Team: Ian McKenna, Clare Morgan, Cathie Higgins, Irene Slack
Designers: Liverpool Hope University Design Unit
Printers: Media Group
Two Special Scholarships
On Thursday 16th February the University
presented Scholarships to over 200 Hope
Students. Many of these Scholarships have
been supported by the generous donations
of Hope Alumni to the University’s
‘A Brighter Hope’ Annual Campaign.
Among the many awards were two which
have special significance: The Fr Louis
Hanlon Scholarship and the Alumni Arts
Scholarship.
The Fr Louis Hanlon Scholarship was
awarded in memory of the first principal
of Christ’s College who died just three
months after the College opened in 1964.
Fr Hanlon had undertaken the planning
of the College and the recruitment of both
the staff and students with painstaking care
and was much loved by all those associated
with the early days of the College. The
funds for this scholarship were raised by
members of the Christ’s College Pioneers,
the first cohort of Christ’s students, via
donations, events, and proceeds from the
sale of “Christ’s College Pioneers”, a book
on the early years of the College, written by
Mike Hopper. This scholarship, presented
by Mike Hopper, was awarded to Miss
Aoife Powell who is studying Primary
Teaching with Special Education Needs.
On receiving the award, Aoife said: “I feel
very honoured to receive the scholarship.
It has definitely motivated me to work
hard in my degree. The financial support
has been invaluable in helping me get to
placements which are such an important
part of my degree”.
The Alumni Arts Scholarship was
awarded to Matthew Mortimer who is
studying for a Fine Arts Degree at Hope’s
Creative Campus in Everton. Funds for
this scholarship were raised by Friends of
Hope’s participation in the University’s
inaugural Alumni Arts Exhibition in June
2011. The award was presented by Steffie
and Mike Shields, joint chairs of the
Exhibition Planning Group.
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A head start for Hope’s Graduate Interns
University scheme gives graduates paid training in the workplace
Twenty one graduate interns started their
working lives at Liverpool Hope University
in January as part of a scheme to make the
University’s graduates ‘job ready’.
Liverpool Hope has provided funding for
these graduates to undertake three month
internal internships, in roles across the
University. Each participant was paid for
their internships and roles ranged from
Festival Co-ordinator to Policy Researcher
and Fundraising Officer.
Ginny Mair, Head of Student Development
and Employability at Hope, said: “Each
person worked on a project, doing graduatelevel work, gaining relevant employability
skills and experience which will assist them
in gaining relevant and valued graduate
employment. “Each intern had a mentor
who they worked alongside, as well as
producing a ‘reflective practice journal’,
building up a portfolio and they received
career development training. We’re so
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fired up about this! We’re looking to set
up something more long-term as well as
providing internships for undergraduates.”
Lynsey Martin, Employability Manager
at Hope, is running the scheme. She said:
“There’s never been a more important
time for graduates to get meaningful
work experience, and Hope is helping
its graduates stand out in an increasingly
crowded job market.”
One of the interns Anna Jay-Turnbull said:
“Having a chance to work within the Music
department as a member of staff is a great
experience and I have had the opportunity
to work on various exciting projects. “My
responsibilities have ranged from admin
work to more ‘hands on’ organisation,
such as arranging a choral summer school,
composition project and various workshops.
I think internships are a great idea and
I am very glad to have been offered this
position.”
Fellow intern Catherin Brook added: “I’ve
found the internship to be thoroughly
enjoyable and more importantly, very
useful. It’s given me a great opportunity
to develop skills, techniques and my own
confidence, which will help when going
into a full-time graduate level job.”
Of the 21 interns 17 had their contracts
extended, 2 have gone straight into
graduate level employment, 1 has gone on
to volunteer overseas and 1 has gone on to
pursue other opportunities.
To find out about internships please contact
Lynsey Martin on martinl@hope.ac.uk.
Liverpool Hope Graduate Enterprise Awards
In this present
economic situation
it can be difficult to
find graduate level
employment; so
many graduates are
looking at setting
up their own
business. At the
beginning of this
year the University
was able to offer seed funding to four Hope
Graduates to assist them in developing their
idea into a thriving business.
One of those people who successfully
competed for the award was Alison Roberts,
who graduated in 2011 with a BA Hons
in Music, Popular Music and Music
Technology. Alison has a strong background
within the Performing Arts industry
including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight
Express, Annie, The Snow Queen, Grange
Hill and Songs of Praise to name but a few.
She is also a musician and songwriter.
Good luck Jenny Meadows!
Alison had a vision of setting up her own
Performing Arts Studio and with the
support of the award this has now been
made possible. Alison is setting up the
Liverpool Performance Studios and will be
opening for business in June.
The award also offered the opportunity
of attending a Professional Development
programme in Entrepreneurship for
Business Start Ups, with Revd Tony Bradley
of Hope Business School delivering the
course. This involves developing the
business idea, branding, business modelling,
creating a strategy of moving forward to
growth, and building a buddying system
with each other.
If you wish to find out more about the
company then visit her website:
www.liverpoolperformancestudios.co.uk
or email her on:
contactus@liverpoolperformancestudios.
com
Former Hope student Jenny Meadows
will be soon heading to London for the
2012 Olympics. Jenny, who graduated
from Hope in 2002 with a degree
in Sport Studies with English, is the
third fastest British woman ever in the
800m category. Jenny claimed double
silver at the 2011 European Indoor
Championships in the 800m and the
4x400m relay. She is also a former
junior world champion.
The whole Hope community wishes
Jenny well this summer! To keep up to
date with Jenny’s sporting career, go to:
http://www.jennymeadows.co.uk/
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Liverpool Hope Graduate named as
Goldsmiths’ Young Designer Silversmith
Liverpool Hope Design
graduate Kate Earlam
has been awarded the
prestigious Goldsmiths’
Young Designer
Silversmith award
2012. This award
aims to encourage
studio silver design,
promote excellence in design and
provide silversmithing students with an
opportunity to work with leading designers
and craftsmen.
Kate will now work with leading
silversmith Clive Burr in the new stateof-the-art workshops at the Goldsmiths
Institute. Kate said: “I was absolutely
speechless when I heard I had won the
award. It is such a fantastic opportunity
to work with a leading silversmith and
develop my skills.”
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Kate studied at Liverpool Hope University,
achieving a First Class BA Honours in
Design before completing a Masters in
Creative Practice. Kate said: “My degree
and Masters at Liverpool Hope were such
a fantastic grounding for my career in
silversmithing. The course enabled me to
explore a wide range of techniques and
disciplines using materials from metal
to wood. It was wonderful to be able to
discover what worked for me and develop
my creativity in that field”.
Head of Fine and Applied Art at Liverpool
Hope Alan Whittaker said: “We are so
proud of Kate and her achievements since
she graduated last year. It is always fantastic
to see our students’ progress and really
shine in the industry.”
For more information visit:
www.kateearlam.com.
Support Hope Online
Liverpool Hope University recently
launched a ‘donate online’ facility which
enables supporters to donate online
quickly and securely via our secure
SecPay payment gateway.
Supporters can elect to allocate their gift
to one of the following projects:
• Student Scholarships
• Sheppard-Worlock Library
• Global Hope
The University donates 100% of your
gift to the project.
Supporters can also choose to Gift Aid
their donation, which means that if you
are a UK taxpayer, you can increase the
value of your donation to the charity by
at least 25% under the Gift Aid scheme at no additional cost to yourself.
To donate online please visit:
www.hope.ac.uk/alumni
To donate via post or to set up a regular
gift to the University please complete and
return the Donation Form on Page 19.
Liverpool Hope Alumni Art Exhibition
“Great Expectations”
23rd – 30th November 2012
Following the success of last June’s
event, Liverpool Hope University’s
Alumni Association is to stage its second
combined Alumni Art Exhibition across
the weekend of 23rd – 30th November
2012 at its Hope Park Campus in
Childwall.
Current and former students and
members of staff, as well as Friends of
Hope, are invited to submit work for
consideration in one, or more, of three
categories: 2D; 3D; and photography.
Prizes in each of the three categories will
be awarded by a judging panel to include
members of Hope’s Creative and Visual
Arts staff as well as recognised local artists
and experts.
Selected works will be displayed in the
EDEN Building and will remain on
display to the general public. Exhibited
work will be offered for sale at the
discretion of the respective artists.
The exhibition will be launched at a
drinks reception on the evening of Friday
23rd November, followed by a guest talk
and prize giving.
To express your interest in participating
in the exhibition please email alumni@
hope.ac.uk or telephone 0151 291
3219 to register for an entry pack which
includes deadlines and the criteria for
artwork submissions. Alternatively please
complete the form at www.hope.ac.uk/
alumni.
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New EDEN Conferencing and Events Facilities
EDEN Lounge
The stylishly designed EDEN Lounge
has a laid back atmosphere with its subtle
lighting scheme and comfortable yet stylish
furniture. It provides the perfect setting
to meet friends or colleagues, either for
a business meeting or just to enjoy the
Fairtrade refreshments.
The EDEN Lounge menu provides ever
popular choices including pizza and
Aberdeen Angus burgers. For those with a
lighter appetite, salads and paninis are also
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available. It has a licenced bar and is open
weekdays from 11.00am – 8.00pm.
EDEN Arbour Room
The EDEN Arbour Room is perfect for
private functions and can accommodate up
to 90 guests for a reception or banqueting
style event. With a dynamic lighting
scheme and large windows, it is a bright
and airy space. Using innovative sliding
wooden panelled walls, it can be separated
from the EDEN Lounge and adjoining bar
area.
EDEN Suite
The EDEN Suite offers guests 17 en-suite
executive double bedrooms, including
one suitable for disabled guests. All guest
rooms are furnished in a contemporary
and stylish manner, offering touches of
luxury. Each is equipped with a flat screen
television, complimentary tea and coffee
making facilities, Egyptian cotton linen and
towels. You can relax and browse on your
laptop or smart phone at your leisure, as all
rooms offer free wireless internet. For more
information contact 0151 291 3782.
A Celebratory Week at Hope
Foundation Day celebrations took place at
Liverpool Hope University on Wednesday
25th January, as the University community
gathered to reflect upon Hope’s past,
and look towards its future. Honorary
Fellowships were awarded to Max
Steinberg, Chief Executive of Liverpool
Vision, in recognition of his many
contributions to housing and regeneration,
most recently in Liverpool; Councillor Jane
Corbett, in recognition of her significant
contributions to the communities around
West Everton and to education in the city
more generally, and Andrew Cornall’s
Honorary Fellowship recognised his
recognition of his commitment to music
education and his significant contributions
to the partnership between the University
and the RLPO.
The University community honoured the
achievements of over one hundred students
at Winter Graduation the following
day. Two honorary doctorates were also
awarded at the service. Dr James Burke,
pictured left, former Rector of Liverpool
Institute of Higher Education, was awarded
an Honorary Doctorate of Letters in
recognition of his vital contributions to
the establishment of what is now Liverpool
Hope University. Bishop Vincent Malone
was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of
Divinity in recognition of his contributions
to Catholic education, ecumenism and
Liverpool Hope University’s development
over many years.
The week’s celebrations concluded
on Friday 27th January when veteran
Liverpool priest and campaigner Canon
James Collins was awarded an Honorary
Doctorate of Divinity. Father Jimmy, as he
is known, sadly passed away on Thursday
19th April, aged 94.
For more information and for photographs
from January’s ceremonies, please visit
www.hope.ac.uk/news.
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Alumni Advisory Board
As Alumni and Friends of Hope will be aware, Liverpool Hope established an Alumni Advisory Board in 2009. Over the past three years the
board has convened at Hope several times a year to suggest and discuss ideas for events, activities and campaigns that will benefit the Hope
community as a whole. The Candlemas Day celebrations, so well attended in 2010 and 2011, and the successful Alumni Art Exhibition in
2011 were ideas born from board members.
The Alumni Office is keen to use members’ time and ideas wisely and therefore the format of the Board is to change. It is our intention to
hold one annual Alumni Board meeting in February every year, where all alumni are welcome to attend. During the year we will call upon
our board members and the wider alumni community to support us with various initiatives.
We hope many of you will join us in February (date tbc – keep an eye on the alumni website for details) to advise, guide and inform the
University in the development and maintenance of a thriving community of Alumni and friends of Hope.
How we could use your support. We will require help with the following:
Art Exhibition, Friday 23rd November
2012
• Attending planning meetings
• Planning and distributing leaflets and publicity material
• Helping to set things up on the night
• Being on hand on the night, directing people/on the door
• Being on duty whilst exhibition is taking place
S. Kath’s 50th Anniversary on One Site,
Summer 2013
• Attending planning meetings
• Making contact with former S. Kath’s students and staff
• Planning and distributing leaflets and publicity material
• Helping to set things up on the day
• Being on hand on the day, directing people/on the door
50th Anniversary of the Opening of
Christ’s College 2014
• Attending planning meetings
• Making contact with former Christ’s College students and staff
• Planning and distributing leaflets and publicity material
• Helping to set things up on the day
• Being on hand on the day, directing people/on the door
To volunteer to help us, please email alumni@hope.ac.uk or call 0151 291 3219.
Victory for Liverpool Hope
University Gaelic Football team
in Championship Final
Liverpool Hope University’s Gaelic Football
team have won the final of the British
Universities Gaelic Athletics Association
GAA 2012 Championship for the first time
in their 21 year history.
The Hope team were the eventual winners
against reigning champions Liverpool John
Moores University after scoring in extra
time.
The team dedicated their victory to
Liverpool Hope graduate and team mate
Mick McLean, who sadly died last Summer.
Notre Dame Reunion 2013
Calling all Folk Group Members
Building on the success of our two recent
Candlemas Reunions for former students of
Notre Dame and Mount Pleasant Training
Colleges, we are pleased to announce that
the next reunion will take place in February
next year.
Former student Peter Benson is keen to
invite former folk group members from the
years below to a special reunion event on
Saturday 28th July 2012 at the Hope Park
Campus:
The College Birthday is still fondly
remembered and so our event next year
will take place on the nearest weekday to
Candlemas, Friday 1st February at Hope
Park in Childwall.
If you would like to get involved in the
planning, please let us know. Alternatively,
email the Alumni Office with any ideas and
suggestions for the Reunion – we want to
provide a day that everyone will enjoy.
If you would like to attend, please contact
the Alumni Office on 0151 291 3219 or
email alumni@hope.ac.uk to register your
interest. If you know of anyone who is not
on our database we would be grateful if you
could ask them to contact us.
1988-1989 Folk Group Leaders
Paula and Josie
1989-1990 Folk Group Leaders
Peter and Rita
1990-1991 Folk Group Leaders
Aodain and Tracy
“We would like members to gather in the
Chapel at 10am and rehearse for a 12 noon
Mass which will be followed by a lunch.
There will then be plenty of opportunities
to share memories and photos from the
good old days! Fr Peter Hannah has agreed
to celebrate the mass for us. Please contact
the Alumni Office on alumni@hope.ac.uk
if you are interested in attending. Please
spread the word to friends from College
days so we can reach as many people as
possible.”
Peter Benson (Folk Group Leader 1989-1990)
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Julia Carter Preston R.I.P
It is with great sadness that the
University reports the death of Julia
Carter Preston. As a nationally
renowned ceramicist Julia was one of
the leaders of Liverpool’s contemporary
art scene and one of the very few artists
to be skilled in the technique of sgraffito which she employed
with a very personal flair and style.
Over her 50 year career as well as teaching she completed
commissions for royalty and Liverpool Cathedral as well as many
other churches and institutions in the North West and her work
is in both national and private collections.
Both Julia and her husband Michael, who sadly died last year,
had a long association with Liverpool Hope and passionately
believed in the power of education to transform lives. With this
in view they have established the Liverpool Hope University
Carter Preston Foundation to safeguard and promote the works
of Julia’s father, the sculptor and medallist Edward Carter Preston
and herself and sisters, and also to promote the education of
students through scholarships and bursaries in the future.
Julia and Michael had many friends at Liverpool Hope and they
will be much missed.
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Enhanced Library resources
Thanks to the generosity of alumni and Friends of Hope, the
University’s Sheppard-Worlock Library has recently purchased a
number of books, display materials and other equipment related to
Hope’s Special Collections. Susan Murray, Head of Hope’s Library
Service, was delighted to receive the latest donation of £697.50 from
the proceeds of A Brighter Hope, the University’s Annual Campaign.
The Library houses many special collections including: the Gradwell
Collection of mainly Catholic-related resources which was entrusted
to Hope after the closure of St Joseph’s College in Upholland;
the Radcliffe Collection, consisting of the Anglican libraries from
Liverpool Cathedral and St Aidan’s College; the Blanch Collection
containing materials from the estate of Archbishop Stuart Blanch;
and the Education Research Collection, donated by the University of
Liverpool, containing books, pamphlets and journals on education
and related subjects.
Alumni membership of the Library is available to all ex-students of
Hope and its founding colleges. Further information on obtaining
this benefit can be viewed at http://www.hope.ac.uk/gateway/library/
contactus/
House of Lords Reception
CREST Launches
The Centre for Research in Emergency
Services and Training (CREST) was
recently launched at Liverpool Hope
University, with senior representatives from
the emergency services in the North West
attending. CREST will bring together the
latest research and developments in the
emergency services to encourage joined up
working amongst the different services. It
will focus on academic research and training
for all the emergency services including Fire
and Rescue, Police, and the Ambulance
service as well as more specialised services
such as the Coastguard, Air-Sea and
Mountain Rescue.
Guest speakers at the launch included Jon
Murphy, Chief Constable of Merseyside
Police, Steve McGuirk, County Fire Officer
and Chief Executive at Greater Manchester
Fire and Rescue and Paul Kudray,
Director of Resilience for the North West
Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
They spoke about the importance of
working together to provide a consistent
emergency service for people in the North
West with all organisations working in
partnership.
Chief Constable Jon Murphy said:
“Merseyside Police already has a highly
productive relationship with Liverpool
Hope as our officers can join the Police
Leadership Masters programme. Our
officers and staff have greatly benefited
from the opportunity to gain high quality
academic training and we see the results
in our policing every day. “The success
of the police service depends not just on
learning from experience but developing
new knowledge and it is the research from
CREST that will create that knowledge to
enable us to develop in the future.”
S. Katharine’s College Old Boy, Lord
Mike Storey (below), hosted a spectacular
evening at the House of Lords on March
28th. Representatives from over 70 Faith
Schools, Diocesan Education Boards and
education-related agencies mingled with
current members of Hope staff, members
of University Council and London-based
Hope alumni in the ornate surroundings of
the Palace of Westminster.
The event, which was also attended by a
host of local politicians, marked another
milestone in the University’s successful
Faith Schools Initiative. This initiative
facilitates the progression of students from
secondary education at key faith-based
partner institutions to a fulfilling higher
education place at Liverpool Hope.
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Continuing Professional Development Events
On 21st January Liverpool Hope
University Alumni Association and Faculty
of Education held a joint Continuing
Professional Development (CPD) and
Networking Event for 2011 QTS graduates
providing attendees a valuable opportunity
to further develop their skills and
knowledge and catch up with friends.
The event formed part of the University’s
on-going commitment to ensuring
Liverpool Hope graduates are successful
in their teaching careers and have every
opportunity to continue to develop as
outstanding professionals. The day was
structured to enable alumni to meet former
colleagues and share with them some of
their successes, anxieties, and challenges.
Jason Bangbala, an expert on Behaviour
Management, gave the keynote lecture
which was followed by a series of
workshops focusing on key areas which are
crucial for early career development.
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A similar event was held on 12th May,
hosted by the Faculty of Science and Social
Sciences. An afternoon CPD workshop
on the theme of Managing Projects was
organised for Hope Alumni in order to help
them develop new work-based skills and
enhance their future employability.
People who are successful in the world of
work are so because they have learned the
skills and knowledge to deliver projects
on time and to budget. The workshop
provided real-life case studies and examples
to demonstrate how successful project
management covers many career roles and
sectors.
We hope to be able to offer many more
professional development events to Hope
Alumni in the near future.
Contact alumni@hope.ac.uk for more
information.
Thank you!
A huge thank
you to everyone
who donated
to ‘A Brighter
Hope’ during
the fundraising
telethon held in
March 2012.
We had a wonderful team of 8 students
who all worked extremely hard.
Calling took place over 5 evenings with
500 former students being spoken to.
We found out what people had been
up to since leaving and updated them
on Hope as it is today. Some calls
lasted up to 20 minutes with many of
the callers receiving good careers and
course advice from those they called!
We plan to hold another campaign in
the near future and look forward to
catching up with more of our Alumni.
Milapfest, the UK’s National Development Trust for Indian Arts, is based at The Capstone Building
of the Creative Campus. Their strong performance programme, and innovative education projects
take place right here on campus, and are a great resource for students and staff alike.
Since 2010, the weekly Artschool, held in The Cornerstone Building, has provided entry level and
advanced classes in Indian Music and Dance, with a syllabus of classes not available anywhere else in Liverpool. This summer, Milapfest is
planning their most ambitious education project to date in the form of two international summer schools, both of which will be held at the
Creative Campus. Music India and Dance India are unique residential schools for students of Indian music and dance respectively. The week
long intensive training programmes offer participants the rare opportunity to work with world-class Gurus from India, and the chance to
develop their skills with like minded students from around the world.
Last year, Dance India welcomed over 100 students from 16 countries to study and live at the Creative Campus, and this Summer they’re
aiming to top this. For the Music India School, 2012 is the first year they’re inviting students from a non-Indian music background to join
the school for a three day introductory master-class. This is a great opportunity for budding songwriters and composers to inject some fresh
inspiration to their scores, and to develop improvisation skills with expert musicians. A nightly concert by the Gurus complements the days
training, offering a complete experience.
For more information about Milapfest, their projects, and opportunities, visit www.milapfest.com or call 0151 291 3949.
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Novel approach to Dickens at Liverpool Hope University
Students and staff from Liverpool Hope
University saluted Charles Dickens on
the 200th anniversary of his birth on 7th
February with 200 minutes of readings
from his novels and other works. The 15
readers included the University’s ViceChancellor and Rector Professor Gerald
Pillay, who took to the podium for ten
minutes to declaim favourite passages from
A Christmas Carol.
in December and students and staff
were kicking around ideas about how to
celebrate the Dickens bicentenary” said
Bethany. “Out of that came the idea for
200 minutes of reading for 200 years. It’s
so important to celebrate Dickens. He is
perhaps the best-known writer we have –
even people who have never read one of his
books have some idea of Dickens. We hope
this event will draw new people to Dickens
through hearing his work read in public.”
Professor Cynthia Hamilton, Head of the
English department, hailed the event as
a marvellous way to celebrate Dickens’s
birthday. “It helps make us aware of the
power of language to change lives and
attitudes,” she said.
The Hope event, staged in the Gateway
Building on the University’s Hope Park
campus, was organised by third-year
student Bethany North, president of the
English Society, who read from the 53rd
chapter of Great Expectations.
“The English Society was only formed
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After his reading, Professor Pillay said:
“Beth has shown great initiative in
organising this marvellous celebration. I am
very impressed by the interest in Dickens
and literature shown by our students, an
interest fostered by our excellent English
department.”
Dracula comes to Hope
Rock the Boat Productions UK was formed
in 2010 and since its creation has staged
a number of successful concerts at the
Capstone Theatre including its most recent
production of John Godber’s Dracula,
which ran for three nights in February.
Everyone involved in the recent Dracula
production was either a student, alumnus/a
or staff member at the University, including
the director MA Popular Literature Student
Andrew Cooper.
Their next production, A Hard Day’s Night
at the Opera, will be touring the North
West in the Autumn.
5 minutes with
Cathie Higgins;
graduate, student and
Alumni Office Assistant.
How long have you been at Hope?
I joined Hope in September of 2008
as an undergraduate student in English
Literature and Film Studies. As a mature
student I really felt I was going to be at a
disadvantage but as it turned out my life
experience and love of books held me in
good stead as I graduated in 2011 with first
class honours and the Geoffrey Leyland
Memorial Award. I am currently working
towards my MA in Popular Literature.
So what do you do in the Development
Office?
One of my main duties concerns the
alumni database. With over 40,000 entries,
it is important that this information is
kept up to date as much as possible. I am
constantly exploring ways to improve the
quality of the data that we store, so that
we can accurately communicate with our
alumni and important newsletters and
invitations reach the intended person.
What do you enjoy most about
your job?
The Alumni Office is the main link
between our graduates and the University.
I enjoy looking at the hopes and ambitions
of new graduates together and seeing how
our older alumni look back at their student
years with real affection and appreciation.
Working with a like-minded team that are
passionate about continuous improvement
is great. I love the opportunity to problem
solve and contribute to the numerous
ongoing alumni activities.
Why do you think a thriving alumni
community is important?
It is important to understand that the
relationship the University has with its
alumni is mutually beneficial. Alumni
can gain from all kinds of professional
benefits, such as careers support; the
library; post graduate and professional
development courses; as well as the social
opportunities of reunions and special
events. Alumni can provide the University
with support from student mentoring
to acting as an ambassador for Liverpool
Hope within their workplace. Our thriving
alumni community at Liverpool Hope are
invaluable for generating essential funding
towards ‘A Brighter Hope’.
When you have any spare time, what do
you do to relax?
Besides being a wife and mum of two
teenagers, most of my ‘none working’ time
is taken up with reading for my MA. I am
also a volunteer and the administrator for a
charity called ‘Streetwise’ which is a faithbased outreach project serving the women
in the red light district of Liverpool.
17
VMM in Liverpool seeking overseas volunteers
VMM is an international Christian
organisation whose members share their
lives, faith, resources and skills to promote
equality, respect and dignity for all. The
organisation recruits, trains and supports
lay personnel to work in areas of great
need in developing regions in Africa.
Founded in 1969 they work from Hope
University.
To date VMM has sent over 2,900
professional skilled personnel who are
placed in strategic capacity building
positions in partner organisations. “We are
striving to recruit overseas volunteers and
involvement from the Hope Alumni”, said
Van Garber, Regional Manager of VMM.
18
“There are so many needs in each village,
organisation and community. The impact
people can make is invaluable. Anyone
with at least two years of work experience
and over 21 is considered”.
Professor Bill Chambers, Pro ViceChancellor Emeritus, who was recently
appointed Steering Committee Member
said: “VMM is a wonderful organisation
with a proven track record of service in
Africa. It provides professional support
and utilises the skills and commitment
of volunteers for periods of between 3
months and 2 years”.
Training and staffing of essential skilled
positions in organisations is the core of
the programme. At present, more than 40
volunteers are assisting overseas.
For more information about VMM please
contact the office at 0151 291 3438 or
email vmm@hope.ac.uk. The website
address is www.vmminternational.org
The Cornerstone Festival
The Cornerstone
Festival - Liverpool
Hope University’s
annual arts festival
based at the Creative
Campus - presents an
innovative combination
of music, dance, exhibitions and workshops,
with an emphasis on showcasing new
artists and their works alongside established
performers.
Participants in 2011 came from as far
afield as America, Singapore and Turkey
to perform alongside Hope students
and Partners such as Milapfest and the
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hope Alumna Louise Ashcroft, pictured,
performed as a soloist with 10/10 in the
Festival’s opening concert.
The 2012 Festival starts on 14th November,
and you can watch the programme emerge
on its website www.hope.ac.uk/lifeathope/
campuses/creativecampus/thecornerstone/
over the coming months. As always, the
Festival is indebted to all its sponsors and
supporters.
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that a gift of £100.00 from you is worth £125.00 to us. (Please note that you have to have paid Income Tax and / or Capital Gains Tax at
least equal to the tax that the University reclaims on your donation in the tax year. If you pay tax at the higher rate, you can claim further
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