Life May 2014

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Graduation success PAGE 6/7

May 2014

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Students’ networking opportunity with TV experts

Leading the way on teenage pregnancy research and education

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Art and Design show set to impress PAGE 3

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Students to pitch their ideas ‘in the Dragon’s Den’ A

DRAGON’S Den style event will offer students the chance to pitch their innovative ideas to help transform the University.

Launched as part of the Vice Chancellor’s Student Experience Fund project (Steps), the event will see five teams propose their bids in front of a panel and a crowd of invited staff and students at the SUB2 club in Luton.

The special event, at 5pm on Monday 12 May, will be chaired by Vice Chancellor Bill Rammell.

Students with proposals include Chloe Baxter, a final-year, TV Production (BA) Student, who says her idea will appeal to media students and competitive sports people.

BA in Business Management student Alpha Omale got his idea from starting as a new international student at Bedford.

Whilst a group of postgraduate Environmental

Management students have a “high-profile” industry partnership proposal, which will “enhance the knowledge and employability of students” on their course.

Ahead of the event, Steps: What’s the Big idea? sessions were hosted by the Student Experience team and Beds SU, at Luton and Bedford, which generated 64 project proposals by students.

“We really value students’ ideas and feedback.

Some of the students’ ideas link in with work already underway at the University such as the signage and the Wayfinder project, which demonstrates we are enhancing the student experience,” said Amanda Krebs, Assistant Director for Student Experience. l To be among the guests at the Dragons Den event visit stepsdragonsden.eventbrite.co.uk for a ticket

Vouchers for ‘telling us’ WE want to hear what the university experience is like for disabled students at Bedfordshire.

As part of the “Tell Us” Topic of the Month scheme, which surveys students on a different matter every month, the University wants to hear your feedback in order to make key changes.

The suggestions made in the survey are shared with senior managers.

Following completed surveys throughout the year we have discovered various things that we’ve impacted on.

For example, feedback informed the Sports department of which courses students are interested in and this is helping plan next year’s courses.

Julia Lines, Assistant Director of Sport,

said: “It was very useful to also hear responses on how we communicate with students, as this is at the heart of what we offer.”

Each survey has a prize draw and numerous lucky students have won prizes including £150 Amazon, £50 John Smith Bookshop and £25 Tesco vouchers.

For your chance of winning, complete the next “Tell Us” Topic of the Month survey which can be found in boxes across the campuses.

Specific comments, compliments or concerns can be sent via tellus@beds. ac.uk l If you have a topic that you would like to use for the “Tell Us” Topic of the Month, contact studentexperience@beds.ac.uk

COMMUNICATIONS TEAM CONTACTS Now based at The Atrium, Park Street West, Luton.

Nick Sheppard Head of Communications Nick.Sheppard@beds.ac.uk

Simon Wesson Communications Assistant Simon.Wesson@beds.ac.uk

Nick Hamilton-Brain Communications Administrator Nickolas.Hamilton-Brain@beds.ac.uk

Paddy Day Communications Assistant Patrick.Day@beds.ac.uk

Do you have a news story? Please contact the Comms team.

02 Life – May 2014

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Peter Dickson

In her shoes A ‘Voice of the X Factor’ to pay a visit ‘THE voice of the X Factor’, Peter Dickson, will be visiting the University this month.

The announcer who has also been the voice behind shows including Britain’s Got Talent, The Price Is Right, All Star Mr & Mrs, and Live at the Apollo, will be talking to media students about his career.

The event has been organised as part of the Steps project, Media Junction, which aims to enhance students’ experience by creating opportunities to network, across degree pathways in order to make films and create media content.

The initiative, which has seen numerous events featuring industry experts since its launch, is designed to enable students to get a taste of how they could work as freelancers by networking. l It takes place at G101, at Luton, on Wednesday 14 May at 2pm

TEAM of Child and Adolescent Studies undergraduates have raised more than £1,000 by walking five miles every day for a week.

The eleven-strong group took part in charity CARE International’s Walk In Her Shoes campaign, which is raising awareness of women and girls in poverty in developing countries who have to walk vast distances every day to collect water.

The campaign is also focused on building safe water sources closer to where families live in developing countries enabling

females to have the time to attend school.

The challenge was to walk 10,000 steps a day for seven days – the equivalent (on average) of a 90 minute, or five mile, walk every day. Collectively, the girls achieved 385 miles.

Course Coordinator Liesl Conradie said part of the reason for participating was because the course focuses on children and young people worldwide – and aspects that impact on their childhoods.

Student Angelique Treacy added: “Subscribing to this charity has been a

Second Student Experience Awards approaches AWARDS which recognise the very best in achievement, and practice, across the University are to be presented at a glitzy event at Putteridge Bury.

Following last year’s hugely successful inaugural awards, the second Vice Chancellor’s Student Experience Awards evening will highlight all those who have been nominated for an award by staff and students across all the campuses.

Between January and March more than 700 nominations were received by the Student Experience team, made by some 200 staff across the whole University – a

marked increase in nominations compared to last year.

These awards recognise delivering the best student experience possible and 50 students and staff have been shortlisted for an award, which include recognitions such as Inspirational Teacher, Research Impact, Alumnus of the year, Inspirational Staff Member, Staff Team of the year, Outstanding Community Contribution, Outstanding Role Model and Student of the Year. l The event takes place on Friday 13 June

challenge and effectively, an eye opener.

“It’s heart-breaking to consider that many children are forced to miss out on educative opportunities just to keep hydrated; this should be a right for everyone. When reminiscing about the challenge, it is vital that we consider the conditions and limited resources in which children in Africa travel.”

To add to the girls’ fundraising efforts visit walkinhershoes.everydayhero.com l For more information about CARE International’s work visit: www.careinternational.org.uk

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE SHOW SET TO IMPRESS THIS year’s Art and Design Undergraduate Degree show 14AD will showcase some of the “most exciting work Bedfordshire students have ever produced”.

That’s according to Colin Davies, Head of Art and Design, who said: “The degree show in June will bring to the close an exciting year for art and design at the University: a move to a new space and new creative relationships with industry.”

The exhibition is due to include an installation capturing the constellations; explorations of cultural identity; ceramics, gaming, and a project on unrequited sexual encounter!

The opening evening on Thursday 19 June, at 5pm, will include a fashion show which has been developed with steps funding.

The funding has allowed the design of a spectacular backdrop to complement the couture to its best advantage on the opening evening.

“With so much building development at the University, including a new library and dramatic extension to Polhill, the branding of the show has taken its theme to be ‘the aesthetics of construction’”, Colin added.

The show will run until 26 June, with displays at the new faculty’s new building on Guildford Street, in Luton.

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Professor Mike Fisher

Blood tests could lead to early detection of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

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LZHEIMER’S and Parkinson’s diseases could be detected in routine blood tests in years to come, according to a leading neuroscientist who spoke at the University.

Baroness Susan Greenfield is heading up an elite research group which is looking into ways of managing these conditions prior to symptoms appearing.

Speaking at a public lecture, Baroness Greenfield stated that regular blood tests and the daily consumption of specified tablets would prevent conditions from developing further.

“The dream would be to facilitate a routine blood test every few months at GP practices; a blood test which could specifically detect these, and similar, conditions before the symptoms arrive,” she said.

Detecting the diseases early-on would enable daily treatments to stop any more cells from dying, providing a management of the condition rather than a cure Baroness Greenfield stated, as she implied the possible huge positive financial impact on the NHS. The lecture also highlighted various current approaches battling neurodegeneration (a term for the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons – diseases include Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s), the need to explore a potential link between Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Motor Neurons disease, and the importance of uncovering the “basic mechanism” of these diseases in order for blood tests to pick up on them.

A Life Peer at the House of Lords, Baroness

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Greenfield added scientists need to find the area of the brain which is affected so that we can then target it with drugs and stop the progression of the diseases.

“Nature appears to have given us various clues.

“If you look at the neurons that degenerate primarily in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, they are actually adjacent to each other, as indeed are Motor Neurons.

“All three of those might have something in common because they appear to originate in the same part of the brain.”

The lecture formed part of a series of public guest lectures, and Baroness Greenfield was invited by Dr Pinar Uysal– Onganer and Professor Jan Domin on behalf of the Department of Life Sciences.

Dr Uysal–Onganer had previously collaborated with Baroness Greenfield and now leads an independent research group focusing on Cancer Biology.

Baroness Susan Greenfield

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Handing over the reins of Beds SU J

People with dementia need “to be listened to”

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LEADING evidencebased researcher has called for people with dementia “to be listened to” in order to “revolutionise” services.

Professor Mike Fisher, who was speaking in his inaugural lecture as a professor at the University, questioned whether people directly affected by dementia were asked for their views on the services provided.

Professor Fisher’s thoughts come after a systematic review conducted by the University’s Tilda Goldberg Centre (which specialises in social work research) identifying the experiences of people living with dementia and the services they receive.

“The research has found that people in their late 50s and early 60s, who are diagnosed with dementia, will now tell you what they want,” said Professor Fisher, who joined Bedfordshire in 2012.

“Personal user input will revolutionise dementia services, but they (people with dementia) need to be listened to.”

He added: “If we are assessing the quality of scientific research that underpins policy, we have to question whether the people who use the services are included in that research, and their definition of what counts

as an outcome.

“I don’t see how scientific researchers can be in a position to say they have investigated the outcome of a community mental health service, for example, and not ask the people who are receiving the service, whether the outcomes were the ones they wanted.

“If that is happening then we are simply saying that what professionals and service providers want as outcomes are the only outcomes that matter – which is simply not true.”

Professor Fisher has enjoyed a distinguished 30-year career in research and development in social work, including a five-year stint as Director of Research at the National Institute for Social Work.

Professor Michael PrestonShoot, Deputy Director of the Tilda Goldberg Centre, commented: “In my position at the University, I have been lucky enough to dream about my ideal team.

“And I am fortunate enough not only to have been able to dream, but I have also been able to secure a number of people who I always thought would be part of that team. Professor Fisher is one of those and it is a pleasure to have him working here at Bedfordshire.”

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UST short of two years ago, Daniel Login was embarking upon taking up the reins of the top elected job at Beds SU. Following a successful first year – measured by being re-elected by students last year –, this summer Daniel will be passing on his duties to Events Management undergraduate Jordan Lewis who was voted-in for the position in the February SU elections.

Although the normal spell as a SU president is just the one year, in the overall scheme of things two years is a relatively short time.

During this period, however, a vast amount has been achieved by Daniel and his team as they continue to assist the University to push the students’ experience to become at the very core of the University’s philosophy.

And it is something, which, rightly, Daniel has a lot of pride over.

“When I came in it was at around the same point as the new Vice Chancellor (Bill Rammell) did. It was a transitional period and we as a SU had to be clear from the outset of what it was we wanted and we were very fortunate to be given very good opportunities in order to make the students’ voice heard at the very top levels of the University in meetings such as the VCEG. “The SU has changed vastly since when I first arrived, we now have two new venues – the Pub in the Hub at Bedford and sub2 at Luton, we have an ever expanding team – now with 10 members of paid staff, and we now have a very good relationship with senior staff

and we have built up our reputation as a SU so now when we go to important meetings we are listened to and what we want for the students is taken very seriously.

“Overall, I’d say the highlight for me was working alongside Graham Dean to get sub2 open. We had such a short timescale and to turn it around so quickly and provide such a facility for students I feel was some achievement. I’d like to think that’s the legacy we have left.”

Daniel, now 23, first joined the University five years ago and he stated he will be leaving with “mixed emotions”.

“Coming here to do the Football Studies course I never predicted that I would be one day the President of the SU. “And now, although I am really looking forward to the future, it will be difficult to leave as I’ve had so many good memories such as the trip to China and meeting so many fabulous people at the uni.”

He added: “Being president is totally different to what I expected when I arrived.

“The challenges have been enormous. I never saw myself challenging senior members of staff with 30 years of experience, or presenting speeches to hundreds of people like I have done at graduation ceremonies.

It’s been demanding; it is not easy to keep everyone happy at all times, and the job of representing 25,000 students is very important. So I’ve learnt a huge amount personally.”

Bedfordshire students receive employability boost A SCHEME to enhance job prospects for students from an ethnic minority has seen 21 Bedfordshire undergraduates being provided work experience in major organisations.

Run by the National Mentoring Consortium (NMC), the Ethnic Minority Undergraduate Scheme (EMUS) provides Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities students from 15 universities with an insight into the expectations large employers have of prospective employees.

Bedfordshire launched its EMUS programme in November, and alongside successful work opportunities, other benefits

of the scheme included CV reviewing and opportunities to improve their understanding of their chosen career path.

Trevor Sinclair, Access Partnership Lead Officer, said the scheme helped participants “grow in confidence” and “realise personal achievements, underlining the power and impact of the mentoring relationship”.

Second year Psychology and Criminology student, Bethany John, has been nominated for Mentee of The Year at the NMC annual ceremony, which takes place as Life goes to press. l For more information visit www.uel.ac.uk/nmc

Daniel Login

When Daniel finally leaves the University he will be joined by his colleagues Paige Walker, Kristian Browne and Rabiaa RahmanQuereshi.

And Daniel praised their – and fellow SU staff members – “incredible” efforts.

“What everyone outside of the SU sees is probably around 50 per cent of what we do, there’s a lot of planning and work which goes into everything and it’s 24/7 you simply don’t switch off.

“The team has been absolutely fantastic.

Working in a SU like this would not be possible without everyone putting in 110 per cent, and it’s obvious that everyone here cares so much about what they are doing.”

The next stage for all of the 13/14 SU electees is to find full-time employment outside the University.

Their experience of working at Beds SU will certainly stand out on the CV! l Pick up the returners edition of Life, which will focus on the new Beds SU team

Trio raise £1,500 for charity £1,500 has been raised by students and staff to help raise awareness and understanding of disability sports charity English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS).

A raffle, with prizes including sports memorabilia (Arsenal Football Club signed football

by Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Thomas Vermaelan), food vouchers and events, as well as fundraising efforts at the Bedford campus and Baldock Town Football Club helped to boost the kitty of Josh Dyball, Lee Warren and Sam Page who were inspired to raise cash following watching the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

“EFDS, the national body for disabled people in sport and physical activity in England, do a tremendous amount of work in the local community, getting disabled people to participate in sport. Lee and Sam have been a big help in spreading the word out there about the charity,” Josh said.

Further fundraising events planned involve an online sports memorabilia auction and a futsal tournament at the Bedford Sports Hall. l If you would like to enter a team into the futsal tournament or make a donation, please contact Lee. Warren@study.beds.ac.uk or Josh.Dyball@beds.ac.uk

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Queen’s Anniversary Prize

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Queen’s Anniversary Prize

The smiles of 1,000 graduates A

LMOST 1,000 former students graduated from the University last month at joyous ceremonies.

Luton’s St Mary’s Church played host to four occasions marking the achievements of students from the faculties of Creative Arts, Technologies & Science; Education & Sport; Health & Social Sciences, and the Business School.

And each proved to be a special occasion, welcomed with the addition of each graduate being applauded by senior academic staff as they came out of the church, followed by a large group photo.

The very last ceremony of the week, for students in the faculty of Health & Social Sciences, was particularly poignant with the handing out of not one, but two,

DURING her studies “remarkable” Adult Nurse graduate Sarah Weight (right) went above-and-beyond to achieve unprecedented achievements, which had an impact nation-wide.

Sarah, alongside fellow Bedfordshire student Elizabeth McKerrow, was among just a handful of students who were selected to be a part of the Keogh Mortality Review to review the quality of care and treatment provided by those NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts that had abnormally high death rates.

The Aylesbury campus-based, then undergraduates, joined experienced clinicians, patients, managers and regulators to form the Rapid Response

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Dean’s Prizes – a “very rare occasion indeed” according to Executive Dean Professor Michael Preston-Shoot, who in an emotional speech, said he was “enormously proud” of the graduates’ achievements.

The guest of honour for the faculty’s ceremonies was Luton and Dunstable Hospital Chief Nurse Patricia Reid (below left) who passed on her years’ of wisdom in an entertaining speech about her career.

Vice Chancellor Bill Rammell added: “These graduations acknowledged and applauded those of you who have overcome obstacles, who have persevered over three long years or more, and those who have pushed yourselves to achieve your goals.

“I cannot emphasise enough just how proud I am of you all.”

ONE of the award-winning graduates, single mum-of-three Samantha Fannin (below), overcame a nightmare two years and still managed to achieve a distinction in the Advanced Diploma in Mental Health Nursing (registered nurse) course.

While studying, the 37-year-old’s mum was diagnosed with cancer, her stepfather died suddenly and she needed an emergency operation on New Year’s Day. Throughout the traumatic period, in which she was also the main carer for her mother, she continued with her studies and community placements however.

And her hard work paid off as she was presented with the Dean’s Prize for her remarkable achievements at a very emotional ceremony.

The humble Luton resident said: “It’s been a very tough two years, I put my entire life on hold, and looking back even I don’t know how I did it.”

Praising the University’s support service and the support she received from her family, Samantha added she remained focussed by thinking of her graduation day, giving her children an example to look up to and to make up for having to withdraw from a midwifery course 10 years ago when her father died.

Her focus for the future is to work within mental health, which she has an “incredible passion” for, and “to be in a position to help others”.

“My ambition for the future is to simply be able to say I’ve helped change someone’s life for the better,” Samantha added.

Review team which walked around the wards, interviewing patients, trainees, staff and the senior executives, to then discuss their findings in a panel.

Following that incredible experience, the Dunstable resident was among only 10 students across the nation to be selected National Junior Leadership Academy for Nursing Students, which is aimed at identifying and developing UK Nursing’s future leaders.

Announcing her award, an ecstatic Professor Michael Preston-Shoot said that Sarah’s academic profile remained consistently high, while her theoretical knowledge and how she applies this to her practice is exceptional.

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Lecture

Image shows Ascorbyl palmitate (AP) Nanocarriers

Potential side-effect – free iron deficiency remedy developed

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CIENTISTS have developed a capsule which could provide a side-effect-free remedy for iron deficiency – one of the most predominant nutritional disorders worldwide.

The University’s iron expert, Dr Sebastien Farnaud, is part of collaborative project, based at the University of Westminster, which is proposing a solution to increase iron-uptake in the body.

Current treatments and medications result in iron being trapped in the gut.

This is because the iron in these medications is not properly absorbed. The iron remains in the gut and causes a wide range of side-effects such as stomach upset, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

Therefore, iron treatments have not only low efficiency but also very poor compliance with many people not taking their medication due to side effects.

However a project team, led by Dr Derek Renshaw and Dr M.Gulrez Zariwala at Westminster, has created an iron-Vitamin C capsule to help prevent these issues.

This work – done collaboratively with Dr Satyanarayana Somavarapu from University College London School of Pharmacy – has considerable potential for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications across the world.

Dr Farnaud, a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry at Bedfordshire and an international expert in iron metabolism, said: “Essentially what we have done is to trick the gut by wrapping the iron in a capsule so that more iron should be absorbed and without causing side effects in

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Dr Sebastien Farnaud

“This work has considerable potential for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications across the world” the gut. The results, obtained in vitro using human intestinal cells, demonstrate significantly higher iron absorption into the blood than any other commercially available iron supplement.”

The science behind the capsules l To improve iron absorption, a stable form of Vitamin C with improved stability profile (named ascorbyl palmitate), is used to encapsulate the iron (iron salt ferrous sulphate) in a

protective shell and to improve its absorption. l The iron is encapsulated into these nano sized Vitamin C capsules by using a natural bioadhesive (glue) material (named chitosan), which not only strengthens the capsules but also further improves the absorption characteristics.

Although further human studies are required for validation, the work is showing an “exciting” and “innovative” approach to helping millions of people worldwide, who struggle with symptoms commonly including tiredness, lethargy, shortness of breath, slow cognitive and social development during childhood, decreased immune function and increased susceptibility to infection.

The research was published in the March issue of the journal ‘Colloids and Surfaces: Biointerfaces’.

Dr Farnaud said his next hope is to progress the work so that it is commercially available internationally.

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News Left to right: Ben Jones, Television Production student and Ben Kellett, Director Mrs Brown’s Boys, award winning sitcom

CHANGING HOW ENGLISH SPELLING IS TAUGHT ONLINE guidelines to revolutionise how English spelling is taught has been initiated by a professor at the University.

Designed to help tackle global illiteracy and the challenge of keeping teachers up to date, Marilyn Leask, Research Professor in Educational Knowledge Management at Bedfordshire has spearheaded the initiative which will transform the way teachers are trained across the world.

The teaching spelling guide is one, of many, using the MESH approach (Mapping, Mobilising and Managing Educational Specialist Knowhow) which focuses on the issues of learning and teaching, as opposed to the improving of new curricula or structures of schooling.

Using smart phones, computers or tablets, teachers from across the world will be able to view the online guidelines to aid their professional development.

“This programme is the most exciting application of technology in the education sector I have come across in my entire career as a professional educator,” said Professor Leask, who has worked alongside leading teacher educators and educational researchers across the world to develop the guide.

Professor Leask, who has been editing the main textbooks for UK secondary teacher education for more than 25 years, added: “We are developing a means to give all educators open access to the most effective literacy teaching advice based on research available anywhere in the world. The UK, Australian and New Zealand teacher and university teacher educator networks have also taken an active part in the programme.”

Left to right: Kerry Boyne, TV Presenter, Finalist Blue Peter You Decide!; Gemma Hunt, TV Presenter CBeebies Swashbuckle, and her husband

It’s a wrap B

EDFORDSHIRE graduates working on some of the nation’s favourite TV shows joined fellow industry experts at a networking event aimed to give current students a footstep into broadcasting.

TV Production students at the University were treated to an exclusive night at London’s chic Graphic Bar at Soho Square where they met leading media experts who were on hand to offer not only advice, but work opportunities too.

The Wrap Party, which is an annual event now in its third year, presents solely Bedfordshire students with the rare opportunity to rub-shoulders with those succeeding at all levels of media.

Among many guests were director of hit sit-com Mrs Brown’s Boys, BAFTA award winning Ben Kellet; Tamara Howe, BBC Controller Business, Comedy and Entertainment; Joe Godwin, Director BBC Children’s and Jo Johnson, Director Holby City.

Alongside these were former University students who had returned for the special night including Sarah Jane Cass, Senior Talent Agent Somethin’ Else; Dellessa James, Producer Radio 1Xtra; Charlie Sloth; Luke Howard, Producer/Director Melody for CBeebies; Gemma Hunt TV Presenter Swashbuckle also on CBeebies.

The networking night proved a highlight

Left to right: Karen Randell, Head of Department, Media Arts and Production; Sarah Giles, vision mixer EastEnders; Dellessa James, BBC Radio 1Xtra Producer of Award winning Charlie Sloth and Jo Johnson, Director Holby City

for many, with students reporting back about their success in promoting themselves and being able to gain something from the evening.

Connor Cooledge, a second-year student, said: “I have arranged to meet for coffee with Michael Absalom, a TV presenter, to visit hotspots in London to help me know where to meet the right people. Myself and Ben Kellet, Sharon Miller, a TV writer, and Danny Steele, a stand-up comic, shall communicate about future projects via email and Tamara Howe has agreed to try and set up a meeting at the BBC to discuss my ideas.

“This was honestly the most amazing and useful event I have attended since starting university.”

Kathryn Wolfe, Senior Lecturer in Media Performance and Course Leader Television Production who organised the event, said: “The sheer number of high profile TV industry guests who attended shows how highly the University of Bedfordshire is regarded by the industry. Our alumni go from strength to strength and our students are able to mingle and impress with the best. It was a fantastic evening and proves Television Production at Bedfordshire is in the fast lane.” l For more on the event and to see more photos visit www.beds.ac.uk

“The sheer number of high profile guests who attended shows how highly the University of Bedfordshire is regarded by the industry”

Interested in postgraduate study?

The University is holding a postgraduate open day on Thursday, 22 May, at Luton and Bedford campuses, for anyone considering postgraduate study.

The day starts at 2pm and offers attendees the chance to speak to Academics and Support staff about the University or their interested course of study, take a campus tour of the facilities or attend a ‘routes into teaching’ talk.

Whether you’re a soon-tobe graduate or working and thinking about your next career development or promotion the open day can assist you in your next steps.

Bedfordshire offers a wide variety of postgraduate courses from taught Master’s to research degrees, delivered by academics renowned in their fields.

l For more information, or to chat live, visit: http://uob.cc/ pg-info l Book your place at one of our postgraduate open events: http://uob.cc/pg-openday

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SCHOOL C CHILDREN’S UNI SCIENCE TEST

HILDREN from across Beds, Herts and Bucks discovered the wonders of science when they visited the University for the Salters’ Festival of Chemistry last month.

Organiser Dr Bushra Ahmed, Principal Lecturer in Biochemistry at the University’s Department of Life Sciences, was celebrating her tenth year leading the day-long event, hosted at the Luton campus.

Thanking all those in

Tesco lends its support to Business School’s ‘inspiring’ Foodbank project ENTERPRISING Business School students have received the backing of leading supermarket chain, Tesco, in their quest to raise wider awareness of the Luton Foodbank.

In the latest phase of the Business School’s Practice Weeks programme, a team of 20 first year students selected an awareness campaign that would support and assist the Foodbank, a charity providing emergency food supplies to families, with their operations as their chosen project.

The first of three Practice Weeks in the 2013/14 academic year, launched last November, with an examination of the effects of the reduction in Government benefits spending on claimants, which has arguably led to more people

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depending on Foodbank handouts.

The second event, held in January, saw Mayor of Luton and Foodbank board member, Councillor Sheila Roden, listen to students’ ideas on how to raise the profile of the charity.

Most recently, Sharon Curtis, Tesco’s UK Foodbank Operations Manager, briefed students on how the supermarket chain assists the Foodbank movement, from distributing food to welfare agencies to organising in-store collections for local Foodbanks across the country, as a means of redistributing food after its ‘best before’ dates instead of sending it to landfill.

“Food waste is a huge issue and Tesco’s ambition is to take a stand as a leading retailer in reducing food waste globally,” said Sharon.

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attendance, Dr Ahmed said: “The University has been hosting the Festival for the past 12 years and as ever the children are always enthusiastic and excited. It is a good experience as they get to work by themselves in the labs.

“Teachers are there to guide them but ultimately, it’s all their own work. The day also promotes all the sciences, especially chemistry.”

The children were put through their paces by taking part in competitive chemistry experiments, of which they had to present to their peers.

The Festival, in partnership with the Salters’ Institute and the Royal Society of Chemistry for 11 to 13 year-olds, is one of a series of 47 taking place at universities throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland between March and June.

Evidence-based practice could better patient outcomes UNIVERSITY experts contributed to a workshop, which demonstrated that evidence-based practice has the potential to lead to better patient outcomes.

Two senior Lectures from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Dr Shuby Puthussery and Dr Lucy Hammond were in attendance at the ‘Translating evidence into practice in health care: Building sustainable global communities of practice’ workshop in São Paulo, Brazil.

Funded by the British Council Researcher Links programme in partnership with Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo, the meeting looked at how evidence-based healthcare could be introduced across the globe and how it is

increasingly being recognised as fundamental to health care delivery internationally across disciplines and settings.

Dr Puthussery, a Senior Lecturer in Public Health, said she was delighted to be in attendance and it proved an “excellent” platform to present work and develop links.

Professor Gurch Randhawa, Director of Institute for Health Research (IHR), added: “It is a real testament to Shuby and Lucy that they were part of a select group invited to participate in the evidencebased practice workshop in Brazil. This work will enhance the growing international research portfolio of the IHR.” l For more information visit in.beds.ac.uk

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The national hub for teenage pregnancy information, education and research W

HEN teenage pregnancy rates in England were announced as the lowest in 40 years earlier in 2014, one University academic knew just what an achievement this was.

For it was Bedfordshire’s Alison Hadley OBE who drove the initial work into reducing the rate when the previous Labour Government launched the ten year Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in 1999, and she remained at the forefront of the programme as head of the Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Unit until 2012.

In 2013, Alison joined the University to establish the Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange (TPKE) – the first national hub for information, education, consultancy and research on all aspects of teenage pregnancy. The key aim of the TPKE is to ensure the lessons learned from the success of the Strategy are shared with future practitioners, new policy makers and strategic leaders.

A crucial role of the TPKE is providing lectures and workshops for students on

relevant health and social science courses.

“What I try to do, through teaching, is to provide the evidence and show how the students can apply it to the services they offer.

“I also invite the teenage pregnancy leads from Luton, Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough to talk to the students about local services to help strengthen the connection between learning and practice.

“For example, if the midwives are supporting a teenage mother they will have the knowledge to advise and talk to them about post-natal contraception and ensure they know where their local services are.”

Alison added: “As school nurses, health visitors and midwives qualify and go into practice across the country, I hope their experience at Bedfordshire will help them make a valuable contribution to the local area’s work to reduce teenage pregnancy and support young parents.”

The TPKE also plays a pivotal part externally in helping local authorities further reduce under-18s conception rates and improve the outcomes for young parents and their children.

The TPKE has a vast network of

specialist leads in every local authority, providing updates on latest data and policy, offering an e-network to share effective local practice, whilst providing consultancy to help review their teenage pregnancy strategies.

Additionally, it offers local areas teenage pregnancy study days for professionals working with young people to build their knowledge about the importance of teenage pregnancy and to understand their role in providing advice and support to young people The TPKE is now providing expertise on teenage pregnancy to Public Health England and the Scottish Government and has been invited by the World Health Organisation to share the lessons learned on teenage pregnancy with other countries.

Alison said: “The University’s reputation for innovation and focus on young people and inequalities makes it an ideal place for the TPKE to provide expert teaching to its students and to be a source of evidence based advice nationally and internationally.” l For more information search ‘Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange’ on beds.ac.uk

Life – May 2014 11

Online

News

Beds Bulls denied victory

The Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro

Journos talk football fraud S

OME of the nation’s elite football journalists formed a panel for a press conference style event with journalism students to talk about the upcoming World Cup. The conference, as its title ‘BRAZIL 2014 World Cup Finals – the beautiful game is it all over now?’ would suggest, was focused on corruption in football and sport further afield.

The students were given the one-off opportunity to ask questions to those working at the highest level of the game and

www.beds.ac.uk

those reporters who cover every big match, including at the World Cups.

In attendance was Rob Beasley, Chief Sports Correspondent at The Sun; Mike Collett, Global Football Editor of Reuters; Raphael Honigstein, ITV, ESPN and BT Sport correspondent and Brian Scovell, former chairman of the Football Writers’ Association and prolific author.

They faced a series of questions from the students on topics including conspiracy, money laundering and gambling, as well

as on the upcoming tournament itself amid talk of disasters, ranging from widespread civil unrest, overspending, building site deaths, human rights protests, bribery and corruption, doping and match fixing and a widespread disenchantment with FIFA’s executive.

The students were also treated to behind-the-scenes answers, featuring how the reporters uncovered some of their most exclusive stories – many of which they could not reveal, or release in the press, due to legal reasons.

BEDFORDSHIRE Bulls were denied Varsity victory away from home last month as the University of Hertfordshire retained the trophy with a 25-16 victory.

The event took place at Hertfordshire’s de Havilland campus in Hatfield, with some 30 sports teams from both Universities competing in a variety of tournaments, ranging from kickboxing to cricket, plus the all-important obstacle race between the two mascots, Hertfordshire’s Stanley the Stag and Bedfordshire’s Bruno the Bull!

Highlights on the day included the Women’s Rugby match, which saw Bedfordshire win 55-0, and Hertfordshire firing back with comprehensive wins in Netball and Women’s Football.

With an overall draw still possible from the final two fixtures, Bedfordshire had an opportunity to take something away from the competition.

However, the Men’s first teams in both Basketball and Football failed to capitalise on the opportunity and Hertfordshire took victory.

Despite the loss, Beds SU Student Activities Manager, John O’Brien, said he was “really proud” of the achievements of all the Beds teams.

Students assist London Marathon runners LONDON Marathon runners received specialist advice from some of the University’s best Sport Science students and one of its world-leading experts, at a huge pre-Marathon exhibition and seminar event.

The Virgin Money London Marathon Information Desk was staffed exclusively by a team from the University at Dockland’s ExCeL centre.

The team – Professor John

Brewer, Sport and Exercise Science, postgraduate student Lee Warren and undergraduate Glodis Bonket – helped some of the 35,000 runners at the expo with fitness, preparation and nutrition advice.

Lee, who is studying for his Master’s, said: “It’s been absolutely brilliant to be here and has linked in with what I have been researching – post exercise recovery. I have been able to talk to runners about what they should

be doing after the race to fully recover, and I have also passed on things I have learnt about sports performance, such as taking in water little, and often, in order achieve a top condition throughout the Marathon.”

Glodis said that being present was a highlight of his two years at Bedfordshire to-date.

Professor John Brewer, who completed his 16th marathon a few days later and has been a key

figure at the Exhibition (as part of the Marathon’s organising team) for 10 years, added: “For our students, this kind of high-profile experience – in relation to one of the greatest sporting events in the country – is absolutely invaluable and being able to partner with the Virgin Money London Marathon shows the high quality opportunities that our unique internship programme at the University offers.”

Life – May 2014 12