The University of Derby Magazine (issue 3)

Inspire, Innovate, Impact – The University of Derby Magazine

Issue 3 • November 2015

Beautiful and deadly How the Spitfire still captures the imagination, 80 years after its first ever flight INSIDE: Hollywood star Jack O’Connell, human rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti and Derby County’s Mel Morris

www.derby.ac.uk

4 INNOVATE

Nearly 80 years after the first ever Spitfire flight, experts share their thoughts on what made it such a great fighter and icon

22 FEATURE

Mel Morris, Candy Crush entrepreneur and Derby County owner

26 FEATURE

Editorial:

Rosie Marshalsay, Jeremy Swan, Adam Mallaby, Jenny McNicholas, Kelly Tyler, Heidi Gurton and Megan Sharratt

Photography: Richard Richards

Design:

Matt Cartwright

We’re always on the lookout for interesting people to interview for future issues, so if you’ve got a good story to tell please get in touch – editor@derby.ac.uk

7 OPINION

Amanda Solloway, MP for Derby North

29 5 MINUTES WITH…

Ian Livingstone CBE, publisher of the original Tomb Raider franchise and cofounder of Games Workshop

8 OUR ALUMNI

International speaker Richard Gerver talks about turning around a failing school and hanging out with Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak

30 THE GREAT DEBATE

Local head teachers and University of Derby experts take part in a roundtable discussion on academic and vocational education

10 OVER TO YOU

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kathryn Mitchell

Liberty’s Shami Chakrabarti talks about the migrant crisis, drone strikes and her campaign to save the Human Rights Act

34 COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS

contents

36 STUDENT SUCCESS

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38 LOCAL LINK UP

14 SPOTLIGHT ON

Hollywood star Jack O’Connell

40 OUT & ABOUT

18 INSPIRE

Rachael Grime, Foundation Derbyshire

21 MY VIEW

D2N2’s Peter Richardson argues Derby should lose its ‘small city’ mentality

41 SAVE THE DATE 42 LAST WORD 43 IMPACT

The University of Derby Magazine

“Our commitment to quality and providing the best possible experience for our students, as well as working with the city to help improve the overall Derby offer, is greater than ever.”

W

ith the countdown to Christmas drawing closer and yuletide festivities in full swing, I’m sure you, as I am, are looking forward to having a bit of time off for some much needed R&R. For me this year has flown by, helped along no doubt by working at a university that is constantly evolving, trying new things and getting involved in challenging and exciting initiatives.

The start of 2015 saw us kick off the year by congratulating the Class of 2014 at their Award Ceremonies, held for the first time in Derby Arena, a spectacular venue that provided our graduates with a day to remember. April saw us welcome parliamentary candidates for Derby and Buxton to a General Election Hustings, where they were grilled by members of the public, staff and students, and in June Team Derby secured the inaugural National Badminton League title, beating off stiff competition from Loughborough.

We also welcomed our new Vice-Chancellor Kath Mitchell, and waved goodbye to John Coyne, VC here for 11 years, opened our new £10.8m Sports Centre, and hosted our biggest ever Open Day, which saw 4,500 visitors come through the doors to explore the University.

Add to this the multitude of awards won by our students, graduates and staff, numerous public, business and community events hosted and attended, and millions invested in new facilities, and it adds up to a very busy year!

One thing that’s remained constant in this whirlwind of activity is the University’s determination to grow, develop and improve. Our commitment to quality and providing the best possible experience for our students, as well as working with the city to help improve the overall Derby offer, is greater than ever. It’s good to know that we share similar goals and aspirations to that of our partners and stakeholders, and this sentiment is reflected in some of the content you’ll read in this magazine.

This issue is a bumper one as we had so much fantastic content and people to feature so I hope you enjoy reading it. As always, we’d welcome your feedback, good or bad, so please take the time to provide it.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a prosperous 2016.

Rosie

Win a luxury Fortnum & Mason hamper Let us know your thoughts about The University of Derby Magazine for your chance to win!

To enter, visit www.derby.ac.uk/magazine and complete the questionnaire.

N.B. University of Derby staff are not eligible to enter the prize draw

Editor’s letter 43

I N N O VAT E

SPITFIRE The birth of a legend

M

Writer: Jeremy Swan

y first memories of the Spitfire were as a young boy growing up in the village of Duffield in Derbyshire. Every so often you would hear that distinctive roar and you would rush outside to watch as the aircraft pirouetted in the skies above. I was captivated.

“The Spitfire was modern, sleek, glamorous and at least a match for the main German fighter, the Messerschmitt BF109”, says Geoff Simpson, Historical Consultant to the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust and World War Two author, “it was such a brilliant design that it continued to be developed throughout the War.”

“When you see that wing shape in the air; you know it’s a Spitfire”, says Ian Craighead, Head of Corporate Heritage at Rolls-Royce. “Sometimes the aesthetic improves the technology; it’s what transforms it from a fantastic aircraft into an icon.”

Ian agrees: “People talk about the Hurricane, which was a fantastic aircraft, but it didn’t have the longevity of design to keep it going all the way through the War. With the Spitfire you could add a little bit more power here, a little more speed there, it was an aircraft that could be continually developed.

Next year marks the eightieth anniversary of the first ever Spitfire flight, which took place on 5 March 1936. Four years after it first took to the skies, the Spitfire played an important role in the Battle of Britain and it has remained a symbol of British courage in the face of adversity to this day.

But what made the Spitfire so successful and how did it achieve iconic status?

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“It’s not just the fact that it could do the job. It was a thing of beauty as well and I think that’s why it gained its iconic status.”

The Battle of Britain, 1940 “The Battle of Britain was important because it was seen as the next stage in Germany’s westward advance”, says Dr Whitehead, Head of Literary, Historical and Cultural

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Studies at the University of Derby. “It started off quite well for the British, in the sense that they were better prepared than they first realised. But the sheer weight of German bombing on the airfields meant that by the end of the summer the tide was beginning to turn in Germany’s favour. However, Hitler’s decision to switch the target to London gave the RAF breathing space.

“The RAF was the first serious opposition the Luftwaffe had faced and I think this was compounded by the fact that Göring (Head of the Luftwaffe) had consistently overstated the capacity of the German air force. By contrast, the British enjoyed several advantages. Being in their own airspace, for instance, meant pilots could remain in combat for longer without having to worry about re-fuelling.”

However victory came at a cost, Geoff notes: “The casualty rate was high. Some people died on their first operational sortie, others within a few days. Pilots on the front line achieved much by surviving for two weeks – they could be regarded as veterans.”

Winston Churchill famously praised the airmen in a speech on 20 August 1940: “Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few.”

The industrial war effort Supporting these ‘few’ were the many who worked behind the scenes to keep the RAF flying, such as those who worked in the factories to produce much-needed equipment. In Derby, the Rolls-Royce factory played an important role in keeping the Spitfire in the air.

“Derby was one of the main production sites for RollsRoyce during the War,” says Ian, “it produced over 30,000 Merlin engines [used in the Spitfire]. It was also the hub for engine development work, the place for getting those milestone leaps in performance. The heart of evolution was Derby; it’s the birthplace of the Merlin.

“You certainly could never have won World War Two with the equipment that was in existence in 1939, you always had to look for that little innovation that could give you the edge over your adversary.”

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Ian Craighead, Head of Corporate Heritage at Rolls-Royce

The entrance to the cave on Duffield Bank where secret Spitfire plans were hidden during WWII

These innovations were closely guarded and Rolls-Royce used a number of secret locations for development and storage of confidential information, as Ian explains: “Some of the most secret work was actually done in smaller places where it was easier to control access, like Duffield Bank, Littleover Hall and Belper. If specific technological advances were required then that team would essentially develop in isolation. If you needed to know about it, you would know.”

I spoke to Helen, a lady who lives on Duffield Bank, who has one of these hideaways in her garden: “My understanding is that somebody who worked at RollsRoyce lived in this house, sometime between the First and Second World Wars. They built a manmade cave in the garden in order to hide the lighting plans for the Spitfire, so that they would be protected if a bombing raid took place.”

The cave itself is cut into the rock of an abandoned quarry and goes back about 25 feet, where it opens up into a small chamber.

Helen continues: “This house was originally owned by my in-laws and they had a German au pair after the War, whose uncle had served in the Luftwaffe and had been trying to find locations such as this during the War. They

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knew these secret locations existed and they tried to bomb them, but they never got to do it.”

Eighty years after it first flew, it’s clear that the Spitfire has made its mark upon history. It proved its worth as a capable and adaptable fighting machine during the Battle of Britain and its distinctive profile has gone down as a design classic. Modern aircraft may be more technologically advanced, but none can match the Spitfire as an icon, and perhaps that explains its enduring appeal. The Spitfire stands for a certain Britishness – bravery, fortitude, sacrifice – that we admire and aspire to.

Eighty years after it first flew, it’s clear that the Spitfire has made its mark upon history. It proved its worth as a capable and adaptable fighting machine during the Battle of Britain and its distinctive profile has gone down as a design classic.

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Opinion Amanda Solloway MP for Derby North

Building Britain’s ‘Engine for Growth’

D

erby is a city steeped in engineering and manufacturing history. We have a great heritage, with the Silk Mill and Darley Abbey Mills being prime examples of this. And whether it’s cars, trains, planes or even nuclear reactors, Derby has cemented itself as one of this country’s leading manufacturing cities. So it was of little surprise when I read the recent announcement that Derby has been named as a top ten city for job creation in the country.

It is our rich history in both engineering and manufacturing that mean as a city, we have one of the fastest growing economies in the country. So how have we achieved this?

The success of companies such as Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Bombardier have certainly had a part to play. As their businesses have expanded, so has their demand for more workers. We have seen record low levels of unemployment in Derby over the past five years, and as our local economy continues to grow, we need to make sure unemployment is a statistic that continues to fall.

As the demand for workers increases, it’s crucial that we have a strong local supply of skilled individuals who can satisfy this demand. To address this, schemes such as apprenticeships and local initiatives will play a vital role.

Youth unemployment remains an issue across the country, and in Derby it has been highlighted that often jobs are available but those with the skills required to fill them are not. However during my short time as a local MP, I have seen some great steps that are being taken to help bridge this gap.

Coming from a manufacturing city and with a business background in the sector, I cannot overlook the importance of first-hand work experience in preparing the younger generation for work.

Since the government placed an emphasis on getting more young people into apprenticeships, we have seen a large increase of participants in Derby. They have proven to be very successful, and demand for places continues to increase. Why? Because we are now recognising that first-hand work experience provides the education and skills that are required to fulfil many of the roles now available in the job market.

It is an exciting time for Derby as a city, and for the Midlands as a region. The government wants the Midlands to become Britain’s ‘Engine for Growth’ and I have no doubt that if we continue to create more jobs, and train and develop workers to fill them, then Derby will be a key component of this Engine.

Recently I took part in a parliamentary debate which focused on helping young jobseekers find employment.

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OURALUMNI

Richard Gerver Writer: Jenny McNicholas 8

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R

ichard Gerver has been described as “one of the most inspirational leaders of his generation”.

His insight into education, leadership and change has enabled him to travel all over the world giving advice to multinational companies including Google and Apple.

His extraordinary journey has seen him go from an aspiring actor to becoming an award-winning head teacher.

“I started off wanting to be an actor which didn’t exactly work out for me but it did help as I fell for a student teacher at university and wanted to impress her, so spent my non-lecture days doing drama with her kids.

“That student teacher is now a head teacher and is also my wife, Lynne. I fell in love with her and teaching at the same time because the moment I walked into a school, instigated by her, was the first time I had ever thought about teaching. As it turns out, fate is a great thing.”

Richard famously transformed Grange Primary School, in Long Eaton, from a failing school into one of the most acclaimed learning environments in the world – in just two years.

“When I walked into Grange Primary School it didn’t feel like a failing school. Over a period of ten years the school had gone into a spiral of decline. External people had gone in and tried to implement intervention after intervention, strategy after strategy, bleeding the place of its soul.

“When I went into the school it wasn’t to reinforce processes or improve exam results, it was to put the heartbeat back into the place again, because I passionately believed that if we could make the place come alive everything else would take care of itself.”

And this is exactly what Richard did. Rather than pleasing Ofsted or the government he focused on getting things right for the children.

After 20 years in education Richard’s career took a turn: “I was in my dream job, part of a remarkable team doing extraordinary things. But as the school developed a reputation – nationally and internationally, I was increasingly being asked to go and explain externally what we were doing and how we were doing it.

celebrated speaker and author. He now helps individuals and companies around the world to embrace change.

“The best way to grasp change is to really strip back a lot of the complexity. Many organisations see solutions to problems in neatly packaged structures and systems.

One of the things I have always believed from my early days as a teacher, and then going into leadership, is that systems and structures change nothing – people do.”

Richard’s career has enabled him to ‘hang out’ with inspirational people such as Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman at Google, and Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple.

“I have been fortunate enough to learn their views, their reflections on life, and even the successes and failures they have had which is extraordinary.”

Richard studied at the University of Derby and will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Education at its Graduation Awards Ceremony in January 2016. When I spoke to Richard about his journey, he said: “For me now to have gone full circle feels fantastic because it’s the University that gave me a world view, introduced me to my wife, my professional skills and the passions that I have, so it’s incredibly humbling to be receiving an Honorary Doctor of Education.”

His achievements include: n Business Speaker of the Year 2011 at the London Business Forum Awards n Two critically acclaimed best-selling books: Creating Tomorrow’s Schools Today (Bloomsbury) and Change; Learn to Love it, Learn to Lead it (Portfolio Penguin) n School Head Teacher of the Year 2005 at the British National Teaching Awards n In 2003, he worked with Tony Blair’s Government as an adviser on education policy.

Richard’s next book titled Simplicity will be out in September 2016.

“It got to a point when I needed to make a decision and, having spent 20 years telling people they should take a risk, I realised it was my time to practice what I had preached for so long.”

To watch the interview and for more of Richard’s tips and insight, go to: www.derby.ac.uk/magazine

So Richard took the leap and became a globally

www.richardgerver.com

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Kath Mitchell

A

fter a whirlwind introduction to life as the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, Professor Kath Mitchell takes some time out of her hectic schedule to speak to Rosie Marshalsay about her new role and ambitions for the University.

“It feels very exciting to be the new VC; I have met lots of people now both in the University and the city and everyone I speak to has a very positive view of the institution, which to me means we can only go in a direction which is up.”

A direction of travel that resonates with the shared ambitions of the University and city of Derby – something that Kath got a sense of very early on.

“I didn’t expect to be so well connected in such a short time and that’s a reflection of just how keen the city, and businesses within it, are to engage and work collaboratively with us, a feeling that’s most definitely mutual.

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It feels very exciting to be the new VC; I’ve met lots of people now both in the University and the city and everyone I speak to has a very positive view of the institution.

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“In order to be successful people have to be proud but also confident to talk about ‘why Derby’ and what makes it so great.”

“That’s what has surprised me the most – Higher Education (HE) institutions are very similar in terms of what they have to do, but being the only university in Derby and having the scope to work with the city and the region to develop our collective offer further is an exciting and unique position to be in. If we can achieve this we’ll also enable our students to see the vibrancy of the city and the opportunities on offer within Derby and Derbyshire as a whole. We need to retain our talent and make more of an impact, but we’ll need to work together to achieve this.”

“Just before I came to Derby I made the decision that I wanted to be a VC and Derby appealed to me for a number of reasons, primarily its mission and the fact that I felt I had a synergy with it.

Universities are complex organisations and with the HE sector becoming increasingly competitive, whoever was going to step into the top job at Derby would need to be made of stern stuff. Kath’s now one of just 21 female VC’s in the UK, so what made her apply?

“When I made the decision to apply it had been very well thought through. People may think that the role of a VC is only suited to a certain type of person who does things in a certain way, but I believe that there many different approaches to being a successful VC and I felt confident that I could bring what was needed to the role.”

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“It was a big decision to make though. Throughout my career I’ve managed to balance home and academic life but taking on the role of VC can be lonely as ultimately you have to make decisions that not everyone likes.

I think sometimes people avoid wanting to make that type of move.

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The recruitment panel agreed and Kath is now firmly ensconced in her office on the third floor of the University’s South tower, an office which she spends little time in as she places great importance on mixing with the University’s students and staff, as well as its external stakeholders.

“The University is a critical part of Derby’s economic prosperity, as well as the city and county community, so being able to provide support for our community while working to enhance its outputs is really important.

“We have a good relationship with our stakeholders but I think we can harness that much more. It’s important that students value that relationship as well as staff, that they recognise the importance of being engaged with the city because those partnerships are going to be part of their future working.”

So how do you plan to do this?

“To make a real impact we need to work with our local education partners and particularly employers to look at the match between their needs and the research agenda, and the workforce that we’ll be providing to them in terms of internships and graduates in the future.

We need to look at how we can engage with a range of sectors and embed across all curricula.

“We also need to decide what we, as a university, want to be known for. We can’t be known for absolutely everything as this dilutes our brand, but once you’re known for a specific strength which is very positive, everything else becomes known. Creating the identity around where the institution is and what it’s known for has to link with what Derby, as a city, does.

“It’s also crucial to have a global view of the world, so we see things not just from a Derby centric point of view. When I lived in America everything was about the influence of Chicago globally, or wherever I was globally.

We look at Derby and want it to be influential in the East Midlands and I think actually we have to look at what we do that’s international, because students then get a different perspective of where they’re studying and what it’s about.”

So it’s about thinking bigger and being more ambitious?

“Yes, it’s about knowing what the pitch might be.

There are things that Derby is outstanding at both as a university and within the city, and it’s being able to articulate that so everyone understands it – including staff and students. I want the University to be significant in delivering a high level, practical and research agenda which clearly links to the environment we’re in and to manufacturing and engineering in some way. We have to decide what our identity is and on the back of that grow the profile of all our disciplines in a much more global way.

“Our staff and students are our greatest strength; they’re extremely committed and every student I’ve met is eloquent about why they came to Derby. The weakness is people’s lack of confidence about saying this, and I think this applies in some way to the city.

“In order to be successful people have to be proud but also confident to talk about ‘why Derby’ and what makes it so great.”

Quick Questions What does it take to be a great leader?

Patience. A great leader is to recognise the strengths in your teams, be able to work with them and also to be confident to deal with the weaknesses.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

At the moment I’m trying to potter a bit with my research. I like to go walking with my family and the dog, and I usually read loads.

What football team do you support?

I come from West London where I had to support Brentford but I’ll clearly support Derby County while I’m here (but really it’s Liverpool!).

If you hadn’t taken this career path what would you have liked to have done instead?

I’d have loved to have been a novelist.

Top tips for success For me, I think the greatest key to success is working with people that will challenge you and then acting upon the challenge.

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SPOTLIGHT ON...

From humble Derby roots to Hollywood stardom, Rosie Marshalsay speaks to Jack O’Connell, the Derby born actor who’s received critical acclaim for his work, most notably playing the lead role of Louis Zamperini in the Angelina Jolie directed World War Two epic Unbroken.

So Jack, what made you want to go into acting?

I don’t remember any clean cut decisions being made; I guess I was just filling my time up someway and somehow. I’m a big Rams fan but there were times when I wasn’t playing or watching football and needed something to do.

Who’s been your biggest influence?

That’s a big one. Ian Smith at the Nottingham Workshop has had a lot of influence on my life professionally and personally. But I don’t want to neglect me mother, grandmother, or me dad. A lot of people, thankfully; I’m surrounded by good folk.

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What do you look for in a role?

Now I need to assess whether it’ll give me an opportunity to do something different; I have to establish myself as a diverse actor. I’m always comparing a role to what I’ve just done, what it’ll enable me to do, and whether it’s a departure from what I’ve been seen doing before.

How do you prepare yourself for each role?

It always depends on the individual I’m supposed to be playing as there will be specific requirements to meet. Playing Louis I had to be at least half fit and have some stamina to get round those tracks, so that took some training.

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I think you have to isolate each role and treat them individually. The preparation is rarely the same.

How long does it take?

All depends on the role. With Louis it took a while because I had to lose weight and also put my mindset in a place where I’d never been before. I had to do a degree of suffering in order to empathise with the man.

Preparation for my most recent role in Money Monster, directed by Jodie Foster, was relatively quick as the biggest hurdle on that was the accent.

You’ve enjoyed significant success - how do you keep grounded?

It’s important to remember the things that have actual value. It’s all well and good being told this and that about myself from some inspiring people, but at the end of the day it’s only acting, it’s only film making.

I’d argue that acting’s an important art form but it is what it is, we’re not saving anyone’s life so it’s by no means crucial. I guess that helps me stay humble, as well as coming back to Derby and following the Rams, which keeps you on your toes.

I imagine Hollywood is very different to Derby – when you’re over there how does it feel to be part of that world?

Everyone in Hollywood is technically an outsider anyway as there are very few people actually from there. They call me one of the lucky ones, I get to leave, to disappear and only go there when it’s necessary for work. I’ve got little interest in ever living there.

“I’d argue that acting’s an important art form but it is what it is, we’re not saving anyone’s life so it’s by no means crucial.”

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What’s the biggest challenge facing actors today?

It’s hard to say because everyone’s different. For me, once you’ve become established as a certain type of actor it’s very difficult to try and move away from that, or to suggest or establish any range from that.

It’s difficult to convince not only casting directors but sometimes audiences, let alone producers, that you’re capable of doing something that opposes what you’ve been seen doing before. That’s a challenge. And that’s after many, many challenges that come before that. Even getting started out is quite tricky; there was a lot of sacrifice that had to happen for myself. It’s not easy.

If you could have anyone else’s career whose would it be?

David Beckham’s. He seems to get paid more and more for less and less these days!

Dream role?

Playing Paul Gascgoine or Elvis Presley, in some sort of biopic.

What’s next for you?

I’m going to be playing a solider in HHHH, a film about the assassination of Himmler, who’s a pretty important character in history. That will take me up to January; then it’s a case of trying to branch out.

I’d like to do some theatre and I’m having some very exciting conversations about other projects which I’m not able to speak about just yet.

Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?

Hopefully I’ll have directed a few things by then and people can call me a film maker, that’d be nice.

What advice would you give to young people keen to pursue a career in the industry?

Keep knocking on the door, and make sure you’re being influenced correctly. Make sure your ‘bullshitometer’ is nicely tuned; it’s all about detecting who’s lying and who’s not, even when you’re acting.

What’s your favourite part of your job?

Recently I’ve been able to go out and get stuck in with charities. I’ve been working in Cambodia with Angelina’s foundation that does a lot of work out there, helping to develop whole villages and offering them schooling. I was able to go out there as a byproduct of what I do and be in a position where I was feeling like I was actually helping. I’ve got to say that outweighs anything I do.

It’s good to have a cause to champion isn’t it?

I’d say so, it does me a lot of good too so maybe it’s not so selfless.

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This Christmas at Derby Theatre A Derby Theatre Production

Cinderella Friday 4 December 2015 – Saturday 9 January 2016 Inspired by the traditional Grimm’s fairy tale, this is a magical Christmas show for all the family – featuring stunning original costumes, fantastic set designs, live music and a talented cast of actor-musicians!

Family ticket fro m

£48

Cinderella cast members Esme Sears and Christopher Price in last year’s smash-hit A Christmas Carol

Box Office: 01332 59 39 39 Book Online: derbytheatre.co.uk

K

elly Tyler speaks to Rachael Grime, Chief Executive of Foundation Derbyshire, about the current challenges charities are facing and why she will not stop helping others.

Every single day, Rachael Grime witnesses ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their community.

From holding exercise classes for the elderly to running community cafes, Rachael and her team at Foundation Derbyshire – an organisation which hands out grants to groups and individuals for vital services – are blown away with pride at the dedication, commitment and generosity of Derbyshire people.

“I am very privileged to be in a position where I see a huge amount of volunteers and individuals giving their own time and effort on a daily basis to their community,” says Rachael.

“It is incredibly inspiring to see how much difference they make. These are ordinary people who do amazing things.”

Foundation Derbyshire – formerly Derbyshire Community Foundation – was established in 1996.

The endowment-based organisation offers a wide variety of funding programmes to voluntary and community groups across Derby and Derbyshire.

INSPIRE RACHAEL GRIME, FOUNDATION DERBYSHIRE

To date, the charity has handed out more than £14m in grants to over 5,000 community groups.

“The organisation started from very humble beginnings. It had about £20,000 in the endowment initially but, thanks to the hard work of local companies and individuals, in 2000 it reached the £1m mark.

“A local donor offered a £1m match challenge which really turned the fortunes of the charity around. Over a two-year period all hands were on deck to raise a further £1m and, in return for that, the donor contributed £1m. This really gave the organisation critical mass.”

It was just a few years after this that Rachael, who had been working in London’s banking sector, joined the organisation as Chief Executive.

“I am Derbyshire born and bred and, after many years in London, I had decided that I wanted to move back home and do something completely different.

“When the opportunity came up to work for the Foundation, I read up on it and

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“A lady came to us because she had become aware of what she described as a ‘Dickensian situation’ with children in Derby not having clothes to go to school in or to go on holiday with.”

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loved the sound of the role so much that I applied. I was very fortunate to get the job, which was ten years ago now.”

The charity now has around £6.7m in its endowment fund, with around 50 individual funds within this.

“We are a conduit, a vehicle, for people that want to give locally,” said Rachael. “We help them reach groups and charities in the county that they may not necessarily know about.

“A huge amount of voluntary work in the county is actually done by very small grassroots organisations so it can be quite difficult for ‘the man on the street’ who wants to give to charity to find out where they are, who they are and what they are doing.

“We have some families that want to establish a fund in their family’s name – very often that’s a means of educating younger generations about the importance of philanthropy. We get some individuals that have sold a business or there may have been a death in a family and they want to set up a memorial fund. We have legacies – people leave money in their wills – and then we have groups who do fundraising and want the money they raise to be kept locally so they give it to us to deal with.

“When people donate money to us, that money isn’t spent it’s invested, and it’s the income that investment generates every year that we use to fund our grantmaking – basically, every quarter we calculate 1% of the endowment fund value and give that out in grants.”

Foundation Derbyshire receives between 350-500 grant applications each year. The majority of grants are around the £1,000 mark.

Last year, the charity handed out around £340,000, only £70,000 of which went to groups in grants of more than £7,000.

“There is always demand for funding so it is a tough job,” said Rachael.

“We are a small organisation with only five part-time staff members so, in addition to our own staff, we have a panel of local volunteers who come and sit on our grant-making panels to make the funding decisions, along with many of our donors who like to be involved in deciding how their money is spent.

“With increasing demands on our resources, sometimes we have to part-fund and prioritise.

“We have to be mindful of the difficult decisions our panel has to make and everyone is aware of the austerity measures taking place and the effects funding

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cuts are having on charities and groups.

“Fortunately, we are in a privileged position that because of our endowment we are independent so we are not impacted directly, but a lot of people are now turning to us for support to fill in the gaps where other funders would have stepped in.

“The cuts in funding are a reality but if we are here as a facility, are aware of what can be done and can encourage and inspire people to make those links with each other, then that is hopefully a creative way around the situation.”

Due to the nature of her job, Rachael meet hundreds of inspiring volunteers and, while she said it was difficult to pinpoint any favourites, she had been touched by an application for a clothing project, based in Derby city.

“We are a conduit, a vehicle, for people that want to give locally, We help them reach groups and charities in the county that they may not necessarily know about.”

“A lady came to us because she had become aware of what she described as a ‘Dickensian situation’ with children in Derby not having clothes to go to school in or to go on holiday with.

“She, very kindly, set up a charity in her own garage where people could bring clothes that they didn’t need.

“After a short time, the project had outgrown the space in the lady’s house and they were desperate for a central location to deliver the service.

“She approached Foundation Derbyshire for support so we provided her with rent for a small unit to store the clothes and get them out to people. This is a lovely example of one person making a huge difference.”

Foundation Derbyshire is now working hard to reach £10m in its endowment fund.

Rachael added: “Hopefully by inspiring corporates, individuals and groups within the county to invest in the Foundation we will see more people getting involved, which in turn will mean more help for people in need.

“There is a huge amount of goodwill out there and by utilising the resources we have, a lot can be achieved.” www.foundationderbyshire.org

The University of Derby Magazine

Time to think big Peter Richardson

D

erby has huge potential but it thinks like a small city and it is time to change that mentality, says Peter Richardson, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership Chairman.

businesses to look beyond their known geography, get them thinking about exports, how we are going to develop businesses in China and how we are going to look at India as a growth location.

Our city is bursting with global advantages – it is incredibly well-connected, it has a host of iconic brands which it can build on the back of (EPM Technology, Bombardier, Toyota and Rolls-Royce to name but a few), and is home to some key centres of excellence, but it sees itself as a small city.

Derby has to think more about its place in the country and in its international environment, and how it manifestly wants partnerships to work because that is how you expand and grow.

In actual fact, we are not a small city, we are a great city.

Derby has had some real challenges in the past. There was a time when it was difficult to sell Derby to a senior executive because it was not a city that tripped off the tongue such as Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle or Leeds.

Now, thanks to the great work of organisations like Marketing Derby, as well as the common voice that we have, we are able to sell our city and county much more effectively than we used to.

We are now talking about Derby competing against Singapore. Why do we think like that? Because RollsRoyce do business over there and are being wooed by Singapore to develop their services. This is a big step forward so we need to continue to play to our strengths and look at how we develop beyond our local markets.

Back in the UK, we have a government that wants to devolve power from London to other cities across England. To do that, the government needs to be confident the city knows what it is doing and how it can run itself more effectively and efficiently than London can.

We need our city leadership, key business leaders, our University and college principals pleading for these powers which may give us greater control over our roads, housing, planning and skills. We need our

In the D2N2 LEP’s area, we have 19 local authorities committed to our economic plan, with eight key sectors for focus, including transport and logistics, life science and construction.

Our vision is a more prosperous, better connected, increasingly resilient and competitive economy. We are opening up funding and partnership opportunities and helping businesses work alongside those that create tomorrow’s skills and those that will lead our city’s tomorrow.

When Mark Carney was appointed Governor of the Bank of England, his first public speech was about the East Midlands being the bellwether of the UK economy.

When George Osborne pledged to extend his Northern Powerhouse idea earlier this year, he spoke about the Midlands as an ‘engine for growth’.

But to become this ‘Engine’, we need to be capable of shouting about what our strengths are. We have made great progress but there is much more to do as national, international and global competition for skills and our businesses will only get more intense.

Isn’t it a small world? It is easy to visit another great city and start a business, an education, a life there, so now is the time for us to be at the centre of this small world, shouting about why Derby is a place you can create, build, sustain your life, your family, your business, and your future.

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MEL MORRIS 22

The University of Derby Magazine

D

erby businessman Mel Morris, who recently became sole owner of Derby County Football Club, speaks to Kelly Tyler about his love for technology, innovation and the Mighty Rams.

In June 2015, he became Chairman of the club before taking on his life-long dream as the sole owner in September.

Since leaving school at the age of 16, Mel Morris has had an undeniable thirst for business.

“There’s a couple that have seen nearly every Derby County game, including cup games, home games, away games, pre-season friendly games and most of the Under 21 games for over 40 years. I estimate they have spent about £100,000 of their money watching this football club – so you tell me they don’t own a piece of it? These people are stakeholders every bit as much as I am.”

From developing world-renowned computer software to launching his own companies – including dating website Udate and internet security firm Prevx – Mel’s CV boasts a prosperous history.

He was also an early investor in King Digital Entertainment Plc, the firm behind mobile gaming app Candy Crush Saga.

And more recently, Mel became owner of Derby County Football Club after purchasing it from North American Derby Partners LP. But despite his achievements, Mel says he never believed he would be so successful.

“I hadn’t ever thought that I would be, but equally so, and a lot of people who know me will tell you, I never ever give up,” said Mel. “If someone says to me ‘you are going to fall flat on your face’, I get so much motivation from it. I don’t like having to say I failed. If I have to, I will, but it won’t be without a damn fight.

“I don’t see myself as the owner now, I just don’t.

Since being involved with Derby County, Mel has worked on substantial developments and facilities at the club’s Training Centre, Morley Road – which was renamed the Derby County Training Centre in Partnership with the University of Derby under a new deal with the University in 2013.

“Success is about timing, people, and a bit of good fortune. When I realised I could attract quality people to work with me, and retain and motivate them, I started believing I could be successful.”

“Success is about timing, people, and a bit of good fortune. When I realised I could attract quality people to work with me, and retain and motivate them, I started believing I could be successful.”

He says his next challenge, as owner, will be earning the respect from supporters.

Born in Littleover, Derby, and a pupil at John Port School, in Etwall, Mel’s passion for Derby County was instilled into him from an early age.

“For Derby fans, the best period of football they ever saw was the Brian Clough and Dave Mackay years.

Brian Clough had this phrase which said ‘owners and directors should be seen and not heard, just sign the cheques.’

“The first game that I went to that I can recall was in 1969 – Derby vs Tottenham Hotspur at Derby’s Baseball Ground.

“It is different when you are involved in the club, it actually means more. A lot of fans think it can’t possibly, but it does, because you spot things you can influence.”

In 2014, Mel joined the ownership group of Derby County Football Club and became a Director.

“When I took on the role of owner, there was a big concern about whether I was going to dictate who was going to play, who we were going to buy, those sorts of things. Am I going to dictate that? No, but equally, I am not just going to sit back and write cheques.

“Part of the challenge for me is to hope that the fans give me enough time and patience to get all the pieces in place and promotion will come as a result of that.”

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“I don’t want to just be in the Premier League, I want us to be a competitor in the Premier League.”

Derby County currently compete in the Sky Bet Championship, the second tier of English football.

But Mel said the dream is for the club to be a perennial competitor in the Premier League.

“Does that mean we will ever win the League? Who knows, but at least it means we have a chance to be in the top half and that’s a realistic objective for us. I suspect it will take three to five years for us to get there.

“We also need to become a standard of excellence in a number of things that we do, including how we treat people and the belonging of people to the club. Then there are all the practical things – the use of technology and the best facilities.

“We are doing a lot from the grassroots to make us different from what others clubs are doing. Once they start to work, other people will start to follow and we know we will be a standard-bearer for a lot of things.”

“I don’t want to just be in the Premier League, I want us to be a competitor in the Premier League.”

If you weren’t in the business industry, what would you be doing?

I would be a doctor. My second interest was always all-things medical, which is why I helped fund a project with the Royal Derby Hospital to buy a Da Vinci Si Robotic Surgeon (a computer-assisted surgery machine).

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Stop looking for the easy route. The first mistake is that entrepreneurs will believe they have a totally unique, really interesting idea. The real smart entrepreneurs are the ones that don’t say they have a unique idea; they make sure they have a unique idea and they then start a business around that.

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Honest, trustworthy and kind.

What level are you on on Candy Crush?

The highest I’ve ever got to is about 170!

Who is your idol and why?

Elon Musk, the guy behind the investment for Tesla motors, now Chief Executive of the company and prior to that he was behind PayPal. He has a ‘never say die’ attitude. He built an electric car; people moaned it wasn’t fast enough, so he developed it so it now does 60mph in 2.8 seconds. His achievements are miraculous.

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with Shami Chakrabarti Writer: Jeremy Swan 26

The University of Derby Magazine

“I think the Human Rights Act has done more for victims of crime than any other single instrument in our legal history.”

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hami Chakrabarti CBE is the Chancellor of the University of Essex and Director of Liberty, which campaigns for civil freedoms in the UK. A former Home Office barrister, Shami joined Liberty

on 10 September 2001 and subsequently became heavily involved in its engagement work on terrorism and protecting individual freedom. More recently, she was one of six independent assessors advising Lord Justice Leveson during his Public Inquiry into press standards.

As this year marks the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a milestone for civil liberties in Britain, the topic of human rights seems appropriate. It’s also very much a live issue, as the government is considering scrapping the Human Rights Act in favour of a new British Bill of

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Rights, a move which Liberty is campaigning against.

Yet despite the historical resonance, Shami believes we shouldn’t rest on our laurels: “You are right to talk about Magna Carta as a milestone but it’s a perfectly good milestone for 1215. There’s not a lot of protection in Magna Carta for women, for Jews, for free speech, for the right against torture.”

Instead, her mind is firmly fixed on the present: “The Human Rights Act is the one law that guarantees the rights and freedoms of everyone in the United Kingdom, regardless of where they are in the kingdom, what their gender, age, race or nationality is. It protects our basic human rights: the right to life, not to be tortured or enslaved, the right against arbitrary detention, the right to a fair trial, personal privacy, freedom of conscience and association, expression and equal treatment under the law.

“I think the Human Rights Act has done more for victims of crime than any other single instrument in our legal history. It has protected women who used to be cross-examined by their rapists for days and days at the Old Bailey. It has protected women who were raped within marriage, and that wasn’t considered a criminal offence until the European Court of Human Rights stepped in. It has protected children from beatings that put them in hospital when before the Human Rights Act and European Convention that was thought to be ‘reasonable chastisement’ under English law. So it has done so much to protect the vulnerable from the powerful. And that, I’m afraid, is sometimes why the powerful don’t like the Human Rights Act very much.”

Passed in 1998, the Human Rights Act allows British citizens to rely on rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights before domestic courts.

It has not, however, been a universally popular piece of legislation, with some branding it a ‘criminals’ charter’ after accusations were made that the law was being abused. Critics point to cases such as that of Abu Qatada, who was deported from the UK in 2013 after a lengthy legal battle.

Shami does not accept the criticism: “The happy ending in the Abu Qatada case was that because he couldn’t be deported to a place of torture, the UK government

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had to persuade the government of the Kingdom of Jordan to change its constitution to outlaw torture. That is the right result. That’s an ethical foreign policy as well as human rights working close to home. It’s a shame that the government didn’t think of that as a victory rather than a limitation.

“There are very few people who can’t be deported from this country because of human rights laws,” she continues, “but at the end of the day, if you don’t believe in torture you can’t believe in sending people to torture.”

The War on Terror has exposed a whole new battleground for civil liberties campaigners. In a move which divided opinion, the UK carried out its first targeted drone strike in August, killing two British men fighting for Isis in Syria. Shami’s opinion is clear, however: “I think targeted assassination… is contrary to human rights law and to international law. It’s a terrible scandal that no doubt will one day come home to roost.

The problem with great democracies like Britain and the US violating human rights law is that it is ultimately counter-productive. Democrats seem hypocritical if they dishonour their values in this way. Ultimately, it only foments terrorism; it doesn’t prevent it.”

The conflicts in Syria and Iraq have left vast numbers of people displaced, many of whom have fled to Europe seeking asylum. Under these circumstances, Britain’s role has come under increasing public scrutiny with some commentators, like Shami, arguing that we should do more to help.

“The Refugee Convention [part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights] was the world’s apology for the Holocaust, and the fact that Britain is not prepared to take its fair share of these most desperate people, and that our Home Secretary is talking about diluting even the Refugee Convention, is a source of great embarrassment and shame.

“We want people to join Liberty. We want people to lobby their MPs. We want people to show those in power that these rights belong to the people, not to the politicians and the media moguls. They were hard won and we hold them in trust for future generations and we’re not going to give them up without a fight.”

The University of Derby Magazine

I

an Livingstone CBE is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the British games industry.

He co-founded Games Workshop, introduced Dungeons & Dragons to Europe, co-authored the multi-million selling Fighting Fantasy books and published the original Tomb Raider video game, created in Derby almost twenty years ago. He also helped convince the government to put Computer Science on the National Curriculum.

Do you think games can help young people develop critical skills and stretch their imagination?

Games go way beyond entertainment; games skills are life skills. Think what is happening cognitively when you play games: creativity, problem-solving, community, multi-tasking, intuitive learning, strategic planning, logic, imagination, and so on. Who wouldn’t want their children to learn such skills? Human beings are playful by nature and it’s possible to learn while having fun!

What lessons have you learned from building up successful brands such as Tomb Raider and Games Workshop?

The main thing I’ve learnt is the importance of retaining ownership of your intellectual property (IP) in order to build real value in a company. If you own your own content you control your own destiny. The UK excels at creating world-beating IP. But whilst UK creative talent might win the BAFTAs and other coveted artistic awards, too often is the case whereby the revenue derived from UK creativity is banked overseas.

Also, don’t be afraid of failure. See it as ‘success – work-in-progress’. Learn from your mistakes. Rovio, the company that created Angry Birds, made 50 games before they hit it big.

Is there a skills shortage in the UK’s creative industries? If so, what can we do to address the gap?

Yes. Children born these days will need to learn skills for jobs that don’t exist yet; such is the speed of change in the digital age. They need to become creators of digital technology as well as consumers of it.

A few years ago I was asked by Culture Minister Ed Vaizey to co-author a report, called Next Gen, to review the skills needed for the creative industries (you can read Next Gen at www.nesta.org.uk). The key message was the need to improve the way we teach computing in schools. Companies like Rolls-Royce depend on great programmers as much as games developers do. Computing is no longer a niche skill for geeks; it’s essential knowledge for innovative businesses. The arts and sciences must be brought together – it should no longer be a case of either or.

More recently, you’ve been working on a project to set up a free school. What inspired you to get into education?

Following the success of Next Gen, I decided to establish a flagship school with a focus on coding and creativity. To my mind, the education system was not meeting the needs of children heading into industry.

Word and Excel are never going to equip anybody for a career in video games. Computer science is different.

It’s a vital discipline that is as relevant to the modern world as physics, chemistry or biology. Creativity, the arts and collaboration will form part of the school’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) agenda.

At what age do you think children should start learning to code?

As young as possible - it’s like a language.

Follow Ian Livingstone on Twitter @ian_livingstone

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There has long been a debate about academic and vocational education. We could argue that academic education in the UK has always been championed but, with increasing pressures from the government, is the value of vocational education causing attitudes to waver? Adam Mallaby reports on a roundtable discussion.

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n 2001, David Blunkett said the government was poised to bridge the historic gap between academic and vocational education, arguing that “in the future, vocational and technical education will be a positive choice, not a second-class fall-back, with as much status and esteem as an academic education.”* Fast forward to today and, while the UK has seen some progress, there still appears to be a gap between the two. It could be argued that by separating vocational and academic education we are creating a false dichotomy, so we brought together some educational leaders from across the Midlands to discuss their vision for the future.

Pete Scales opens the discussion by asking what the panel understands by the terms academic and vocational education, and in what ways are they different.

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“Vocational education (VE) isn’t new,” says Dr Lynn Senior, “it’s been around a long time and is any instructional experience that is either employment related or provides skills for young people to engage in and contribute to the economy and society.”

Melsa Buxton addresses academic education (AE) as “contextualised learning, embedded in history and society.” She argues that “in some schools an academic education teaches you the British values, where you are today. But there is a perception that to have what is deemed as an academic education you have to have a reasonable level of cognitive ability to be able to take on the facts and knowledge – if you don’t have that level of ability, where does your learning come from?”

“I wonder to what extent our attitudes to vocational and academic education are a British thing – is there snobbery there?” asks Pete.

The University of Derby Magazine

HYBRID EDUCATION:

ACADEMIC VS VOCATIONAL

“There’s absolute snobbery there,” believes Malcolm Hetherington. “The common misconception is that vocational education is for non-academics and for the children who fail as academic. It’s a historical idea and a shame that we still undervalue vocational education over academic education.

“I’d like to see that both VE and AE provide skills to enable people to go into work – we want people to be able to operate in society in any job they end up doing.”

Fiona Shelton acknowledges that perceptions are skewing the UK’s educational attitudes. She says: “I’m concerned about this false dichotomy that’s been created between academic and vocational education.

The two have to go hand-in-hand – you need the skills and the knowledge to operate effectively.”

Melanie Lanser supports this: “In the UK, it is seen that vocational training is not usually a positive choice so you do it if you can’t do the academic side. Whether you’re learning a vocational profession or undertaking academic study, they’re the same, it’s just that we treat them and teach them differently.”

Interestingly though, attitudes may be changing.

Research undertaken by the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, an organisation that promotes university technical colleges (UTCs), which questioned more than 1,000 parents of 14 to 18-year-olds in mainstream schools, found that three-quarters of parents now believe children should have the option of a combined academic and vocational education at the age of 14.

At the table: Chair: • Pete Scales, Senior Lecturer in Education, and Learning and Teaching Adviser for the College of Education at the University of Derby Participants: • Dr Lynn Senior, Dean of the College of Education, University of Derby • Fiona Shelton, Head of Professional Studies, University of Derby • Malcolm Hetherington, Head Teacher at Bishop Lonsdale Church of England Primary School and Nursery • Melsa Buxton, Executive Head Teacher, Fountains Community Special Schools Federation • Melanie Lanser, Head of Teacher Education at Derby College

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The study also reveals that more than half no longer see traditional educational routes such as GCSEs, A-levels and degrees as the best ways into work.** Pete questions the dichotomy between the two types of education, asking if they are essentially any different from one another. “It’s not just about academic or vocational education, for a truly effective education you need work-based, on-the-job learning backed up by theory in the classroom – it’s a holistic education, which should be supported by hybrid qualifications,” argues Lynn.

“Unfortunately the way the British and the government view vocational versus academic education is creating problems. Look at the qualifications that have been implemented over the last 20 to 30 years; the increased flexibility programme for ages 14 to 19 which meant kids who couldn’t cope with school got shipped off to college for two days a week to do hairdressing, construction or similar.

“We then went on to different types of apprenticeships and then the diploma. Personally, I think the 14 to 19 diploma was one of the best chances we had as a society to actually remove that vocational and academic education divide. It had the academic underpinning, the practical application, the personal and functional skills – everything that we needed to bring a hybrid qualification. Unfortunately the way it was set up was very expensive, people didn’t understand it, and it didn’t survive when it could have survived.”

The government is continuing in its attempts to bridge the divide and in March it announced plans to roll out nine new industry-designed flagship Degree Apprenticeships, with an aim that students would get the best of both academic and vocational education.

At the time, David Cameron said that these Degree Apprenticeships would provide the “wider employment skills vital for career success.”*** It’s this ‘skills for success’ paradigm that Pete’s next question focuses on – whether if, in the midst of searching for the ideal education, we’ve forgotten what education is for?

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“It’s about outcomes”, says Melsa. “What we’re trying to do is support and shape someone who will fit into society and be successful. It’s this idea of self-reliance, autonomy and liberation – the pursuit of happiness, if you like.”

Fiona continues the argument: “It’s an issue that education has become about the economy and a set of recognised skills and qualifications. Education is so much more than the pressures the government is creating within the education system. Education should be about more than just learning knowledge and skills to pass exams. It should be about becoming a person who feels fulfilled in the world, a world that you belong in, and you belong in it when you know what you can do in it.”

Pete concludes with the question: “If Nicky Morgan [the Education Secretary] was here now, what suggestions would you make to her to improve education?”

“To value vocation and academic equally and not see them as separate things – they’re equally important,” says Fiona.

For Malcolm, “we’re one of the most creative and entrepreneurial countries in the world, our government just needs to be brave.”

Lynn supports this: “I agree, be brave. It’s about providing a rounded, holistic education. We need to remove the stigma around vocational education being second rate, create a strong identity for education in the UK and be fully engaged in the debate, with employers, the government and industry, at all times.”

What we do know, is that since 2010, 2.1 million apprenticeships have been created and in 2014, the government committed to creating three million more by 2020. We’ve also seen 39 university technical colleges open their doors to a new world of mixed vocational and academic education. The next question is how we can continue to implement these without forfeiting the quality of our future talents?

*Does Education Matter? Alison Wolf, 2002 ** https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/parents-want-combined-technical-and-academic-education-research-shows *** https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-rolls-out-flagship-degree-apprenticeships

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TV star Chris Packham opened the Nature Connections Festival at the University of Derby

hts g i l h g i H

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Nature Connections Festival was held at the University in September to increase the relevance of nature to a wider audience, communicate the value of repairing and reconnecting our natural habits, and encourage people to actively engage with natural landscapes.

The Festival was a collaboration between four of the University’s Colleges, and across the two days more than 900 visitors attended.

Chris Packham, presenter of BBC Springwatch, opened the Festival on both days and was joined by campsite cook Josh Sutton, writer Jini Reddy and film director Lizzie Gillett.

Academics from across the University also showcased their research into nature connectedness.

Professor Chris White detailed the DerwentWISE project, which aims to protect and enhance the special landscape in and around the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site, and Dr Kate Wells spoke about colour, health, wellbeing, and the hidden qualities and properties of natural dyes.

Professor White, Head of Department of Media and Performing Arts, said: “There have been a number of recent concerns about the nature deficit for both children and adults. Then, of course, there are the relationships between nature connectedness and health and wellbeing.

“We did something really exciting and different with the Nature Connections Festival; bringing together a whole host of subjects, which are usually taught individually, and connecting them to nature.”

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A man creates wooden sculptures using a chainsaw at the Nature Connections Festival

The University of Derby Magazine

News Round-up

Left to right: Andrew Lewer MEP, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Bruce, Professor Richard Hall, Director of Research, Innovation and Academic Enterprise, and Paul Stein, Chief Scientific Officer at Rolls-Royce, at this year’s Research Conference

Devonshire Spa, Buxton

Live event technology at the University of Derby

• In May, the College of Business announced plans to introduce a Higher Education Apprenticeship Degree (HEAD) route to achieving a professional accounting qualification and Masters degree in Accounting and Finance simultaneously.

The University is one of just two institutions in the UK to offer this type of course.

• Buxton’s Devonshire Spa has been voted one of the top day spas in the country, by Professional Beauty Magazine. The spa has been competing against the likes of Urban Retreat at Harrods, Eden Hall in Newark – one of the most luxurious day spas; and The Spa London.

The spa, based in the historic Devonshire Dome, is commercially run and gives students aiming for a career in spa management the best training for the real world.

• A new project named ‘Derby a City on the move’ was awarded £437,376 from Sport England earlier this year. Professor Nick Draper from the College of Life and Natural Sciences, will lead on the project in partnership with Derby City Council, Derby County Community Trust, and Derby College, The project, part of Sporting England’s ‘Get Healthy, Get Active’ programme, will examine the positive impact of sport on individual health and wellbeing.

• In July, Derby was the first UK university to partner with Cloudbass Limited – industry leaders in outside broadcast – to launch a new undergraduate degree in Broadcast Engineering and Live Event Technology. The three-year course, starting September 2016, will prepare aspiring engineers for a career in broadcast engineering and live event technology.

Jill Gould and Dr Wendy Wesson receive their Queen’s Nurse certificates

• The College of Education published a report that revealed that while young people feel confident about their cover letter writing skills (90%), nearly half of businesses

(48%) said they were being forced to actively develop the writing skills of staff due to low standards. This report was commissioned by The Royal Mail to celebrate National Letter Writing Week that ran during September and aimed to encourage people to rediscover the joy of sending and receiving a letter. The campaign was backed by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, who said that “it was a great opportunity to help engage young people and improve literacy.”

• Two nursing lecturers in the College of Health and Social Care have been honoured as a Queen’s Nurse, and received their certificates at an awards ceremony earlier this month. The Queen’s Nurse rewards midwives, health visitors and nurses that are able to demonstrate a commitment to providing best care to their patients and life-long learning.

• Two Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) were introduced by University of Derby Online Learning (UDOL) earlier this year to benefit people wanting to learn about dementia and those who wish to enhance their digital reputation.

The average retention rate is typically 5-8%, but the MOOCs have surpassed this with 15.64% for ‘Digital Me: Managing Your Digital Self’ and 35.48% for ‘Bridging the Dementia Divide’, which in total attracted more than 5,000 learners from Australia and the Philippines to Aruba.

• The University of Derby’s annual Research Review 2014-15 was launched at this year’s Research Conference. The review focuses on work that has made a significant impact – economically, socially, environmentally or politically - and highlights how applied research and employer engagement will play an immensely vital role in future successes.

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STUDENT SUCCESS

Business student qualifies for Rio 2016 Olympics

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lympic athlete Jack Burnell was the first British athlete to qualify for the open water swimming team in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games after finishing fifth in the World Championship 10km marathon swimming event in Kazan, in July.

For years Jack has worked tirelessly to reach this milestone which for him was a lifelong dream.

Jack said: “It felt absolutely amazing to qualify so early; it was a huge relief and a great position to be in. As an athlete this is ‘the’ goal to aim for and for me it is my biggest achievement to date.”

The 22-year-old, Higher National Diploma (HND) Business and Management student has been

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undertaking up to 14 sessions of rigorous training each week in the USA and Hong Kong.

His talents aren’t just in the swimming pool, Jack is also Director of NOVUS, which is a sports clothing firm.

“I see NOVUS as escapism, it gives me good respite from sport. Sport has allowed me to open lots of other doors – this being one of them. My next goal is to get an Olympic medal and then I can continue to pursue business and being an athlete.

“Going to university has strengthened who I am, it was always something I wanted to do.” www.jackburnell.co.uk

The University of Derby Magazine

Derby student receives Emerging Fashion Designer award

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eet fashionista Sarah Woodward – University of Derby BA (Hons) Fashion student who received the Emerging Fashion Designer award at the prestigious Midlands Fashion Awards for her modern glamour’s clothing collection.

Sarah’s concept for her collection, titled ‘Orenda’, means a supernatural, divine force within every human being and features soft pastel pink and blue colours.

Sarah said: “I am overwhelmed and very happy to have been awarded the Emerging Fashion Designer award. The awards show was a great evening and very inspiring, it was fantastic to meet other like-minded creative people.

“Winning the award has left me with more confidence and the feedback I have received from my designs has been so positive and complimentary.”

Sarah recently completed a three-month design internship at women’s fashion label House of Celebrity Boutique, in London.

“I worked with a great team of professionals who shared their knowledge, so my skills developed a lot and I was constantly able to learn new things.

“I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t gone to university, it gave me the confidence I needed to find the right area for me.”

Derby student scoops sweet success

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raphic Design student Kate Fenton has scooped a national award from the POPAI Student Design Awards for creating a Play-Doh bakery to help distract children from technology.

The awards recognise up-and-coming point of purchase creative talent.

Kate said: “Winning the POPAI Student Awards was a very proud moment for me. It’s given me a lot of confidence in my design work. When attending the awards ceremony in London, I was introduced to business leaders in the point of purchase industry, so getting the chance to talk to them was a really good opportunity.

“Graphic design is everywhere you look, from signage and posters to packaging and logos, the feeling that one day my work could appear on television or in a store for everyone to see is really rewarding.”

Kate hopes to be a graphic design lecturer one day.

“The job of helping and guiding the students in achieving their goals I imagine feels incredibly rewarding. My tutors at Derby are very supportive in this way – if I ever need reassurance or feedback I know they’ll be there for me.

“University is a starting block filled with opportunities.”

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Local Link-up Community Fund – One Year On

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ince its launch one year ago, the University of Derby Community Fund has given away £10,000 funding and helped 18 local projects make a real difference to people across the region.

The Community Fund is one of the ways that we look to ‘give back’ to our local community, to help make our communities better for everyone. It’s been our privilege to work with some amazing people in the last year and we hope to work with many more in the coming year!

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The University of Derby Magazine

The Food & Education Enterprise (FEE) & TOGS

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he Food & Education Enterprise (FEE) and TOGS projects are not-for-profit community groups based in Derby.

FEE provide a weekly food bank service in which anyone on a low income is welcome to attend, distributing food from Costco, the Red Cross and FareShare on a fortnightly basis.

Alongside this they offer volunteering and training opportunities to the disadvantaged, unemployed and the homeless in the local area, with workshops in subjects such as IT, food hygiene and English.

They work closely with TOGS, who run a clothing and furniture bank out of the same building. The clothing bank focuses mainly on children, refugees and asylum seekers, although Anthea Peters, who runs TOGS, acknowledges there is a great need in the city. She set up the project four years ago in her home after speaking to social workers who had noticed the influx of poor families into Derby who had difficulty affording clothes and shoes. Since then the project has grown and has helped hundreds in need.

The money awarded to them by the Community Fund has helped towards meeting the running costs of the food and clothing bank enabling them to continue their work.

Ali Neghipooran, Secretary of FEE, said: “We are grateful for the support we received from the University’s Community Fund that’s helping us to pay for some of the costs of running our weekly food and clothing bank services. Many disadvantaged people and their families benefit from our community projects and this support from the University.” www.feecafe.co.uk

Together for England Roadshow comes to Derby

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n October the University teamed up with The FA to host the Together for England Roadshow to mark the launch of our new multi-million pound Sports Centre.

Birmingham City Ladies player Melissa Lawley.

The event also celebrated the recent opening of our new £10.8m Sports Centre, which includes a 4G pitch, multi-purpose sports hall, fitness suites, bouldering wall, squash courts and a three-lane indoor sprint track complete with sand pit. Representatives from local businesses and community groups joined in for a celebratory afternoon of hospitality, games and tours.

The Together for England Roadshow is a nationwide drive aimed at inspiring current and future Three Lions fans to help strengthen the national team’s relationship with local people.

England U21 star Will Hughes said: “This event reminds me of my heyday back when I was young! It’s great to see them enjoying themselves at such a young age and hopefully they’ll keep on enjoying it through their teenage years and become the next star.

“Do I fancy England’s chances in Euro 2016? Definitely!

I think we have got a good chance, we’ve got a young squad who are raring to go, and after the way qualifying has gone I don’t see why we can’t go all the way this time.”

Royal Crown Derby

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he University of Derby has teamed up with one of the world’s most respected ceramic brands, Royal Crown Derby, to celebrate their heritage and the manufacturing and creative legacy of the city of Derby.

Royal Crown Derby has created 200 exclusive University branded limited edition owl paperweights, finished in 22-carat gold.

Kevin Oakes, CEO of Royal Crown Derby, said: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with the University of Derby in creating this fantastic paperweight.”

The paperweight is now available to buy and would make a perfect graduation gift. Please contact 01332 593878 for further details.

60 local youngsters enjoyed a fun filled afternoon with football sessions delivered by FA skills coaches and assisted by Derby County duo Will Hughes and Jamie Hanson, Notts County Ladies star Alex Greenwood and

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Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards Comedian Jack Whitehall presents the University’s Research, Innovation and Academic Enterprise team with the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Award for ‘Knowledge Transfer Initiative of the Year’ at an awards ceremony in June this year.

Princess Royal visits UTC

Snap shots from the University and beyond…

Mel Morris

Derby Manufacturing University Technical College (UTC) was officially opened by HRH the Princess Royal in October. HRH was given a tour of the building where she met with staff and students before unveiling a plaque to mark the opening of the College.

Derby Manufacturing University Technical College

Together for England Roadshow Sports Centre launch

England stars Will Hughes, Jamie Hanson, Alex Greenwood and Melissa Lawley helped out with football training sessions for local youngsters as part of the opening of The FA’s Together for England Roadshow, which marked the launch of the University’s Sports Centre.

Magazine short listed for national award

The University of Derby Magazine was short listed for ‘Best Publication’ at the national CIPR Excellence Awards 2015 – the editorial team attended a glittering ceremony at Old Billingsgate, London, in June.

THE Awards

National Badminton League

Mel Morris – QUAD

CIPR Excellence Awards

Candy Crush entrepreneur and Derby County owner, Mel Morris, speaks to students at Derby Business School’s Induction Conference at QUAD.

National Badminton League champions

Team Derby were crowned the first ever National Badminton League champions after beating Loughborough Sport 3-2 in the final.

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The University of Derby Magazine

Save the date CHRISTMAS MARKETS & FAIRS

CONCERT

CHILDREN

Rock of Ages

Derby Christmas Ice Rink

Gatepost Theatre Company production featuring big hair, big egos, bad attitudes and screaming groupies set in 1980s Hollywood. www.derbylive.co.uk

The ‘real ice’ rink will be brought to the city by Showplace Events in collaboration with Derby LIVE. There will be regular beginner’s lessons taking place and street entertainment every Saturday. www.derbyicerink.co.uk

Victorian Matlock Christmas Weekend and Market

Guildhall Theatre 24 – 27 February

Over 150 stalls in two marquees.

The market will see a wide variety of goods from both local producers and stall holders from all parts of the country. Street entertainers and fireworks starting on Sunday from 5.15pm. www.matlock.gov.uk

Sinfonia Viva

Matlock 5 – 6 December 2015

Pickford’s House: An Enchanted Christmas Pickford’s House 5 December

Allow Pickford’s House to kickstart your Christmas celebrations with this annual favourite! This beautiful Georgian home fills with Christmas magic in an enchanting day of traditional crafts, musical performance and festive treats. www.derbymuseums.org/events Cinderella

Derby Cathedral 2 March 2016

Market Place 27 Nov – 5 Jan 2016

Timeless classics conducted by Principal Conductor Duncan Ward. www.derbylive.co.uk

TALK Collections Revealed: Derby Aviation The Silk Mill 3 December

Join Daniel Martin, Curator of Making at The Silk Mill, for this fascinating insight into the story of aviation in Derby. www.derbymuseums.org/events

THEATRE Cinderella

Derby Theatre 4 December – 9 January 2016

COMEDY Fawlty Towers – The Dinner Show

Makeney Hall Hotel 27 February 2016

Brought to you by Britain’s No.1 Fawlty Towers Tribute Act. Fans of Inspired by the traditional Grimm’s fairy tale, Olivier Award-winning writer the television sitcom will enjoy this entertaining parody comedy show as Mike Kenny creates a fun and feisty well as a great meal. retelling of Cinderella, full of earthy www.derbytheatre.co.uk humour, enthralling storytelling and with a touch of Christmas sparkle thrown in. www.derbytheatre.co.uk

Look Back in Anger

Derby Theatre 4 March 2016 – 26 March 2016 2016 marks the 60th anniversary of Look Back in Anger - join John Osborne for his spring 2016 production. www.derbytheatre.co.uk 41 4

Last Word I

t’s both a pleasure and a privilege to have the last word in another edition of The University of Derby Magazine, which once again highlights the strong and positive links we have with our external stakeholders, as well as the achievements and never-ending activity of our students, alumni and staff.

We’ve had a year which has seen enormous change with the retirement of Professor John Coyne as ViceChancellor. He was always going to be a tough act to follow, but in Professor Kathryn Mitchell we have found someone steeped in the same studentcentred values but who also brings new talents to move us forward.

This autumn saw the removal of student number controls which meant universities were free to recruit as they wished – the birth of a truly competitive market in Higher Education. All were naturally nervous at what this might mean, but our fears proved groundless: we have more undergraduates than ever before!

There can be no greater testament to our belief in always putting our students first, continually investing in worldclass facilities and providing great teaching to equip each one with the tools for success.

I’m particularly proud of our growing impact in the city and the region. We’re a major employer with a substantial

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economic impact and we’re making a real difference through our knowledge transfer partnerships, research and professional courses.

Our investment has continued apace with wonderful new Further Education buildings in Leek – already stimulating increased enrolment – and a fantastic Sports Centre at Kedleston Road. Make sure you tune into Sky Sports to watch Team Derby defend their title in the new Sports Centre as champions of the National Badminton League. They stunned both Nottingham and Loughborough in the finals earlier this year and we want that again please!

A major £14m development at Markeaton Street, providing more learning spaces for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, will begin shortly. We’re also boosting our presence in Chesterfield, through a £7m development of the Grade II listed St Helena Centre, concentrating on innovation in health and business. We hope to have both on stream towards the end of 2016.

Derby is a city with so much to offer and so much potential. The growing reputation and importance of the University will always be at the heart of that exciting future, never forgetting that our students must be at the core of all that we think and do.

Chris Hughes, Chair of the Governing Council

IMPACT 96.9%

University success

university for teaching quality

of Derby graduates employed or in further study within six months

(Times and Sunday Times League Table, 2016)

(HESA, 2015)

£100m ongoing investment in campus facilities including

for employability in the East Midlands (HESA, 2015 - universities with a graduating class over 2,000)

• A brand new £12m STEM centre at Markeaton Street • One Friar Gate Square, the new £20m home of the Derby Law School • £10.8m Sports Centre at Kedleston Road

Economic impact Employer to over

34,033 Total student population

£559.8

1,275 international undergraduates

annual UK economic impact

£32m

3,000 people

Buxton boost – how much the University and its students add to the town’s economic output

Environment

88.13% of our waste was recycled last year

11.4% of our waste turned into energy

Energy consumption 20.38% lower than last year

“The Spitfire possesses all the qualities a fighter pilot wants from a fighter aircraft. Fast and agile with beautifully balanced controls, it is an easy aircraft to fly and packed a potent punch. Even when pushed to its limits, and during air combat often beyond, the Spitfire excelled in all areas and is completely worthy of its legendary and iconic status.�

Flt Lt Parkinson MBE RAF, Spitfire pilot with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

www.derby.ac.uk