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Hatfield Trust Awards 2019-20
Hatfield Trust Awards 2020-21
Trust Grants Awarded 2020-21
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Each year, the Hatfield Trust supports scores of students with awards to take up a range of opportunities to help in their continuing development. In the last year, over £100,000 has been awarded to fund student projects in the areas of academia, sport, music, volunteering, drama and career development as well as enabling Hatfield to be an inclusive community by supporting students who encounter unexpected financial hardship as well as all those from lower income households.
What follows are some examples of student reports following Trust grants.
Anna Beaumont (Courtauld Summer School)
Postgraduate Programme, Conservation of Archaeological and Museum objects
As a conservator in training it is important to have a grasp of Art History. Getting an idea of artistic currents, trends, ideas, and techniques can help assess an object, determine its value and help narrow down its period of creation. Additionally, such knowledge would enable constructive discussions with museum curators, who usually have a more art history background. The Courtauld Institute has intensive Art History summer classes that were put online this year where lectures, discussions, and artwork analysis are done with expert lecturers in their specific fields. Thanks to the funding from the Hatfield Trust and their forwarding my application to the Rotary Club of Durham for the Norman Richardson Award, I was able to attend two courses that were the most relevant to my specialism: Mosaics and Weimar Republic art (1920s-30s with multimedia art and the setting of trends for interior design in the next few decades). The first week was on the Weimar Republic. At the time where film, photography, and mass consumerist culture started to become prevalent, it felt like going back to the roots. Two sessions concentrated on the Bauhaus school of design which created everyday objects, such as tea sets, lamps, or chairs, whose aesthetics have remained popular to this day. It was interesting as it linked social and political movements with the production of art and everyday objects. The second week was on Byzantine mosaics. The course covered how mosaics were made, planned, and designed, before delving into the in-depth study of them. For a conservator, learning about the importance of inscriptions, religious symbolism, and colour palates is crucial if a mosaic has to be restored. There were also discussions on changes made through time to the mosaics and the importance of these, as well as a discussion on the ethics of the reconversion of San Sophia (in Turkey) into a Mosque. I went to see the mosaics in Ravenna for myself after this course and was much more tuned-in to the details of manufacture and aesthetics.
Wall mosaics in the Basillica di San Vitale Ravenna. Photo taken by Anna Beaumont.
The Courtauld summer classes were a unique opportunity for me to follow two areas of my interest: Middle Eastern material culture with the Mosaics course, and the complex and revolutionary interwar period. In addition to the great content of the lectures, seminars, and literature, it was eye-opening to listen to other people coming from backgrounds outside of the conservation, or the museum world, and understand their approach when interpreting the significance of these objects and artworks. A great lesson for future exhibition or outreach projects that are important elements of the job of a conservator.
Amare, The Hague, where the composition Afrique, to which Tom Burgess’s research contributed will be performed next year
Tom Burgess (Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme)
Undergraduate Programme, Music
Over the past summer, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Dr Richard Rijnvos (Professor of Composition) to help conduct research and complete transcriptions for his upcoming piece Afrique. This forms part of his larger project Grand Atlas, and will be premiered next year in The Hague’s new cultural complex Amare by their Residentie Orchestra and the percussion ensemble Slagwerk den Haag. Naturally, it was an honour to contribute in any way towards this significant piece by an internationally reputable composer, and proved thoroughly rewarding and exciting for the full eight-week duration. I cannot thank the Hatfield Trust enough for facilitating this by allowing me to find and embark on this highly specialised internship in accordance with my lecturer’s goals - indeed, he is exceedingly grateful too!
Afrique comprises the latest work in Richard’s expansive compendium of works Grand Atlas. His project entails writing a piece for each continent that derives from its indigenous music, rotating clockwise through each region as the sections elide into one another. Following work in my undergraduate Ethnomusicology essays on the various ethical implications that musicians run into when drawing influence from external sources, my first objective was to deeply research Richard’s proposed areas of interest. I wanted to prioritise the veracity of my transcriptions before getting deep into transcribing field recordings, so that I could acquire a better understanding of the styles we were looking at. Similarly, I wanted to be aware of crucial, intrinsic elements to the musical styles that could easily be overlooked if I dived straight in - from core rhythmic ideas, to subtleties of instrumentation that produce distinct sounds. A prime example of these is the Senegalese contemporary piece I first transcribed called Rose Rhythm, featuring 50 sabar drums that were divided idiomatically into sections, and embellished on rhythms that stem from t he Senegalese traditions. Such information could easily go amiss, so I’m glad that I could make the most of my position to conduct well-informed research, while also acting as a second opinion throughout. By emphasising the investigative part of the transcriptions, I also built on my African music knowledge, meaning that I could also better ascertain the richer, authentic folk musics from the vast amounts of Westernised music available online. I quickly discovered some ethical resources for field recordings, such as the sustainable Global Music Exchange. The piece in question I used was from a collection put together for the Eden Project’s rainforest biome near where I live (also founded by Hatfield alum, Sir Tim Smit KBE, which gave it a fitting cyclicity!). In the second month of the internship, I transcribed the other four pieces: respectively from Egypt (for three doublereed instruments and frame drum), Cameroon (by a group of pygmy singers and drummers), Uganda (for a six-person “embaire” xylophone), and Botswana (for a group of flautists in four parts). These five pieces in total were selected after much deliberation with Richard during the first month, having researched the musical traits to many African styles and listened to hundreds (possibly thousands) of pieces. Their selection was informed by how various musical aspects could segue into one another while displaying sufficient contrast for an exciting and varied performance of approximately 30 minutes. In summary, the internship has been seriously invaluable to my academic progress, setting me up for my MA Music on the Composition pathway by providing me with insight into the writing process. Similarly, my rigorous research into African music puts me in good stead for my proposed Ethnomusicology essays this year, in addition to my intentions to publish similar academic articles later in life. I feel abundantly thankful that Hatfield has the facility to put in place such a funding programme for students looking to pursue academia further, where opportunities are rare to find. In particular, the scheme’s flexibility granted us with a greatly appreciated freedom, which allowed us to hone in on new possibilities that we stumbled upon. We could therefore reassess our priorities and how best to be time-efficient in a manner that perhaps would not have been accommodated in a more restrictive setting. Altogether, I sincerely hope the internship’s availability continues in the coming years, so that many more students can reap the benefits and make the most of what it has to offer!
Felicity Challinor swimming as part of the English Channel Crossing team
Felicity Challinor (Hatfield Trust Grant)
Postgraduate Programme, Global Politics
With thanks to the support of the Hatfield Trust I was able to successfully lead a team of three Durham University swimmers across the English Channel. At 8.00pm on 14 September 2020 we set off from Dover, swimming through the night and landing on French soil 12 hours 50 minutes later. Throughout the challenge I developed exceptional leadership skills and the ability to inspire and motivate my team to succeed. I enhanced my resilient and dedicated attitude, both through months of training and during the two-hour slots of constant swimming.
The Swim:
The “Everest” of open water swims, swimming the Channel requires outstanding mental and physical toughness. When switching from pool swimming to open-water at the age of 10, I set my sights on a solo of the English Channel and completed two Channel Relays at aged 14 and 15. Embarking on the challenge with two close friends and relishing the team-work aspect gave me a unique sense of pride. My teammates were fellow Durham swimmers, Katie Hodgson (University College) and Alice Venkatesan (Collingwood graduate). We could not have predicted the disruption Covid-19 would have on our training. We adapted well, however, boosting fitness through home workouts and using the time to discuss the equally important aspect of training: mental preparation. We had 16 weeks from when lockdown restrictions were lifted until our allocated swim slot of 16-23 September. Averaging four to six hours of swimming per week, we became regulars at our local open-water swimming venues (heavily adapted to restrictions). In July we successfully completed our twohour qualifying swim in Dover Harbour. As the team leader I had the additional responsibility of liaising with the Channel Swimming & Piloteering Federation, who organise the swim, providing the support boat and crew.
As we sat cradling cups of tea after a morning swim at the Serpentine we got ‘the call’ telling us to get ready to swim to France 72 hours later. I felt a mix of panic, excitement and nerves but was inspired by the words of encouragement from friends and family. I was thrilled as our fundraising total for NHS charities rapidly rose to £2,694. We set off from Samphire Hoe, Dover at 8.30pm on Monday 14 September. Swimming through the night provided an additional challenge: dark and very cold. Swimming in a relay works in a rotation of two-hour slots until we reached the French coast. We were very lucky to have an amazing support crew (my father and Katie’s father) who stayed up through the night ensuring the safety of the swimmer in the water and providing encouragement. Following our two-hour swim we had four hours to rest and re-fuel before getting back in the water. We cheered each other on, keeping everyone’s spirits high and set up a whiteboard to write messages from friends and family.
I was lucky to be in the water during a beautiful sunrise and could feel the warmth of swimming during the day. Everything that was out of our control went in our favour, conditions were near perfect; the sea was very flat and only a few sightings of jellyfish. Due to Coronavirus restrictions only the swimmer in the water was allowed to land in France (usually the whole team can swim the last 200m). Katie landed on a beach near Cap Gris Ne at 9.20am giving us a very commendable time of 12 hours and 50 minutes.
I am extremely proud of my teammates. The mental and physical excellence they showed both during training and on the day was so inspiring and I was honoured to lead the team to France. We are now planning another relay swim, potentially Lake Annecy for next Summer. Personal Development
Resilience - they say marathon swimming is 80% mental, 20% physical. During months of training and on the day, I developed a mindset characterised by self-motivation, resilience and determination. This mindset has extended beyond my swimming, now imbedded into my student life. Team-work - swimming in a relay taught me how to trust my teammates and relish working towards a common goal. I learnt the importance of supporting and celebrating each other.
Leadership - I learnt that leadership is about leading by example. I knew I had to show utmost commitment to training and maintain a positive attitude. However, I learnt that leadership is also about being honest with my team. I was open with my teammates when I was having an off day during training or when my nerves where high. I learnt how to inspire and empower my team, helping them believe in their abilities.
I am extremely grateful to have received this award from Hatfield College and the financial support of the Trust. My four years at Hatfield has shaped me into a well-rounded student, understanding the importance of academic, professional and personal development. The support of the Trust has been instrumental.
Felicity Challinor and team after completing the English Channel Crossing
Hatfield Create’s first painting session
Hatfield Create
Hatfield Trust Grant
This year Hatfield Create was established in order to provide Hatfield with an art society. The aim of the group has been to create a safe space where people can take a break from studying to do some cathartic drawing, but over the year we have also encouraged more social events, such as ‘Pints and Paints’, which has been held fortnightly in the Little Burt room, inviting groups of friends and individuals alike to come, socialise and paint with watercolours. We have also worked with welfare to bring art therapy sessions, holding a very successful bauble decorating event at the end of Michaelmas Term 2020.
This has yielded several great outcomes; at our weekly meetings, people have been coming in for friendly chats, and we have got to know a set of weekly visitors, some of whom aren’t that confident socially and have found the group to be a great place to wind down and get to know new people, and others who just wanted to come and do some artwork. Our ‘Pints and Paints’ events have seen groups of people come to enjoy a unique evening out, and have proven even more successful than our normal weekly sessions. On top of this we
were able to start off the last academic year with an art exhibition, showcasing all the fantastic pieces of art stashed away in the Art Room as well as art produced by Hatfield Create itself. This was opened at an alumni dinner, providing not only students who came to see it throughout the duration of the exhibition with an insight into the talent of Hatfielders over the years, but also members of the wider Hatfield family with a great sense of comradery and nostalgia.
It is my firm belief that Hatfield Create has not just helped individuals get more in touch with their creative side – an experience previously not widely available at Hatfield – but, perhaps more importantly, it has given a safe space to people who are perhaps too nervous to jump into the more intense social activities that College has to offer. At Hatfield Create, it is just as acceptable to sit in silence and paint as it is to have a chat. We have created a non-judgemental, comfortable space for those who, for whatever reason, choose to visit.
I have met people at Hatfield who I never would have encountered otherwise, and am proud to have been able to encourage creative self-expression, branding it as a part of our College community spirit. A young woman submitted a fantastic piece to our exhibition depicting an environmental protest. Not only was it topical, but she had spent months painting each individual face on the piece. She said that had it not been for the exhibition, she would have probably just thrown it away. I think this is a perfect example of Hatfield Create encouraging people to be proud of their art and share it with other Hatfielders.
With the £200 awarded to us from the Trust, we have been able to acquire supplies in order to start the Society. When we first started out and didn’t have people coming each week to pay the £2 per ticket for each session, this was key in actually being able to make it all happen, which was fantastic. Without it, none of the work we have done this past year would have been possible.
Hatfield Create Mini-Exhibition in the Birley Room
Bradley Simms, bauble painting with Hatfield Create
Lottie Davies
Co-President
Anubhuti Jain and Professor Jason Harding catching up via Zoom
Undergraduate Programme, English Literature
In the midst of unfamiliar changes led by an unprecedented pandemic, I had the exciting opportunity to venture on a six-week remote internship at Durham University’s English Department. The internship began on 13 July 2020 and ended on 22 August 2020, during which time I assisted the international research scholar, Professor Jason Harding, on one of his major Oxford University Press (OUP) editorial projects. The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh is a large-scale project by OUP to publish the first ever comprehensive scholarly edition of Evelyn Waugh’s complete works, with an aim to provide an authoritative reference text for future Waugh studies. All editors associated with the project have access to a rich digitised database of Waugh archives that are otherwise privately held. The whole project is planned to consist of 42 volumes, and each volume is planned to include its own unique Introductory and Appendix section, which will be produced by the Volume Editors, and therefore, cater to the specific editorial needs of the volume.
In his capacity as the Volume Editor for Waugh’s Scoop, Professor Harding was able to provide me with a high-resolution scan of the novel’s original autograph manuscript, along with a digital version
of its first printed edition. My primary role whilst undertaking the internship has been to chart the ‘substantive variant readings’ between these two texts, which will serve as raw material for Appendix B. I interpreted and recorded the variants in a clear and concise manner following the editorial collation principles that have been specifically set out for this edition. The work involved tracing all major and minor edits in the punctuation, grammar, word choice, syntax, scored out sections, and even later insertions and plot shifts, keeping in mind Waugh’s reputation for being able to create subtle shifts in tone with the use of a single punctuation mark placed in his idiosyncratic style. I went case by case, making independent decisions as to which variant might be considered ‘substantive’ by measuring the variant against its significance to the tone of the novel.
Adapting effectively to the remote situation, very early into the internship Professor Harding and I managed to figure out an efficient working style, and by the first few meetings I had been introduced to the theory and practice of scholarly conventions in editing and trained in using collation conventions. Professor Harding was very encouraging of me to make my own critical judgements, and to even deviate from the standard conventions in cases where I found them insufficient to accommodate the specificity of an unusual case. In our weekly meetings we went back and zoomed in on what I had done, and how the decisions I had taken were working or could be improved on. This feedback gradually helped me develop some sense of what a good editorial judgement looks like, piquing in me a deeper fascination towards literary criticism. Working on ground level gave me the opportunity to understand that all the meticulous collation methodology that goes into scholarly editing can actually lead to major research outcomes. I have developed a newfound appreciation
Editing work during Anubhuti Jain’s research internship in the English Department
for an editor’s role in providing sound judgement and criticism, solving unique editorial problems logically, and also for technical skills like proofreading that rely on the accuracy, clarity, consistency, and execution of the editor. Overall, this summer internship has presented me with the perfect conditions to nurture and explore my interests and taught me to use my time efficiently and in a disciplined manner.
I am very grateful to Hatfield College for being accommodating with the ongoing Covid-19 situation and letting graduating students apply for a paid summer project, and to the Hatfield Trust for granting me an award that has funded a personally and academically invaluable experience for me. I also want to thank Professor Harding, who has personally supervised and mentored me throughout the internship period and provided me with an incisive view into the editing and publishing industries, as well as a meaningful handson experience in advanced editorial work.
Declan Merrington (Digital Archive Internship)
Undergraduate Programme, Education Studies with History
My first week was a ‘discovery week’, which began with a meeting with Grace Norman, Jonathan Bush (Archivist, Ushaw Collections) and Michael Stansfield (College Archivist) over Teams. I was briefed on the current state of the College’s archive, what the internship would entail, and also asked what I wanted to get out of the internship myself. My first task was to read through the Digital Preservation Coalition’s guidelines for digital archiving. This was useful as an introductory text and highlighted legal and practical problems and challenges for archiving to keep in mind for the upcoming internship. The rest of the week consisted mostly of Teams calls, firstly with Sam Goring (Senior Man) in order to discuss where the JCR saved materials, and secondly with Janet Raine (Senior College Administrator) to discuss the same for the College. On Tuesday, I was tasked with creating organograms of the JCR, Staff and Friends and SCR. This was kept in mind when meeting with both Sam and Janet, with information being added to a draft plan to be checked later in the week. Another overarching task was to explore what kind of documents were already archived and what things I think would be crucial to archive. Because of this I joined various Hatfield JCR Facebook groups and got in contact with people who I thought would be helpful to the internship. In Week Two’s all-team meeting, Michael gave me a document which listed what material we have in our archive and what to look for. Luckily thanks to the previous week I had already tracked down some of the items that were needed. I also spent a lot of time learning how to use Microsoft SharePoint in preparation for uploading saved documents on to a shared space. On my first day back in Hatfield, I used the Finance Office as a place of work. This was helpful as it had every copy of the Hatfield Record to look through, of which I read and made notes of names and societies I thought were useful. I was also given a tour of the College records within Palace Green by Jonathan. This helped me better visualise the role of a full archivist and compare it to digital archival work. Later I met with Sam in the JCR Room and found some material which was needed for Michael’s list. Finally, we looked through SD cards which were stored in cameras used by the JCR and saved material that was worth keeping. Following Week Two I would spend Tuesdays in College, accessing material and using it as a change of scenery to working from home. I also set up the template for the digital archives on SharePoint using the physical archive as a starting point. Throughout the rest of the internship I collected material by messaging groups such as Hatfield Welfare, Lion Theatre Company and the MCR, uploaded them to the SharePoint and sorted where they should be saved. The second main part of the rest of the internship was approaching the celebration of 175 years of Hatfield. This began with looking at other exhibitions celebrating College life and drawing inspiration from them. It was decided that the best approach would be to fuse physical and digital together for the exhibition, and for it to be a photograph-centred event. I was then tasked with reaching out to alumni to request participation in the event through photographs and stories. I drafted an email template which was then looked over by Grace, improved, and sent to notable alumni I had sourced from the Hatfield Record.
It was decided that QR codes would be used in the exhibition as people are already used to scanning them for Track and Trace and they would help bridge the gap between physical and digital. Finally, towards the end of the internship I started adding metadata to the files
in the SharePoint so that they could be easily located and searched. Altogether I uploaded 8763 files to the archive, sorted them into appropriate folders and added metadata to a majority of the files that were not photos, gave suggestions for the exhibition, contacted alumni and finished the internship giving a presentation summarising what I have done, the skills I have gained and improved, and the recommendations I would give for digital archiving in the future. The internship has benefitted me immensely in terms of improving my personal and academic development. Academically, it has allowed me to learn more about the history of the College, which first piqued my interest during my dissertation when I wrote about WEA summer schools which took place in Hatfield. It has also allowed me to have a better appreciation for the work of physical and digital archiving. Finally, it allowed me to use skills and interests I haven’t been able to develop for years, such as IT and web skills, in a practical and useful way. Personally, it has allowed me to experience a unique and exciting digital workplace, and to prepare my CV for employment after university. My contribution to College during the internship is tangible in terms of the amount of files I have uploaded and the folder structure. As well as this, I have prompted the JCR to start thinking more about how they preserve files for the future which will help with digital archival in years to come. Finally, I was told I brought a can-do attitude to the role and helped make the role of setting up the temporary SharePoint portal interesting and useful in my updates and recommendations.
Inside the Houses of Parliament. Photo taken by Declan Merrington
Declan Merrington (Hatfield Trust Grant)
Undergraduate Programme, Education Studies with History
The Hatfield Trust funding allowed me to travel down to London to attend the Bright Network UK Parliament Insight Day. The day started with an introduction, followed by talks by the Clerk of the House of Commons and Clerk of the House of Lords. There were then talks from current employees who benefitted from the Civil Service Fast Track, including questions and answers, which gave tips on answering the Fast Track interview questions. Then there was an hour of refreshments and networking – from which I managed to add a lot of people on LinkedIn! Finally, there was a talk from James Uffindell, the CEO of Bright Network, which focussed on enabling first-generation students’ potential in the world of work after
university. To end the day, we were given a tour of Parliament, which was incredibly exciting for me as someone who had never been there before.
I would not have been able to attend the event had I not been given the award for travel – my budget simply wouldn’t have allowed it. The Trust’s award, then, can be attributed as the reason for allowing me to learn what I did learn at that event. In terms of personal development, this event made me realise that I actually would not like to work in the civil service straight after university, but would quite like to work in a location like London which is always busy and has many opportunities. It made me realise that I simply lack the amount of impartiality needed within the civil service. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about networking as this was the first networking opportunity I had been to outside of university. I got the chance to meet up with so many inspiring people that really helped me realise that I shouldn’t limit myself to only wanting to work in the North East for the rest of my life. Secondly, it did help me gain an insight into an average working day in Parliament and equipped me with the skills needed to complete the Civil Service Fast Track. I achieved a lot as a direct result of being able to attend the event due to the Trust’s funding. Firstly, I achieved multiple connections thanks to the networking – one of which actually led directly to a temporary job for a political party during the 2019 election. Secondly, being able to navigate through London, a city I was not too familiar with before, was a great achievement for myself as someone who had rarely left the North East until recently. Finally, I was able to attempt and complete the Fast Track interview process equipped with the knowledge from the Q&A session of the event. I even managed to pass the initial stage before fully realising that the civil service wasn’t for me.
Overall, the funding from the Trust helped me immensely as it allowed me to attend an event, which gave me an insight into employment after university, allowed me to realise and re-evaluate what I believed I wanted to do after university, and gave me a great opportunity to network and mingle with people outside of my usual university bubble. I am extremely thankful to the Trust for allowing me the opportunity, and it makes me proud to be a Hatfielder knowing that these opportunities are supported by the College.
Charlotte Miccolis Gurney (Hatfield Trust Grant)
Undergraduate Programme, Economics
I would like to thank the Hatfield Trust for enabling me to secure £300 of funding from the Rotary Club of Durham Norman Richardson Award to go towards £1000 of tuition fees for the SOAS “Achieving Sustainable Development Goals” Summer School. The Summer School was originally set to take place over three weeks of faceto-face teaching in London. However, due to Covid restrictions the summer school was moved online. It consisted of two weeks of lectures, followed by one week in which you were expected to complete an extended piece of writing. The programme looked at what practical policies could be implemented in developing economies in order to maximise their chances of achieving the sustainable development goals by 2030. It provided me with the opportunity to approach the issues of international development from a completely different angle to that of my degree and engage in discussions with fellow pupils and lecturers. The experience has given me the confidence to pursue a career in international development and contributed to research for my dissertation. The aim of the Summer School was to familiarise pupils with the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 ambitious targets to be met by 2030, designed to promote equity of opportunity for all people across the globe in this generation and in those to come. It discussed practical ways and sectors of the economy that should be developed in order to achieve the goals. Specific topics discussed included climate change policy, financial inclusion, water policies, private-public partnerships, employment, tourism and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. We were also required to apply the discussion to achieving a particular SDG in a country of our choice, for which I looked at poverty reduction in Argentina. The overall
consensus was that there will always be trade-offs in achieving such a diverse set of goals but good policy should be geared at identifying ways in which trade-offs can be minimised and synergies maximised.
The Summer School day started at 10.00am with a lecture that would introduce the subjects of the day. This would then be followed by a chance to read the recommended literature. After lunch, we would have another lecture, followed by a tutorial to discuss the aforementioned readings. After the live tutorial came to an end, an online forum remained open for discussion, which lasted into the evening. Each pupil got the opportunity to apply the discussion to their chosen country and SDG and receive feedback and questions from fellow pupils and lecturers. The day ended with a concluding lecture. I have found the Summer School incredibly enriching. The small size of the course (only eight pupils), enabled brilliant conversations and discussions with pupils from around the world, from a variety of academic and working backgrounds, as well as with lecturers (both via daily tutorials and through the forum).
My career aspiration is to work in international development. The course gave me the opportunity to depart from the theoretical arguments in economic development, and instead explore its practical applications. Being able to explore the subject from a different angle has been invaluable. It has made me a better economist and given me the confidence and enthusiasm to pursue a career in this area. In addition, it has both inspired and informed the topic of my dissertation: An investigation into the relationship between Aid disbursements and the achievement of SDG’s. I thank the Trust for its support and for making the experience possible. Without it, I would have not been able to attend the Summer School. I had originally intended to fund the Summer School with money from my regular summer catering job, however, with all hospitality closed over the lockdown period I was unexpectedly left without a summer job. Without the support of the Trust, I would not have been able to gather the funds.
James Peduzzi in action on the second day
James Peduzzi (Hatfield Trust Grant)
Undergraduate Programme, Modern Languages and Culture with Year Abroad
I completed a week-long sculling course at the Tideway Scullers’ School in Chiswick on the Thames this summer. I attended morning and afternoon sessions each day. This structure allowed an intense improvement in my sculling, starting from complete beginner to even doing a time trial on the last day. The conditions were good throughout the week; we were blessed with (mainly) good weather, except on the Friday when it was too windy to go out onto the river, and moreover I was fortunate in the fact that Hammersmith Bridge was closed to traffic on it as well as underneath it, so our section of the river next to Chiswick Bridge was a lot quieter than it normally
is, resulting in a lot less disturbance of the water. Therefore, the conditions were similar to those which I can expect on the River Wear (except it may be colder in Durham during the winter…). I was in Group 1 – complete beginner – and found that I progressed very quickly, thanks to my coach and previous knowledge of sweep rowing. The first three days consisted of technically learning how to scull, and on the fourth day we did a time trial so that the coaches could organise races for the last day. Unfortunately, the weather was not good enough for us to race, so we did socially distanced ergs instead. I felt comfortable and safe the whole week, thanks to their
Coronavirus precautions: social distancing, washing blades and closed changing rooms. I felt myself progress so much over the week, but I realised there is a lot more to do, so I would love to return to the Scullers’ School at some point in the future.
I would be able to coach the first years to a higher level than if I had not attended the course. As a novice rower only last year, it is essential that I know how to train the new Hatfield cohort properly. I picked up tips and techniques from my coach and also gained a more physical familiarity with rowing boats, for example how they handle and how they balance, as well as learning more in detail about tides, wind, currents and the rules of rowing on rivers. This knowledge will be invaluable as a Novice Coach.
I believe that I gained a lot more than just technical knowledge. As well as learning how to scull by myself, I also met likeminded rowers, who I got on well with. I am now more familiar with a Club that is local to me and how it works efficiently and productively. The experience was also very rewarding as a week of activity and sport, far from the worries and inactivity of the previous four months in lockdown, and it was very satisfying on a personal level seeing my progression from a beginner to a capable sculler. It is a skill I would like to build upon in the future, both for myself and my trainees’ benefit. I would like to express my gratitude to the Hatfield Trust for funding this opportunity.
The results of the time trial with James in joint 9th – a great effort considering a lot of rowers were not beginners
Thanks to the Hatfield Trust, I was able to go on this course. The motivation behind it was always to gain a better understanding of the technicalities of rowing, so that as a Novice Coach with the Boat Club,
Undergraduate Programme, Education Studies and English Studies
My nine weeks with The Flava People involved contributing to – and learning from – several departments within the company, including New Product Development (NPD), Procurement, Sales and Marketing. Tasks varied from creating flavour databases and procuring ingredients, to managing social media accounts and completing market research in my local supermarkets. The role was entirely remote and involved weekly checkin sessions.
My work included streamlining and categorising the dated NPD recipe list, ultimately contributing towards the creation of the new SAP database. I completed SWOT analyses for the Sales team, evaluating industry competitors and identifying new opportunities. Similarly, I audited supermarket shelves to provide data for a category analysis (e.g. cooking sauces). I sourced several ingredients for the Procurement team every week – raw ingredients, at first, and then packaging options in my last fortnight. An ongoing project was the creation of team-member bios for the new website, and other contributions to Marketing included copywriting work for product labels. I also managed the Flava-it social media accounts, responding to messages, comments and tags on Instagram and Facebook.
Despite the remote conditions, this internship was a formative ‘real world’ working experience in which I learnt both about the industry and myself. Indeed, the pandemic only ultimately served to deepen my development, in that it proved within myself a tenacity and an ability to work independently. This proactivity and strong work-ethic was balanced alongside my everyday work within departmental teams – an experience I hadn’t yet had before in this context. I loved building working relationships with members of the company, and hearing about their career paths and roles. Likewise, I have new-found confidence in my abilities as a problem-solver, and as someone who works to reach a conclusion myself before asking for support. This was combined with asking questions – and learning all that I could – at every moment, however, particularly about the industry and its complexities. Working on several tasks simultaneously strengthened my time management skills, whilst the internship’s hands-on nature honed my communication skills, both with clients and manufacturers. Perhaps the greatest learnings came from my conversations with Ali (Alison O’Brien, alumna and Commercial Director, The Flava People), who provided me with more guidance than I ever could have hoped for. Her words will definitely stay with me throughout my working life, and the partnership was a testament to the Hatfield spirit and the lasting connections it fosters.
Flier for Flava of the Future Internship
Charlotte Way in the Library completing the News Associates Summer School
Charlotte Way (Hatfield Trust Grant)
Undergraduate Programme, Liberal Arts (English, Spanish, and Italian)
The Coronavirus pandemic plunged us all into a strange new world: one in which vacation schemes became virtual, and holiday plans were quashed by the dreary prospect of quarantine. Just as I was accepting my fate of a summer to remember for all the wrong reasons, the Hatfield Trust flew to the rescue, and, with the help of its generous funding, I found myself set to embark upon a two-week course at News Associates: the UK’s Number One NCTJ Journalism School.
Lockdown with a family of six had become somewhat stifling, and so a train ride to the tropics of Twickenham each day provided a welcome escape. In the office, I was inspired by a room of creative and brilliantly inquisitive minds; course participants ranged from ambitious sixth formers to budding student journalists to fully fledged engineers seeking a radical career change, and there was even a fellow Hatfielder thrown into the mix!
Saturated with sanitiser, and distanced at desks, our imaginations strained to picture the usual hustle and bustle of a newsroom, but the staff at News Associates were adamant Covid would not cause our adrenaline to suffer; time-pressured newswriting exercises and sudden twists to stories kept us on our toes, giving us a glimpse into the fast-paced working environment which draws me so strongly to journalism as a career.
My two weeks at News Associates were far from constrained to traditional written journalism, and the course organisers were keen to throw us into the deep end with a day focused on broadcasting. For those interested, reading from an autocue is rather more difficult than it looks; there is most definitely an art to it, and one which I am still yet to perfect. Fantastically future-facing, the course also provided my first insight into mobile journalism, and practical experience deciding upon cut-away shots, framing, lighting, angles, and camera movements gave me the tools needed to experiment with interviews in the future.
A session on data journalism emphasised the importance of scepticism when it comes to interrogating figures, and the speaker raised a few eyebrows with his showcase of “sexy” infographics. Sexy was certainly a stretch, yet an hour of interactive bar charts later, I found myself eager to demonstrate facts and trends using striking tools in the future. For somebody intrigued by the intricacies of media law, an afternoon on media ethics and the IPSO Code of Practice proved particularly fascinating. I could not help but find, however, the fact that the session was led by somebody previously arrested in relation to the News International phone hacking scandal to be somewhat ironic. It would not have been a Covid-19 summer course without an afternoon interviewing local businesses on the UK Government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme. Armed with notepad and recording device, we put our newfound shorthand skills to the test as we approached Twickenham’s finest family-run establishments for an insight into Covid’s impact on their trade. Emotive soundbites secured, the group then put its heads together to produce a collaborative piece for The South West Londoner. My fortnight at News Associates equipped me with skills necessary for my aptitude for journalistic writing to progress, and I was especially appreciative of sessions which encouraged me to contemplate avenues of the media that I had not before considered; the concept of podcasts may be far from my comfort zone, yet I now understand the way in which they can be used to engage an audience on an alternative platform, and I am not one to shy away from a challenge. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude towards the Hatfield Trust, without whose generosity and encouragement my August at News Associates would not have been possible. The abrupt end to my Undergraduate degree at Durham was just too heartrending to accept, and so I have returned to my home at Hatfield again this year, excited to launch myself into the student journalistic scene once more, alongside my MA in Politics and International Relations.
