ISSUE 14 SUMMER 2019
University of Wolverhampton alumni magazine
THERE’S ONLY ONE DR NUNO Honour for Wolves boss MOVING THE GOALPOSTS The women changing the beautiful game CHANGING CITY The development transforming Wolverhampton
Image credit: Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club
BECOMING MAYOR Alumna’s inspiring story
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08 18 30 24
CONTENTS 04 06 08 10 12 14 17 18 22 24 26 28 30 33 34 36 38 39 41 42 43
UNIVERSITY NEWS – ALUMNI NEWS – TRANSFORMING SPRINGFIELD – UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES – MAP MAN – MAYOR’S PASSION – MISS BLACK COUNTRY – Q&A WITH DAVE MCKEAN – WOMEN IN FOOTBALL – HONOUR FOR NUNO – THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE – GREAT SPORTS – BREAKING THE MOULD – NEPAL’S ROCKIN’ RESTAURANTEUR – FIELD OF DREAMS – PERSONAL GROWTH – FIFTY YEARS OF LAW EDUCATION – MIDWIFE’S OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE – CELEBRATING BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENTS – MY LIFE: SWEET SUCCESS – WLV ALUMNI – MEET YOUR TEAM –
LIFE. AT WOLVERHAMPTON. AFTER WOLVERHAMPTON. FOR LIFE. Welcome to the 2019 edition of WLV Life. There’s a sporting feel to this edition, as we honour the man who has turned around the fortune of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Nuno Espirto Santo is the first football manager to receive an honorary doctorate on the pitch at a match and we are very proud of our close partnership with the club. Read more on page 22. We also take a look at women’s football and how University graduates are raising the profile of the beautiful game on page 20.
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“WE HAVE A STRONG ALUMNI COMMUNITY AT THE UNIVERSITY AND ARE PROUD OF ALL OUR GRADUATES AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS. IT IS FANTASTIC TO HEAR ABOUT THE MANY SUCCESS STORIES THAT COME FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON.”
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Professor Geoff Layer Vice-Chancellor
We are privileged to have renowned author and illustrator Dave McKean as one of our honorary alumni. He answers questions about his successful career and striking work, which includes Batman graphic novels and Harry Potter films, on page 18. The city of Wolverhampton is changing and the University is instrumental in this. Find out more on page 8 about how Springfield Campus is progressing and the neighbouring development which will transform the region. In other city news, the new Mayor of Wolverhampton, Claire Darke, is one of our graduates and is offering her support for students by choosing us as one of her Mayoral charities. Claire shares her, at times challenging, education journey with us on page 14. On a light-hearted note, many students are lucky enough to find love alongside their studies at Wolverhampton. Some couples who met at the University tell us their stories – including a very memorable proposal – on page 24. We also find out about the wonderful work of sculptor Christine Charlesworth (page 28) and how cricket transformed the life of one of our graduates (page 32). There are reunions, news and events, as well as an innovative wedding cake venture (page 42) and advice on coping with modern stresses (page 34). As always, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us a line with news and views at: alumni@wlv.ac.uk.
Emma Pugh Editor
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News
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1. CHANCELLOR RENAMES BUILDING University of Wolverhampton Chancellor, The Rt Hon. Lord Paul of Marylebone PC, led a ceremony at Telford Campus to rename its main building in memory of his son who sadly died in November 2015. Lord Paul was joined by close friends and civic guests to mark the occasion and unveil a plaque and picture in memory of Angad. He said: “Angad was a creative and successful entrepreneur, whose leadership helped make Caparo, our family business, a dynamic enterprise.
“I am confident that the Telford Campus will be an outstanding centre of engineering excellence, and that it will also nurture the quality of creativity of which Angad Paul’s life and attitudes remind us.” Guests included the High Commissioner of India to the UK, Ruchi Ghanashyam. Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Geoff Layer, said: “Lord Paul has been and continues to be an exceptional ambassador for the University of Wolverhampton and the naming of the Angad Paul Building will be particularly poignant for him and his family, providing a lasting tribute to their beloved son’s life.”
UNIVERSITY
NEWS
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The University of Wolverhampton has been named Midlands University of the Year in this year’s Midlands Business Awards (MBA) 2019. The University was commended for its innovation, investment, excellence in business as well as for its graduate success and employability at the awards ceremony held in Leicester recently.
Professor Geoff Layer, ViceChancellor at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “There is a lot of optimism in Wolverhampton at the moment in terms of regeneration and investment and a record amount of graduates are going into work and further study from the University.”
News
3. WE’RE UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR!
Now in its 13th year, the Midlands Business Awards recognises and celebrates success, talent, entrepreneurs and business development in the region.
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2. TOP SMELLS OF THE BLACK COUNTRY
4. FOOTBALL RESEARCH HITS THE HEADLINES
Our recent research project to understand what specific smells belong to the Black Country, and what memories they evoke in locals proved successful.
Well-maintained top-flight football pitches and increased workload have led to changes in the body shape of footballers who are now lighter and leaner, our researchers have discovered.
We can now reveal that the top five smells are coal, breweries, foundry/metalworking, chips, pork scratchings. In partnership with Black Country Living Museum and Wolverhampton Art Gallery, the University’s pioneering research explores past and present smells of the Black Country in relationship to childhood memories of people living in the region. Two community research events – entitled ‘Snidge Scrumpin’ – were held at Black Country Living Museum and Wolverhampton Art Gallery
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as part of the Being Human Festival, the only national festival of the humanities in the UK. Data collected at both events revealed which particular Black Country smells resonated with the participants, and which odours triggered strong, emotional memories with the locals.
Muscles and power – epitomised by the likes of Alan Shearer, Emile Heskey and Wayne Rooney – have been replaced by the lean, slender physiques of today’s top players such as Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford.
The findings, in a new report led by University of Wolverhampton sports scientists made national headlines this year. Lead researcher Professor Alan Nevill, a biostatistician and Professor of Sport at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “Footballers of today have adapted to the modern game, and as a result their body shape has altered. Modern players are ectomorphic, characterised by a lean, slender body, as opposed to the muscular, mesomorphic builds which were more common in the seventies and eighties.”
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In Black Country dialect, ‘Snidge’ means ‘nose’ and ‘Scrumpin’’ is ‘foraging’.
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News
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1. GHOST WRITER Scary monsters are the specialty of Glenn Martin James. Since graduating 25 years ago, the author and illustrator has channelled his affinity for all things macabre into stories and art that aim to keep readers awake well past the witching hour. Now a professional horror writer, Glenn is currently writing a book on the subject of Dracula’s changing face on film. His own dark tales have been published in anthologies on both sides of the Atlantic, and he is currently
2. ADESUA’S IN VOGUE developing his Midland Gothic series, the first book of which: Norseman on the Threshold was launched electronically in February 2018. Glenn also writes for children and tours schools actively engaging young people with the power of storytelling. He is swapping horror for sci-fi on a new War of the Worlds-themed project for the 200th birthday celebrations of Queen Victoria in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Find out more about Glenn and his work at: gmjames.co.uk
ALUMNI
NEWS wlv.ac.uk/alumni
Our 2017 WLV Life cover girl Adesua Etomi-Wellington was featured in a prestigious cover shoot with style bible Vogue. The Nigerian actress was raised mainly in England and studied drama at the University before returning to Nigeria and becoming one of the country’s biggest stars. “I feel like she’s my baby, and it’s my responsibility, along with a lot of other performers, to grow her,” says EtomiWellington, of Nollywood, Nigeria’s burgeoning film industry. The Wedding Party (2016), a romantic comedy in which she plays the lead, was the highest-grossing film in the history of Nigerian cinema, until it was eclipsed by its sequel, in which she also starred. The ground-breaking Vogue piece was entitled 14 Countries, 14 Superstars: The Global Actors Who Know No Limits and included Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson and Deepika Padukone, India’s highest paid actress.
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News 4. HONOUR FOR HEALTH CHIEF
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David Loughton CBE, Chief Executive of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, has been awarded a Doctor of Health and Wellbeing by the University in recognition of his long standing career in healthcare. David is the longest-serving Chief Executive in the NHS and has gained a national and international reputation for improving patient safety and experience. His first Chief Executive appointment was at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
in 1986. He was appointed Chief Executive of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust in 2004 and has since led the organisation from being one of the most financially challenged in the NHS to being financially sound.
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3. HONG KONG The University of Wolverhampton Hong Kong Alumni Association is growing each year - and its social calendar is growing alongside its membership. Over the last year, events have included its Annual and Graduation Dinner, a Christmas celebration and campus visit of partner institution City University of Hong Kong, alongside
committee meetings and socials. Most recently, they attended a Commonwealth Universities cocktail event. Over 60 guests joined the graduation dinner, along with Vice-Chancellor, Geoff Layer and Dr Louis Ma, Director of City University of Hong Kong.
5. CONGRATULATIONS AS WELL TO ALL OUR SPRING GRADUATES!
International networks are incredibly important to the University and it’s great to see alumni so active overseas. WLV Life Summer 2019
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News
TRANSFORMIN SPRINGFIELD Our £100 million Springfield development, a super campus for construction and built environment excellence, is rapidly taking shape.
Concept designs have recently been unveiled for a new specialist National Brownfield Institute, which will be home to a state-of-the-art research and innovation centre and will feature commercial testing facilities and lab space. The stunning images seen here, produced by Associated Architects, were revealed as part of the City of Wolverhampton’s headline announcement at MIPIM (le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier), the annual international property and estates showcase held in Cannes. Alongside the Institute, exciting new plans for a neighbouring major multi-million-pound city living development were also announced. The Brewers Yard scheme is proposed for 10 acres of brownfield land next to Springfield Campus, which will ensure the area is transformed into a vibrant city centre location.
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News It will see a mixture of 1,100 city houses and apartments, and 60,000 sq ft of new retail and commercial space, designed by award-winning Glancy Nicholls Architects. The scheme is aiming to deliver high-quality, affordable living and is a joint venture between developer Court Collaboration, City of Wolverhampton Council and West Midlands Combined Authority. University of Wolverhampton Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer said: “The National Brownfield Institute will be integral to the way we look at land remediation and regeneration across the Black Country and the UK and will play a pivotal part in unlocking industrial land to help tackle the housing shortage in our towns and cities. “We also very much welcome the announcement about the neighbouring Brewers Yard development - it will help totally transform the Springfield area.” Work is set to start on site next year and the expected economic benefit to the City of Wolverhampton from the scheme is £250 million. The Brewers Yard scheme will also create hundreds of permanent new jobs, more than 1,000 construction jobs, and built environment apprenticeship and training opportunities for University of Wolverhampton students.
– THE SITE IS SET TO BE TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR WOLVERHAMPTON. – Springfield Campus, which incorporates the School of Architecture and Built Environment, The Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills and the West Midlands University Technical College, is among many multi-million
pound projects to help regenerate Wolverhampton, including the redevelopment of Canalside, the £50m Westside development in the city centre and the ongoing £150m Wolverhampton Interchange project.
For more information about the Springfield development visit: wlv.ac.uk/springfield.
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Return visit
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES Wolverhampton alumnus Stefanos Farmakas, a TV director and producer for Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC), recently visited the University and found it a surprisingly emotional experience.
While in Wolverhampton, I did travel to London and other major cities, but to be honest, they were too large for me. Wolverhampton and the student life there, fitted the bill perfectly. My course in Electronic Media was exactly what I wanted to do. I knew that it would propel me into the media industry that I wanted to join back home in Cyprus.
Stefanos spoke to media students in the Wolverhampton School of Art and the visit was arranged via Dr Phil Nichols, who taught him, and Dr Pritpal Sembhi. He tells WLV Life just what his experiences mean to him: “Back in September of 1990 I think we had been the first Cypriots to decide to study at Wolves, three males and four females, all in the School of Art and Design building. I think that even though I came from a Mediterranean holiday destination, I took to the British weather like fish to water. I had just finished my military service in Cyprus three weeks before coming to Wolverhampton, so seeing so many students from different countries and cultures, and observing the free spirit that characterises student-life, well, it was liberating. Those three years at uni can toughen you up, can’t they? You know that what you’re trying to achieve will define you in a way, the rest of your life. You’re setting the foundations of your career.
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– “MY FATHER ALWAYS USED TO SAY TO ME THAT NO MATTER HOW HIGH I REACH, I SHOULD NEVER FORGET WHO GAVE ME MY FIRST LADDER, AND THAT WAS THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON” – Other than the two state-funded television channels, three or four more privatelyowned were on the verge of being established, so my timing was perfect. John Mason, Richard Wooldridge, Brian
Holland and Phil Nichols back then, they were true mentors. I already came from a media background – my father had been one of the pioneers of photography and cinematography in Cyprus – but the tutoring I received was the psychological boost I needed to spread my academic wings. One of the most memorable things I lived through in Wolverhampton was the day Freddie Mercury passed away. It was November ’91, and I remember that not many students went to classes. We were blessed with sunny weather, so everyone sat outside the Students’ Union, drank beer and listened to Queen songs; it was quite emotional… Coming back to Cyprus, I got a job in the state-funded channel. I’m a Television Director/Producer and an independent Film Producer. I have directed and produced entertainment shows, political talk shows, sports shows, music shows, game shows, everything. I’ve even directed in the European Broadcasting Union facilities in Strasbourg and Brussels, a truly amazing experience. My biggest achievement is the huge production of the four-day visit of His Holiness, Pope Benedict to Cyprus, and the official celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus (both in 2010). They were massive and complicated productions to produce and direct.
Return visit I now head the “Main News at 8” team. The fact that news programmes are live; well that’s exactly what keeps me going at 49. The adrenaline rush when the countdown to going ON AIR begins, that will never fade. My younger brother, Simon, a film director in Luxembourg did the same course at the University of Wolverhampton that I did and believes that live television directing should be classified as an extreme sport. I totally agree!
Nicosia
My father always used to say to me that no matter how high I reach, I should never forget who gave me my first ladder, and that was the University of Wolverhampton... Coming back after 25 years brought an array of emotions. It was amazing; the whole spectrum of colourful feelings. I’ll cherish my visit.”
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Graduate success
Kevin Carter, BA (Hons) Visual Communications (Graphic Design) graduate, joined the University in the final year of studying his degree. His eye for logical mapping of complex systems has caught the attention of transport planners, and come as a relief for confused Dublin residents.
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What are your memories of studying at Wolverhampton?
How did your course prepare you for your career?
I transferred directly into final year from my university in Ireland, Letterkenny Institute of Technology. My first impression was just how impressive the University was. Going from a college where the library didn’t open past 4pm on the weekends to a 24-hour space to learn and study was life changing. I’m a huge night owl so being able to go to the library at stupid o’clock was great, because it allowed me to study on my schedule, not someone else’s.
The best skill I gained studying design is the ability to accept critique, and to give it constructively. It’s superbly valuable – looking at your own work critically, means you strive to make the best decisions, sometimes against instructions! Being able to articulate exactly why I’ve made a decision lets clients see things from my view. Group critique is the most valuable thing I got from my course, as I use it not only for design but other aspects of my life as well.
I’d been working part-time as a barista to get me through University. When I wrapped up in May 2016, I moved to another store as supervisor. I was happy to stay while I got my finances together and got my portfolio up to standard. But then in June… dun, dun, DUN! Vote to leave the EU. I went back to Ireland, working as a barista and moving to Dublin with my partner. I initially found a graphic design job for a small signage company for 9 months: designing 9-5 was a great step up from making coffee! Then I was employed by an agency called Oliver Ireland – I’ve been here a year. All the while doing the odd piece of freelance work here and there and making designs for my own enjoyment. What do you feel has been your biggest achievement so far? Appearing in The Times. I was given half a page on page 9 in the Irish edition of one of the largest newspapers in the world. It was incredibly affirming. When I design transport maps and schematics, I do it so often it’s second nature and I just think “yeah that makes sense, that’s fine”. To see people look at this logical piece of work I did and comment on how beautiful, aspirational and inspiring it was, that was really special. What does a typical day look like for you? I’m up at 6am to feed my cat and myself, and then jump on the bus for 7.15am to get to work for 9am. Oliver Ireland operates an inside agency model – so they place people with the required skills inside the client’s
business. I design brochures that come out every couple of weeks for 100s of stores across Ireland. There’s a lot of aligning things in a perfect grid, but I love that, the Align Tool in InDesign is my best friend! What project(s) do you have in the pipeline? BusConnects is a project by Ireland’s National Transport Authority to completely redesign Dublin’s Bus Network. Dublin has very little rail infrastructure and so the bus is how the majority of the city gets around. They want to start from scratch. Lots of people were confused by the proposals: particularly “spines” where several bus services run together and branch off to serve other areas. People just weren’t getting it. So I designed a few schematics of the proposals and posted them on Twitter. They went crazy. It was a massive penny drop moment for the project and it was as if all of Dublin collectively went “Ohhhhh! I get it!”. The National Transport Authority saw my tweets and asked me to map the remaining five routes, but they’re being redesigned after public consultation, so I have to wait till the summer to finish my work for them. Are you particularly interested in maps/ transport? It all started with Harry Beck [designer of the London Underground map]. I’d moved to Dublin from Letterkenny, a town with zero public transport. I was getting the Luas (Dublin trams) to college every day and it was such a novelty for me that it made my commute exciting. Part of our course was
developing mind maps for our art college applications – mine was inspired by transit maps. I’ve since written three essays and two presentations on the London Underground Map! I did my dissertation at University on the design of bilingual road signage in the UK and Ireland, so I think transport-based wayfinding has hugely inspired me. It’s the first thing I look at when I travel.
Graduate success
What’s been your journey since you graduated?
Graphic designers take complex information and distil it into something consumable by the viewer. I just love being able to take complex systems and distilling them down to their simplest forms to make them useable for people. Public transport must be as easy and inviting as jumping in a car or people will choose the latter. It’s not just taking the information of one event or the various elements of one brand and making it usable. You’re trying to distil a system that is literally city-sized into something that can fit in your pocket and is understood perfectly within seconds as people move around the city making connections and catching trains. What are your plans for the future? Working in design at Transport for London has always been my ultimate goal. Hopefully Brexit will calm down in the next few years and my partner and I can move over, which would be ideal as he works in theatre so is looking to further his career in the West End. If not London, then probably Paris or Amsterdam is our next choice – somewhere with lots of trains and traffic for me to figure out.
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Mayoral passion
Mayor's passion for education When Claire Darke left school, she never imagined she would progress her studies further. She certainly never imagined she would develop a passion for education. Or that she would become a community campaigner, something that ultimately would lead to a successful local political career. But when she became Mayor of Wolverhampton this May, representing her beloved adopted city, she was able to reflect on how far she had come. In her new position, she will both champion city successes and help others benefit from the education that made such a difference to her life. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Claire grew up in Woking near Guildford. She went to the local comprehensive school and emerged with little in the way of qualifications, admitting that she felt a bit of a failure. Family commitments meant she initially stayed at home to help her mother nurse her elderly grandmother. She then entered a string of different jobs until eventually training and qualifying as a nurse. She met and married Paul Darke but the Surrey house prices were a challenge. Eventually, Claire got a live-in job, and they moved to Bilston. “This was a stressful time, living-in as a warden of a sheltered housing scheme for elderly people, especially as everyone spoke Black Country and I did not,” she recounts. But the silver lining was the in-house training she received at Bilston Community College. The College encouraged her do the Diploma in Higher Education (DipHE) at the-then Wolverhampton Polytechnic. “This opportunity enabled me to progress on to a degree course, as a mature student.”
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Claire undertook further studies at the University, with modern languages followed by Deaf Studies. “Coming to Wolverhampton as a mature student was a big challenge for me but there was a lot of support available,” she says. “I had quite a limited life view of what I was going to do when I came to the Midlands but all the studying gave me self-confidence and opened up all kinds of possibilities.” Much of Claire’s study and work focused on the community, so when her local swimming pool was due for closure, along with her son Walker and several others, she led a campaign to save it. “We made it a big local issue, attracting national news coverage. However, it did eventually close. Out of frustration, the campaign group decided we should put a candidate up in the local election. I ended up standing as an independent candidate. “It’s free to stand in a local election and it was fun: we designed, printed and delivered our leaflet to over 5,000 homes. On polling-day I gained 106 votes, which was fantastic! Of course, we didn’t win but we did cause the sitting Councillor to lose their seat. The very next morning the newly elected Councillor knocked on my door and invited me to join his party and be their candidate for the following year.” Claire was duly elected to Wolverhampton City Council and has represented Park Ward since 2008. She was Cabinet Member for Education for a number of years and became Deputy Mayor in 2018, ahead of this year’s prestigious appointment as Mayor. In her Mayoral role, Claire is able to choose two charities to support, and the University is delighted to have been selected as one of them.
Mayoral passion
“This was a very personal choice for me,” says Claire. “I have chosen to support a hardship bursary to give somebody the same opportunity that I had to widen their outlook. University opened up a whole different world to me and I’d like to do that for someone else. I did my education in small steps and the whole journey was important to me; my confidence grew and grew.” The bursary was officially launched at Claire’s Mayoral inauguration in May and she hopes it will be a life-changing award in more ways than one. The Mayoral Scholarship will help current students from the city through donations from the Mayor of Wolverhampton’s Charitable Fund. But to continue this support for years to come, we’re hoping that our alumni will donate to the fund, enabling The Mayoral Scholarship to assist even more students. The other charity important to Claire is the city’s Suicide Prevention Forum. “We want to support those who feel so desperate and the organisations who can help them.”
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“I HAD QUITE A LIMITED LIFE VIEW OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO WHEN I CAME TO THE MIDLANDS BUT ALL THE STUDYING GAVE ME SELFCONFIDENCE AND OPENED UP ALL KINDS OF POSSIBILITIES.” –
Claire currently runs an arts organisation, the Outside Centre, with her husband Paul, who was behind the hugely successful Wolves in Wolves project. The initiative saw a trail of wolf sculptures with different designs and themes placed around the city, later auctioned to permanent homes. “Everybody loved it, it’s a lasting legacy for the city.” She was pleased to see the suicide prevention wolf given a place at the University of Wolverhampton. “It’s a key aspect of supporting students and it’s vital to raise awareness.” She is now looking forward to a busy but exciting year of Mayoral duties, helping to celebrate the positive work taking place around the city she is proud to call home.
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at the University of Wolverhampton For alumni, for students... for our city Please consider a monthly or an annual donation to the Mayoral Scholarship at the University of Wolverhampton, and make the world of difference to a student’s life, and shape the future of Wolverhampton.
The Mayoral Scholarship will enable students from the city to buy equipment such as laptops or art supplies; it can help pay for research trips or child care. A donation of any size will contribute to the Mayoral Scholarship, and help our students achieve their potential.
To make a donation, please visit: wlv.ac.uk/donate or call Terry Gibson, Development Manager, on: 01902 321 536 for more details.
Graduate news
MISS BLACK COUNTRY Alexandra Darby fits your classic beauty queen mould. Blonde, slim and sunny, it is no surprise she won the Miss Black Country 2018 title and is making a bid for the Miss England crown this summer.
For Alexandra, the competition is also a chance to showcase her passion for singing and could be a springboard to further success. The Rowley Regis resident graduated from the University of Wolverhampton in 2017 with a BA in Musical Theatre. She’s put her degree to good use and now works as a professional singer.
But Alexandra wants to challenge notions around the pageant circuit and dispel a few myths. She claims the contests are more inclusive than ever, with competitors from all walks of life with different backgrounds and abilities. It’s true that the Miss England pageant has tried to shake-off its outdated image of judging women on looks alone. In recent years, finalists have included a plus-side model and an active member of the British Army. Hopefuls now have to showcase talents and knowledge, and the controversial swimsuit round has been replaced by a ‘beautiful mind’ quiz. “I understand the whole stigma around pageants, but a lot of people only see the catwalk side,” says Alexandra. “There’s much more to it than that and there is a lot of charity work and fundraising involved. It’s fun and it’s hard work. “I haven’t received any negativity. Feminism is about choice and I love what I do. It’s a really supportive environment and I’ve made some great friends.”
– “THERE IS A LOT OF CHARITY WORK AND FUNDRAISING INVOLVED. IT’S FUN AND IT’S HARD WORK.” – “I loved University. I had to work hard and found it challenging at times, but I had great lecturers and learnt so many new things,” she says. “I struggled with confidence until my degree. “After graduating, I auditioned for the agency Mainstream Entertainment and was put on their books. I now tour the UK performing, singing in clubs and hotels, mainly covers of old songs, alongside some more modern hits. My degree definitely helped me with my performance skills and self-confidence. My presence and the confidence on stage was also a big help for the pageants.”
For her Miss Black Country title last year, Alexandra raised more than £1,000 for charity, including the Miss World cause supporting disadvantaged children, Beauty with a Purpose. She was also praised by the judges for her written exam on the Black Country and is keen to promote the region in her public appearances as the title holder. Last year, Alexandra came 24th in the Miss England contest, which attracted 22,000 initial hopefuls. She hopes to do even better this summer and has massive support from across the region. In the meantime, she is heading out to Greece to teach music at a refugee camp with the charity Happy Caravan. The organisation was set up by a Syrian refugee through his work as a volunteer at a camp in Skaramagas. He saw the severe lack of structure and loss of education for children in the camp and set up a centre to provide education and entertainment. Alexandra will be working with partner organisation Connect by Music. Alexandra is looking forward to the 10-day trip and may even consider teaching as a potential career option. Whatever the future holds, we wish her well.
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Honorary graduate
Q&A WITH DAVE MCKEAN Honorary graduate David McKean is a renowned illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, filmmaker and musician. His projects include illustrating books by Neil Gaiman, Heston Blumenthal and Stephen King, and directing three feature films. He illustrated the bestselling Batman graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth and was a concept artist for two Harry Potter films.
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Honorary graduate You received a Doctor of Design from the University in 2011 for your contribution to graphic novels. Have you seen more recognition of the importance of the genre in recent years? Definitely. We are living through a real golden age of publishing both graphic novels and children’s books. Many other more ephemeral print forms can easily be consumed online, but a picture book or graphic narrative are easily at their best in print. A generation of new writers and artists have grown up thinking of the graphic novel as a legitimate place to express themselves across any visual style, any genre or form, for any age.
What’s your take on the longevity of Batman in modern mythology? He’s been around for 80 years and gone through many changes but remains the first name for many to spring to mind when you say “superhero”. I don’t have a take. Their enduring popularity is largely a mystery to me, as I think they are essentially children’s power fantasies. The fact that many adults read them and watch superhero movies, apparently without irony, seems to be a reflection of an infantilised culture, and post-millennial panic – a need for heroic certainties and easy solutions to complex, often intractable problems.
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Honorary graduate When illustrating Arkham Asylum, was there a sense of how important this book would become in the Batman canon? Not really, although at the time, the world of graphic novels was smaller so it was easier to make your mark. I was not a fan of superheroes, so I tried to find a way of telling story that would be interesting for any reader, with or without the inside knowledge of Batman’s esoteric history, something more symbolic, more like a man/ animal, a primal force. Your artwork is on some of the seminal Hellblazer covers. When depicting iconic characters, does your approach to each one differ? Every commission is similar in that I try and find the most expressive way of dealing with that character or story. There’s usually an essence to a popular literary character, something that accounts for their ability to get under our skin. So I try and find that, and play with it. Focus on that idea, or maybe undercut it, whatever feels appropriate, fresh, interesting.
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You’ve collaborated with Neil Gaiman across several different mediums. Does your process change between art, storyboarding, film direction etc? In some ways it’s all the same – working out what the piece is really about, what is the essential feeling, atmosphere, and finding the right tone of voice and set of creative tools to express that. But each medium, job, piece of work, has its own challenges. Each takes a little experience to master. I like finding my own way through; I’d rather make my own mistakes and learn those lessons myself, than be told the ‘correct’ way. Do you have a favourite piece from all the covers you have created over the years? Not really, there are so many. I tend to look more fondly on complete pieces of work like Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash, Luna or The Savage, rather than one-off images. I’m happier creating a whole world of a story than one decontextualized image. Can you tell us more about the characters you worked on for the Harry Potter films and helping to bring JK Rowling’s vision to life? Very much a job. It was interesting seeing film making on that scale, and working with Alfonso Cuaron in particular, but I just did a small amount of work on two of the films, designing and making suggestions for characters like the dementors and the hypogriffs. I’d much rather work on my own small films, than other people’s big budget films.
Honorary graduate What projects do you currently have in the pipeline? I’m working on a new graphic novel that I’ve written and illustrated – Raptor. I also have a graphic novel called Caligaro in the works, both very personal and disguised commentaries on current events. I’m illustrating books by others, Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist by David Almond is just out, and I’ll be illustrating books by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill soon, as well as Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. I have a film that I’m working on slowly, based on my play for Wildworks called Wolf’s Child and I have exhibitions this year in Europe, and drawing and painting projects. Find out more about David’s work at: davemckean.com
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Sports
the
Moving Goalposts Women’s football has seen a huge increase in profile over the last few years and our graduates are among the success stories. WLV Life spoke to three of them.
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© Laura Burton
Emma says:
Kerys Harrop is a full-time professional footballer for Birmingham City Women FC and lectures one day a week at the University. She says: “I studied the MRes in Sport, as I wanted to gain some good volunteering experience at the same time. I also volunteered at Walsall Football Club as an Academy Analyst. I really enjoyed the experience and learnt some valuable skills but I realised it wasn’t the career for me due to my own football commitments. I became a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), which allowed me to combine teaching at the University and local colleges with studying for a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education. This is where I feel my real passion lies. We were the first ever cohort of GTAs and I think because of that we created a very special bond and all got on really well as a group. The course was great fun and I made lifelong friends. As well as football and lecturing, I also have another job running a community programme for BCWFC so I am kept very busy. A typical day would be football training in the morning, come home to answer emails, and then back at the gym in the afternoon for a weights session. On evenings, I will just relax unless I have some coaching or work to do for the community programme I run. There has been a huge change in the profile of women’s football since the FA Women’s Super League launched in 2011. The most progress I believe has occurred in the last three years and there is a lot more investment from men’s clubs into their women’s teams. The profile of the women’s game has improved massively due to more exposure on TV and social media. The success of the England national team over the last few years has also helped to boost the profile of women’s football significantly. My goals for the future are to keep on enjoying my football at Birmingham City and to try to achieve things with the team. If there is a chance of an England call up that would be amazing. I also want to continue my teaching at the University, as it is nice to have something to focus on other than football.”
Sports
Sisters Emma and Jade Cross both play for Wolves Women.
“From when I played from the age of nine to now I can see a massive change in the women’s game. You now have full-time players who are paid to play, the games are being advertised and more people seem to be getting involved. With the 2019 Women’s World Cup, I feel there will be even more change in the women’s game. It’s a fantastic feeling playing for Wolves as I am a Wolves supporter myself. My highlights would be winning Wolves Women player of the season, it was a honour to have been nominated and to have won. Also, being presented with it at the Wolves Men’s end-ofseason awards was a huge step for us girls as a club. I studied Accounting and Finance, and obtained a First. My goals are to be able to play football as long as possible and to one day become a chartered accountant which I plan to start in a couple of years. I always seem to be working, and with training twice a week and games once a week it is very busy!
Jade says: “It is a busy life! Working 9 - 5 and then training twice a week, as well as studying in my spare time to become a chartered accountant. I studied Business and Accounting, which has helped me with my career as I am currently working within the accounting profession. Finding out my last exam result and that I had finished university with a First Class degree and knowing the hard work had paid off was a highlight. It’s great playing for such a big team like Wolves, and of course being a Wolves fan makes it even better! I have played for Wolves since I was nine so there have been a lot of highlights; winning the league two seasons ago and on a personal level winning the golden boot twice for being the top goal scorer. I want to play football for as long as I can. There has been enormous change in the profile of women’s football. Let’s hope it continues to grow.
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Nuno honoured
Nuno Honour for
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ manager, Nuno Espirito Santo said it was “a privilege and an honour” to be awarded with an honorary degree from the University for his contribution to sport in the region.
Thousands of fans witnessed the presentation of an Honorary Doctor of Sport to Nuno Espirito Santo at Molineux at the club’s last home game of the season. It is thought to be the first time a football manager has ever received a university honorary doctorate on the pitch at a match. Nuno was recognised for his sterling work since taking over as head coach two years ago. He’s guided the club from mid-table in the Championship to seventh in the Premier League and an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in the space
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of two seasons. They will also play in the Europa League next season in Wolves’ first European campaign for 39 years. The 45-year-old was dressed in full cap and gown – with his Wolves tracksuit on underneath – and thanked publicly for his wonderful contribution to the city of Wolverhampton. He was joined by University representatives and legendary Wolves striker, Steve Bull. Fans later broke out in chants of “There’s only one Dr Nuno” before the manager thanked them for their continued support.
Nuno honoured
– “I FEEL VERY WELCOME IN WOLVERHAMPTON. IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS AND EVERY DAY HAS BEEN A DAY OF WARM RECEPTION. PEOPLE HAVE TREATED ME REALLY WELL AND IT’S REALLY GOOD TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK.” –
He said: “It is a privilege and an honour to receive the honorary doctorate from the University. Thank you so much. It goes beyond me – it’s for all the players, the staff, the employees, the fans that come to Molineux. It is a commitment to do something together.
and because sport is truly global you can make an example for others to follow and this team spirit and unity should engage us in life also.”
“I feel very welcome in Wolverhampton. It has been two years and every day has been a day of warm reception. People have treated me really well and it’s really good to give something back.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, said: “The University of Wolverhampton and Wolves have a close relationship – we sponsor the team, our students complete a variety of placements with the club and of course we are neighbours. Our honorary graduates provide inspiration to our students and we are delighted to recognise
“Sport can change lives. Being engaged in a team sport you are able to feel what is human nature
Nuno received the honorary degree on the pitch before the team’s 1-0 win against Fulham at Molineux.
a leader who has brought pride and recognition to our city on an international scale.” A goalkeeper during his 18-year playing career, Nuno has achieved some of the highest international accolades in football as a player, winning both the 2002/03 UEFA Cup and 2003/04 Champions League at Porto and representing Portugal at the 1996 Olympics. As a manager, he achieved wide success with numerous teams including Valencia and Porto before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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Love stories
A marriage proposal made last year’s graduation even more special for one couple. They share their story and we talk to others who found romance alongside their studies‌
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Love stories Emily and Joe We met at the uni as we both studied Mathematics. After a few weeks we realised we both used the same car park which was a 15 minute walk each day. Naturally, we would wait for each other to have company on the walk in. Over the course of University we were there as friends to support each other in life and studies and ended up growing closer. As the first semester of our third year was ending we started dating after many post-dissertation Nando’s. I continued studying at the University whilst Joe got a job as an invoice analyst. It was at my graduation from the PGCE where Joe proposed. We had talked about marriage and it was a running joke that we would wait eight years. Whenever we walked past jewellers or bridal shops we’d laugh and say another eight years. As we had our photo at graduation, Joe turned and said: “I’m not waiting anymore” and the next think I knew he was on one knee. I couldn’t stop shaking out of excitement! We’ve now got our own house and a puppy. The wedding is a few years away as we want it to be perfect for us and we are spending time on what we hope to be our forever home.
Katie and John We used to say “what happens on bar crawl, stays on bar crawl” but seven years and one child later, I can safely say this isn’t the case. I was at Wolves studying Psychology (2008-2011) whilst John was studying Computing (2008-2012). I’d love to say our eyes met across the crowded freshers fair and it was love at first sight but that isn’t technically true... I first came to know John as the annoying best friend of the guy I was seeing. John and Matt lived together so John would always appear in Matt’s room after nights out offering us some of his takeaway or just generally causing mischief. Luckily for John, the relationship didn’t work out - but our friendship continued to grow stronger until one fateful, shot-filled night at the end of a particularly messy bar crawl we finally admitted our feelings for each other over our takeaway Lazeez pizza. We still see our uni friends regularly (including Matt!) and we like to visit Wolverhampton when we can to see old places and reminisce about old times.
Laura and Daniel Daniel and I met at University on the Popular Music course in 2007. We were good friends, gigging together and having brilliant nights out – then in 2010 I received a text asking me on a date. We hit it off and we were soon a couple. It was difficult when it came to the end of University as I lived in Cumbria and Daniel lived in Rowley Regis. But we made it work by frequently visiting and staying at each other’s houses. In 2014 on our anniversary, Daniel proposed and we married on the July 30 at the Shropshire golf centre in Telford. It was a magical day with all our family, friends and University friends present. We honeymooned at the Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana, chosen for our (obvious) shared love of music! In July of 2017 our son, Charlie, was born, and we are now expecting our second baby in August. I went to University to achieve my degree in popular music, yet found the love of my life, husband and father to my children.
Amy and Gav We met at the University in 2004 as we were both studying a BA (Hons) in English. We were introduced by a mutual friend on the course, who introduced Gav as “my small friend.” Gav’s first words to were “It’s so cold I need my duvet.” He then ignored me for an hour! Although we shared a lot of lectures, we didn’t speak much. We were thrown together at the cinema because two friends cancelled and we ended up on our own so went to the pub. We talked for eight hours straight. That was that. We used to skip seminars to go for a coffee in town, which is probably why I got rubbish marks on a few essays! However we managed to graduate with 2:1s in 2007, got engaged in 2008, were married 2010 and had our son Henry in 2013. The University will always hold a special place in our hearts, as the place that shaped us a couple, that enabled us to grow. We will be forever grateful.
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Sports
GREAT SPORTS
equalising goal that ensured Newport County made the League 2 playoffs.
The University’s 2019 Sports Awards were held at Wolverhampton Wanderers FC’s Molineux Stadium – a fitting setting to demonstrate the success of both the University and Wolves.
Dr Richard Medcalf, Director of the Institute of Human Sciences, said: “The success of sport at the University is built upon partnership.
Many of our graduates, including distinguished sporting alumni, were in attendance at the event. It was hosted by broadcaster Lynsey Hooper, which highlighted sporting success and also marked 100 years of British Universities and College Sports (BUCS).
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The first award of the night was the Excellence in Volunteering award, presented by University graduate Jamille Matt, who helped Newport County in their incredible FA Cup run which came to an end at the hands of Manchester City. Jamille scored the
Graduate Kerys Harrop who is Birmingham City Football Club’s Women’s captain (featured on pages 20-21) gave a great insight into women’s football and presented an award on the night.
“Our achievements are only possible thanks to a team effort, with students, staff, coaches and volunteers all working to support our teams.”
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Graduate success
BREAKING THE MOULD Christine Charlesworth MRSS SWA trained and graduated from the-then Wolverhampton College of Art in 1967. Although her career initially included elements of fine art, illustration and design, she now specialises in figurative and portrait sculpture, completing over 60 private and public commissions nationally and internationally.
LIFE MAGAZINE LISTENED TO HER INSPIRING STORY…
“Born Christine Fullwood in Wolverhampton in 1949, from a very early age I dreamed of going to art college. I enjoyed painting and drawing, but had always been fascinated by sculpture. My favourite gift at Christmas would be large packs of Plasticine. I accepted a place on the fashion design course at Wolverhampton College of Art in 1965. This was held upstairs in an annex, away from the main Art College in an old building in Red Lion Street. Not really what I had imagined! However, the mid-1960’s were a very exciting time for fashion. Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton were constantly front
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page, as was Mary Quant, and Biba and Carnaby Street were exciting places to visit in London. Some of us modelled for our own fashion shows, and new boutiques springing up all over the area. In 1967 I was given the opportunity of attending a course at Lucy Clayton’s (the top model agency in London), passed the course, was taken on as a model and worked with Christian Dior, Viyella, Vogue to name a few. I also continued with fashion design, for a time, specialising in wedding/bridesmaids dresses. My heart was never completely taken by fashion design and I always dreamt of one day being a sculptor. I married and became Christine Charlesworth in 1973 and we moved from Wolverhampton to Leeds. I did do some pottery and clay-work there, but found no course on sculpture.
“MY FAVOURITE GIFT AT CHRISTMAS WOULD BE LARGE PACKS OF PLASTICINE WHICH WOULD KEEP ME HAPPY FOR MONTHS.”
–
In 1979 we moved down to Devon where I was able to work as an artist from a small studio and had successful exhibitions: but still no sculpture! In 1995, after we moved to Surrey, I finally found a sculpture course. However, it took me almost a year to pluck up courage to attend as I was so worried that I would be a failure. I attended the course two days a week for four years, learning not only how to create figurative sculptures and capture a likeness but also how to make moulds, armatures and cast in plaster, bronze resin and cast wax ready for bronze casting. However, in order to benefit completely from all these technical skills, I also found invaluable all I had learnt in the past: designing fashion from first idea to finished item (especially the millinery side and pattern making). The few engineering skills I had learnt while structurally renovating our various homes also stood me in good stead. All these transferable skills were needed in order to succeed. Within the first year of the sculpture course I was selling most of my work, by the end of year two I was taking on various commissions and by 1999, aged 50, I decided to concentrate on a career as a sculptor. When giving talks I always stress how important it is to take opportunities that are offered, adapt and use all the skills you have learnt in life, have an ambition and never think it is too late to finally try to ‘Winning Shot’ Ade Adepitan, MBE in Woking
realise your dream. Be inspired to ‘have a go’ no matter what age you are, as it is rarely too late… then work like mad to make up for lost time.
Graduate success
–
Apart from the fact that I sometimes have to pinch myself to realise that I really am a sculptor, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is capturing the essence of a person, not only how they look, but their spirit and personality and realising that I have created something that will live on well beyond myself or the life of that person. I have had many exciting opportunities. Being chosen as an artist for 2012 Olympics was really amazing as it took me right out from my comfort zone, brought me into contact with so many well-known artists, wonderful people, plus being able to take part in extremely prestigious exhibitions. Creating sculptures for public places is also a very sobering thing, I find. When watching the public admire and discuss a piece of art that I have made I find I then have to remind myself that it is actually me who made it, which I still sometimes find unbelievable. I hope to have the opportunity to continue creating sculptures until I am no longer able to physically make them – which I hope will be many years into the future. christinecharlesworth.co.uk
‘Emily Wilding Davidson’ Epsom Town Centre
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International
NEPAL’S ROCKIN’ RESTAURANTEUR International graduate Saroj Khanal held a lifelong ambition to have his own pub and restaurant.
Now the proud co-owner of ‘6 Strings Restro & Pub’, he believes the University was instrumental in making his dream come true. Saroj, who is from Nepal, studied for a postgraduate qualification in International Hospitality Management then went on to set up the gastropub in his home town of Kathmandu. The British rock bandthemed venue offers food, drinks and live music, and also hosts parties and local celebrations. With five star reviews and regular bookings, it has become a popular nightlife hotspot.
“I grew up listening to bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Radiohead and Black Sabbath so I decided to design the venue with a music theme,” he says. “The University definitely helped me achieve my ambition and follow my passion.
–
“WITH MY DEGREE AND THE SKILLS SET THAT I BROUGHT BACK HOME, I OPENED A RESTAURANT AND PUB IN THE HEART OF MY CITY” –
Wolverhampton due to its strong focus on graduate employability, high-quality education and research. “With my degree and the skills set that I brought back home, I opened a restaurant and pub in the heart of my city with my childhood friend Yagya Synuwar. To undertake its day-to-day responsibility was a challenge but the management and hospitality knowledge I gained from my course helped me in decision-making.”
The course was great and I built new friendships with people from different backgrounds. “My university experience was everything that I expected and much more. It was a learning experience and this learning experience was in no way limited to academia and books but went far and beyond. I learned a new language as well as life skills, and I got to know myself better and met like-minded people.” Saroj, who graduated in 2016, was initially attracted to the University because of the support services on offer for international students and its international outlook and community. He also chose to study in
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Graduate success
FIELD OF DREA BA (Hons) Sports Studies graduate Siraj Ali chats to Luke McNaney about how cricket coaching changed – and potentially saved – his life.
What are your earliest memories of cricket as a young boy? I remember going to see an England vs. Sri Lanka cricket test match in Edgbaston with my primary school; however, during this period of my life I was not as enthusiastic about cricket. I recall that on this particular occasion, my friends and I became rather restless and decided to actively play our own game of cricket in Edgbaston’s car park. How did you first encounter ‘Chance to Shine’ and what was its impact on your teenage years? ‘Chance to Shine’ was something that was shared with me at my secondary school in my early teenage years. I didn’t really think much of it at the time, but then one of my friends started to attend. If I am being honest, I was initially unimpressed, however when the fast-paced games came about I really started to enjoy my time with them. I am really glad that I continued to play cricket and sports. I feel that if I did not become a part of this cricket community, I may well have found myself doing things I would have regretted due to the negative influences around me at the time. I think this is still the reality for many children today and I do see myself in a lot of the children I have the opportunity to work with. Positive guidance is so important for children who are living in negative environments and I feel that my role allows me to guide children in a helpful and constructive way.
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Graduate success
AMS How was the transition from being a teen player to becoming a coach? It all started before I joined college. I was asked if I wanted to become a coach and the journey started. The transition was quite difficult because I was so used to being a player it took me several months to get comfortable being in charge of the sessions and the players. Once I got the hang of it, my confidence grew and I could help the players improve. How did your involvement with ‘Chance to Shine’ influence your decision to enrol on a sports degree at the University? My colleague Khaled had a great influence on me – he always told me that education is my priority. My college tutor, Paul Boyer, pushed me to apply for a sports course at Wolverhampton. He wanted to see me work hard and pursue my dreams. It was nice to see that my tutor cared so much about me and I felt that this inspired me to go forward. I saw Paul at my graduation and we had a photograph together, which was special. What are your memories and highlights as a student at Wolverhampton? My University experience was one of the best times in my life. I have many fond memories. The unity within my classes was great, I really felt that my classmates and I had positive relationships with one another. My tutors Kathryn Leflay and Allison Forbes were very supportive. Having been involved for years now, how do you think the role of street cricket and grassroots sport can (and should) positively impact society – especially inner-city and deprived areas? It can give the kids in deprived areas a chance to keep socially and physically active as well as provide a chance for them to have a break from technology and social media. I feel sport gives everyone involved an opportunity to meet new people and interact with them face-to-face, which is becoming a rarity these days. This type of communication is essential in developing a child’s confidence.
Sport allows individuals to feel part of a team – with positive aims and goals. The programme offers children a way out of gang culture, by being part of a group in a healthy setting. Children become educated on fitness and key life skills which prepare them to take on and live in the real world. You’ve worked with primary school and secondary school children. At the end of a working day, do you feel that you are making a difference to these kids’ lives? As an adult in the community, it is our job to make sure that we’re role models for the next generation and I will continue to do that because I hate to see young lives wasted. I’m happy that I’m working at my old secondary school now because I believe that I can guide these children forward, help them realise education is a priority, and being a ‘gangster’ is a complete waste of time. The children respond well to me as I am someone who has lived, and continues to live, within their community. The kids used to see me around, and then when I joined they were quite surprised. I’m happy that I surprised them because I’m now in a positive position which I feel encourages them to realise that hard work, respect and discipline will take you far in life. What would be the one piece of advice you’d give to any graduates from the University who are striving to make a living in sport and/or education? Get experience in the sport/s you enjoy and build upon that. Always remain humble and hardworking because hard work does eventually get recognised. I would say that confidence is a big thing because employers love that. Display your talent and show them how you would make a difference. If you do that I can’t see why you wouldn’t get the job of your dreams!
Are you excited about the 2019 Cricket World Cup?! Who’s your tip to win?? Of course, cricket is my first love, I can’t wait for the World Cup to start; it’s going to be exciting especially because it is in England! I think the strong candidates this time around are England and India. My team, Pakistan, are always the dark horses when it comes to the World Cup and will no doubt surprise many like they did in 2017 with the ICC Champions Trophy. What’s on the horizon for you, and what are you most excited about? Well I’m happy that I’m a cricket coach for ‘Chance to Shine’ and a cover teacher at my old school Saltley Academy, but my colleague Khaled and I have started a youth section for a club called High Croft which is based in Erdington and I am in charge of the under-13s – exciting times as it is their first season! This will give children aged 9-15, from all backgrounds, an opportunity to get involved in grass roots cricket. My aim is to support all children as best as I can, to keep them on the right path so that they truly achieve what they are capable of. I take pride in coaching sport within my community and I feel I am setting a positive example. I look forward to continuing my work for many years to come.
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Graduate success
PERSONAL GROWTH Graduate Anita Sharma is a personal growth and wellbeing coach. Here, she shares her career story and offers some insight into problems she regularly encounters and how she helps others to deal with these.
“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I remember growing up and sitting my little brother down with my imaginary class and I would call out the register. I would always carry around a blue and red pen just like the teachers did back then. My Business Studies teacher, the amazing ‘Mrs Howell’, motivated me even more. I studied for my degree in Human Resource and Marketing and then went onto to complete a PGCE in teaching Business. My course was a great foundation for me to build on, not only to become an outstanding teacher, but also to help me setup up my own businesses too.
In my work I regularly encounter anxious children. I’ve watched this grow so much over the last 10 years that it breaks my heart. I am working with children as young as eight who are worried about leaving the house because either something will happen to them or something will happen to their parents while they are at school.
I coached newly qualified teachers for many years through the initial stages of their careers. It was in my position as Head of Personal, Social and Health Education that I began to explore coaching concepts to improve the overall wellbeing of students.
Many people that I work with also suffer from a lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem – especially in women and girls.
I qualified as an Accredited Practitioner Coach with the International Authority for Professional Coaching & Mentoring (IAPCM). I now work with children and teachers and also help working mums who feel they need clarity and direction.
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I also see many mothers who are overwhelmed with life and managing their different roles that they are just frazzled and putting themselves at the bottom of the pile because they don’t know how they can do it all.
I can’t explain the joy I get when I finish working with someone and they turn to me and say “I have got this from here”. It doesn’t matter if it is a child or an adult – to know I have been a part of this empowering journey is priceless.”
Involve your family Running a house is not the sole responsibility of one person. Other members of the family should also pitch in with their share of help. With one person shouldering the bulk of the responsibility of the house, the rest of the family lose their interest in sharing the burden. Bring your family together. Delegate some work to them. This will give them a sense of responsibility and importance. This will also lighten your workload and will give you time to look after yourself.
Graduate success
Anita’s advice for those feeling overwhelmed and anxious:
Unplug from technology Give yourself a break from the mental chatter of social media and your never ending inbox. There is no need to be connected 24/7. Say no to technology during meal times and other family activities. Put your phone on charge in another room so it’s not easily accessible. I promise you will feel the benefits if you give it a chance. Get active Physical activity is so good for our mental wellbeing. Start small – go for a walk at lunch, use the stairs instead of the lift, park your car further away than normal. Get a friend or family member to join you for a walk after dinner. Make a date with yourself (and keep it!) Once a week, take time to do the things you like to do alone. To do this you need to learn to say no to the people in your life, or learn to delegate your duties to someone else (mainly talking childcare here people!). This will enable you to have some time to relax. Do anything you can think of to do that would enable you to free up space in that busy head of yours. Keep a gratitude journal A gratitude journal is an incredible way to take stock of all of the wonderful things around you. Every evening write down all of the things in your day, and life more generally, that you are grateful for. Perhaps you are grateful to your friends for their support, for the warm bed you are able to sleep in, or for the great weather you had that day. Write it all down. If someone gives you a compliment that you appreciated on any particular day or said something very thoughtful, write it down in your gratitude journal too. Then when you find yourself being negative or critical, open up the journal and read over all of the positive things in your life that make you feel grateful. This is a sure-fire way to re-ground you, make you gain perspective and make you realise how insignificant that particular trigger may be in the larger scheme of things. Context is important, so keep shifting your mind towards the positive.
anitasharmacoaching.com WLV Life Summer 2019
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Reunion
50 Top judges, solicitors and a crown prosecutor were among the distinguished alumni to attend a reunion celebrating 50 years of law education at the University of Wolverhampton. More than 100 guests attended the Law Alumni Reunion in the University’s historic Chancellor’s Hall. The keynote speakers at the event included alumnus Judge Tanweer Ikram, who was appointed as Deputy Senior District Judge (Chief Magistrate) by the Queen in 2017.
years of law education
Her Honour Judge Carole Burgher, who began sitting as a Circuit Judge in the Family Court at Birmingham in February this year, also shared her experiences of studying at what was then Wolverhampton Polytechnic.
A BA in Law was offered by Wolverhampton Polytechnic from the late 1960s. Guests included alumni from the very first cohort of LLB students who graduated from Wolverhampton Polytechnic in 1975.
Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the West Midlands, Suzanne Llewellyn, who studied an LLB (Hons) at Wolverhampton, also spoke at the dinner.
Head of the Law School, Sukhninder Panesar, said: “There is so much talent that has been through the doors of the University of Wolverhampton Law School and gone on to practise law as judges, barristers and solicitors. We were delighted to welcome so many graduates from the last 50 years back to the University to celebrate their achievements, showcase our vision for the future and encourage them to offer whatever help and support they can to the next generation of law graduates.”
Graduates and lecturers from the last 50 years of the Wolverhampton Law School attended the event, which started with a reception in the Lord Swraj Paul Building and a tour of the old Law facilities in the Arthur Storey Building.
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International
Midwife’s overseas experience Isabella Danks is a recent BSc (Hons) Midwifery graduate. She travelled to Iloilo in the Philippines on a midwifery placement – where some practices are entirely different to what we might consider ‘best practice’ in the UK due to culture, different education systems, and a lack of resources. She tells us about her eye-opening overseas nursing adventure. “I wanted to focus on developing confidence in both my practice and in myself and chose a placement in Iloilo. I was aware that many hospitals in the Philippines didn’t have access to the same resources or equipment that UK hospitals do and wanted to help the hospital buy supplies they were lacking in.
One woman lay in the lithotomy position (in which the patient is on their back with the hips and knees flexed and the thighs apart) and the doctor knelt with his knees by her head. He exerted his weight onto the woman’s abdomen, applying fundal pressure as a second doctor delivered the baby.
When I arrived, staff told me the hospital was most in need of hand sanitiser, plasters, soap and syringes. These seemed, to me, to be such basic supplies. We wouldn’t see a UK hospital without them.
I took the baby to the observation room. When we arrived, the baby’s dad was peering through the glass, eager to catch a glimpse. Birth partners aren’t allowed in the delivery room in the Philippines. Nor are they allowed into the newborn observation room. The latter is where babies were taken immediately following delivery.
In the Philippines, if a woman enters the delivery room pushing, the local midwives tell them to stop. The midwives then apply pressure to the presenting part, preventing the baby’s descent until the doctor is ready to deliver.
I noticed him, so lifted up his baby for him to see. He gave his newborn son that familiar ‘proud dad’ look you often see at deliveries and mouthed ‘thank you’ to me as I stole a cuddle with baby. There were times when the placement was emotionally challenging. For example, there was a high number of babies with fetal abnormalities, as most high-risk women were referred to the hospital where I was based. Seeing real life cases was difficult. But it was also fascinating, as these were all conditions I’d only read about.
Having staff and other students in our accommodation made it easy to discuss what we’d seen or done that day. Another great way to decompress was taking weekend trips around the Philippines! One weekend we travelled to Cebu. While we were there, we swam with whale sharks at sunrise, went canyoneering through waterfalls, and enjoyed traditional Filipino food. The following weekend we went to Antique. We went on a whistle-stop motorcycle tour to see some of the Philippines’ most beautiful scenery. We also went extreme water tubing, trekked to and swam in waterfalls, and relaxed in hot baths at the river’s edge. The locals were welcoming and often wanted to take selfies with us. They asked us lots of questions about life in England too. I fully embraced my five minutes of fame. I massively developed both personally and professionally by participating in my Work the World placement.”
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Business awards
Celebrating business achievement High-flying University graduates were among those recognised at our annual Business Achievement Awards in June. Held at Molineux Stadium, the biannual awards celebrate individuals and companies that have made an outstanding contribution to enterprise and the regional economy. Wolves Football Club won Strategic Partner of the Year following our collaboration with them to revamp the Molineux subway, a high profile Honorary Doctorate award given to manager Nuno (see our feature on page 24) and an ongoing shared vision and commitment to the City of Wolverhampton.
Dr Adrian Hallmark, Chief Executive Officer of Bentley Motors and a graduate from the School of Engineering, received Business Leader of the Year, and Graduate Start-up of the Year awarded to Sports & Exercise Science graduate, Nathaniel Keay, who has set up a successful recruitment company exclusively supporting the sports industry. Nursing Associate Degree Apprentice, Katy Blakemore from Cygnet Healthcare, won Employee of the Year for making a significant impact within the organisation. Employer of the Year was awarded to Enterprise Rent-a-Car, which has provided employment opportunities to over 30 graduates in the past two years. Dr Paul Hampton, Head of Built Environment in our Faculty of Science and Engineering and Project Director for European Regional Development Funded projects, BECCI and EnTress, was awarded Academic Expert of the Year for his work with businesses. Business Collaboration of the Year went to Walsall and Black Country Partnership for the work they do to ensure the region has skilled nurses.
The awards were designed by Wolverhampton School of Art Master’s Degree student, Suzanne Vicenzotti, who is studying Applied Arts, and entertainment was provided by University ProChancellor, Jaki Graham and Jolie from St. Peter’s Collegiate School in Wolverhampton. A judging panel, made up of highprofile representatives from within the regional business community and senior University leaders, selected the winners. Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoff Layer said: “The Business Achievement Awards enable us to celebrate graduates, employers and organisations who deserve recognition for their excellent contribution to business, enterprise and the economy."
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My Life
MY LIFE: SWEET SUCCESS When Becky Mayhew created an alternative cake for her own wedding featuring Star Wars favourite Chewbacca, she had no idea it would be the start of a new business.
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Department. Support packages are offered via specialist workshops, matchfunded grants and business consultancy. They initially helped Becky exhibit at a national wedding show and then gave her help with social media, marketing, mentoring and buying specialist equipment. As orders took off, things went so well that although she graduated in education and special needs, Becky made the decision to develop her cake company and turned her hobby into a thriving business. She now has a thriving cake company which specialises in creations for those looking for something a little different from the norm for their big day. And it’s all thanks to Peter Mayhew. And Peter Mayhew. Confused? Baking fanatic Becky married her partner, who shares his name with the actor famous for his role as the much-loved wookie, six years ago. She decided to make a second themed cake, with a nod to his ‘Chewy’ nickname, alongside her own (also self-baked) vintage-lace style, five tier creation. After Tweeting the image, the Chewbacca actor, who sadly passed away earlier this year, gave her a Retweet, prompting cake requests from across the world. “While it wasn’t feasible for me to take worldwide commissions, it did give me the confidence to think I that if people liked my cakes then maybe I could turn my passion into a business,” she says. Having heard about start-up business support offered by the University, she turned to its SPEED project and was given the help needed to launch Daisy and Fred alternative wedding cakes, named after her grandparents. SPEED is led by the University of Wolverhampton Enterprise
She’s inspired by old-school TV shows and music, but her creations have included an Alice in Wonderland theme, a Disney style ‘Happily Ever After’ cake, several superheroes and even Harry Potter. Her speciality is a showstopping ‘upside down’ chandelier-style cake. “I wanted to keep the business niche and offer an alternative to the traditional wedding cake,” she says. “SPEED gave me a lot of support and I have a really great business.”
– “WHILE IT WASN’T FEASIBLE FOR ME TO TAKE WORLDWIDE COMMISSIONS, IT DID GIVE ME THE CONFIDENCE TO THINK I THAT IF PEOPLE LIKED MY CAKES THEN MAYBE I COULD TURN MY PASSION INTO A BUSINESS” – daisyandfred.co.uk wlv.ac.uk/speed
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