News and Views April 2012

news & views

THE UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER MAGAZINE April 2012

University ParkReceives £1million development funding p.4-5

In this issue:

Winning WaysBasketball Team Take Championship Title p.2

Knit & NatterBlankets Donated to Worcester Snoezelen p.8

Charging AheadElectric Vehicle Charging Posts Installed p.14

2 / APRIL 2012 / [email protected]

FEATURE

Basketball Team Take Championship TitleCongratulations to the men’s basketball team who have taken the British Universities and Colleges Sports championship title for the sixth time in eight years!The team beat Durham in the final of the annual BUCS contest to take the title in Sheffield on 19 March. It has been a double winning season for the team who also won the Northern Premier league. The team, coached by Paul James, who is also head coach of England men’s, and BBL side Worcester Wolves said: “It was a great weekend with all our team contributing to the success at different times. Durham played some excellent basketball and we are delighted to win such an exciting final between two evenly matched teams.”The men’s second team is currently at the top of the British Universities and Colleges Midlands 2A Division. The women’s team enjoyed an unbeaten league campaign. The women secured

the Midlands 2A league title despite a serious challenge from Loughborough and Nottingham second teams.Mick Donovan, Head of the Institute of Sport and Exercise Science, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the achievements of all of the players and coaches on the Worcester programme this year. The strong foundations that had been put in place over years were always going to bring success, yet the outstanding leadership and inspiration from our Director of Basketball

Paul James is really beginning to make an impact and establish the club as a force in the UK. Paul really has imposed his positive philosophy and encourages players to express themselves in a team setting. They enjoy being part of it.”Each year an estimated 100 students apply from around the world for basketball bursaries and scholarships at the University, of which only a handful are awarded.

Six Time Champions

Welcome to the April issue of News & Views, featuring a round-up of news, updates and milestones from the past

month at the University of Worcester.

This month’s issue is all about the numbers. Our cover story reports on the £1million loan received from the Government’s Growing Places Fund to develop University Park. It is anticipated that once the site is developed it could employ over 2,000 people.

The number six has proved lucky for the Men’s Basketball Team, who were crowned British Universities and College Sports champions for the sixth time in eight years.

The University’s Sustainability Team have also been totting up their facts and

figures this month as they announce the installation of two of Worcester’s first electric vehicle charging points, while also monitoring the success of new solar panels installed on the Woodbury Building. The new panels will generate nearly 40,000 units of electricity each year.

Later this month Digital Film Lecturer David James will be hosting an exhibition that showcases his 30 years’ work in the television industry.

No matter how big or small the number you come across in this issue, all of our stories count. Don’t forget to send us your news and features. Send them to us at [email protected]

ConTEnTS

Basketball Champions 2

Solar Panels Installed 3BMA Members Retrace History 6Route to the Hills Project 6Nursing & Midwifery Council Gives Glowing Report 7In Memoriam 7Madagascan Adventures 8Knit one - pearl one 8Regional Partnerships Award 8Women Leading Development Conference 9Your News & Views 9Ahead of the PAC 10Annual Coaching Summit 10Cleaning Staff Receive Professional Qualification 11Teaching Staff Get Involved in Disability Sport Session 11Reincarnation, Revenge and Wrecks 11Design Students Create Eco Packaging Solutions for Local Brewery 12The Geopark Way 13Digital Arts Lecturer to Showcase 30 Years of Work in TV 14Businesses Urged to Take Action on Cyber Security 14Charging Forward 14

NEWS

FEATURE

£1million Funding Boost For University Park 4

COVER STORY

STAFF FEATURE

Finding inner calm: Julia Mathias 14

[email protected] / APRIL 2012 / 3

COVER STORYWELCOME

SOLAR PANELS INSTALLED

Solar photovoltaic panels have been installed at the University of Worcester’s St John’s Campus to help reduce the University’s carbon footprint.

Herefordshire-based Caplor Energy carried out the work to install an initial 50kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system on the Woodbury Building. It is anticipated that the University will generate nearly 40,000 units of electricity and save over 20 tonnes of CO2 each year from the solar panels.

In 2010, the University became the first university in the UK to achieve an Eco Campus Platinum award across the whole campus, and in 2011 was ranked third out of 133 institutions in the People and Planet’s Green League.

Under the Government’s Feed-in Tariff scheme, the University will not only make savings on its electricity bill, but will also receive regular payments over a 25-year period based on the electricity generated from the PV system.

The development of University Park in Worcester has received a £1m boost from the Government’s Growing Places Fund.

The University has secured the interest free loan via the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to help install infrastructure on the site.

Worcester City Council’s planning committee expressed support for the Masterplan for the site, which will create an attractive parkland business, science, health and enterprise park with a mixture of private not-for-profit and University buildings.

Much of the first phase of the development involves the University working in partnership with development firm Wrenbridge to create an enterprise, science and well-being park. This will provide opportunities for business users, and for partnerships between the University and companies working in areas including enterprise, science, health care, medical engineering, and environmental engineering.

It is anticipated the development, of up to 63,000 sqm of new buildings, could eventually employ over 2,000 people, in addition to a significant number of jobs to be created during construction.

Professor David Green, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this interest free loan from the Growing Places Fund.

“This site provides exciting opportunities for the University’s development. It will create a high quality working environment and help us to engage with companies working in science, enterprise, health and well-being, to share knowledge and expertise to mutual benefit.”

The Growing Places Fund was announced late last year, helping boost economic growth by getting stalled projects moving again.

The University is one of four successful projects in Worcestershire to be granted funding under the scheme.


UNIVERSITY PARK TO GETVisionTo bring together a vibrant and expanding university, a science and enterprise park, and provision in healthcare and wellbeing. To be a centre of excellence, nationally and internationally, and to lead the region in learning, research and enterprise.

Artist impression of University Park from the North


COVER STORY

funding boost£1million

British Medical Association Members Retrace History with Special VisitRepresentatives from three local divisions of the British Medical Association made a historic visit to the boardroom where the Association was established in 1832.

The BMA, or Provincial Medical and Surgical Association as it was originally known, was founded by Sir Charles Hastings and colleagues in the Boardroom of the former Worcester Royal Infirmary, which now forms part of the City Campus.Members of the Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire divisions of the BMA were invited to visit the refurbished boardroom, which now proudly boasts original portraits which have been returned thanks to a generous loan from the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust.The visit was part of a wider project to open a new medical exhibition at City Campus, celebrating its history as a hospital. The exhibition, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, will open this summer.Exhibition curator Catriona Smellie said:

“It was wonderful to be able to invite current members of the BMA back to the boardroom where the Association was founded almost 200 years ago. The guests all seemed impressed with the refurbishment and excited about the new exhibition we are creating.”

The exhibition will include artefacts from the former Infirmary and across Worcestershire, as well as celebrating the history of the site. There will be an emphasis on education and participation, with activities to get schoolchildren and members of the public involved. The current George Marshall Medical Museum at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital will remain open, displaying further exhibitions of the City’s medical past.

NEWS


Route to the Hills ProjectGraphic design and multimedia students are helping a local authority to develop new signage concepts for tourists and pedestrians.

The Route to the Hills partnership, which is led by Malvern Hills District Council, has tasked the students with designing ‘clear, effective wayfinding’ signage to support its Route to the Hills project, which aims to highlight key sites of interest in Malvern, linking the town to the hills.Students spent the afternoon with Manda Graham, the project co-ordinator for the Route to the Hills project, visiting relevant sites and helping to give a greater understanding of their design brief. The wayfinding design brief follows ‘emotisurvey’ research work carried out by senior lecturer Andy Stevenson to help the Route to the Hills team understand the effectiveness of public space signage and facilities in Malvern.

“This is a really great piece of ‘live’ project work for the students to undertake which ties in nicely with the sorts of design tasks they’ll be asked to undertake once they’ve graduated,

Andy said. “It could bring real benefits to both the Route to the Hills project and the town of Malvern, so we are delighted to be involved.”The students are undertaking the brief as part of their learning in Graphic Information Design, working on ideas throughout the rest of the semester and delivering working prototype concept ideas to the Route to the Hills team in early May.Cllr Barbara Williams, portfolio holder for Economic Development, said: “We are excited at having this opportunity to work with students from the University of Worcester and we hope that some innovative signage designs emerge from the project. he scheme will strengthen links between the town and the hills and help tourists and local people enjoy the heritage of the town.”

Visiting Malvern to assist design brief


NEWS

In MemoriamPhilip HytchPhilip was a member of the University’s staff from 1960 to 1983. During his 23 years at the then ‘College’, Philip made a notable contribution to the development of teacher education and served as Head of Primary and Principal Lecturer for many years. Philip was also well known for his love of music. It would be fair to say that for many years he was the organising spirit and inspiration behind the Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra, of which the then Worcester College and then University College Worcester Principal was Patron. Philip was much noted for his kindness, decency and commitment to education. His caring, compassion and commitment to his fellow citizens lead him to successfully seek election to the City Council who subsequently appointed him Mayor of Worcester. Philip had been unwell in recent years. He will be much missed by family, friends, former colleagues, musicians and many citizens of Worcester.

Neville ParkesA member of staff at the University since 2004, Neville served on a long term secondment from the NHS as a Lecturer/Practitioner with specialisms in Mental Health and Learning Disability nursing. He was a key member of the team which developed learning disability nursing at the University. Neville was much noted for his commitment to student nurses and his combination of professionalism, kindness and caring for patients. Always friendly, somewhat shy and modest, Neville’s death at a young age is a grievous loss for his family, friends, students, former students and colleagues here at the University and in the NHS.

Nursing & Midwifery Council

Gives Glowing ReportThe education and training of nurses at the University of Worcester has received a glowing report from the national professional body for nurses.

The Nursing & Midwifery Council, which sets the standards of education, training and conduct for nurses and midwives, has judged the University’s provision as ‘good’ across all five inspection areas in its latest monitoring report of pre-registration adult and mental health nursing. The NMC report contains a number of commendations, particularly highlighting the University’s Institute of Health and Society’s “robust” selection and recruitment processes to select candidates with the right attributes for the role. The report also commends “robust” fitness to practise processes and the emphasis on public protection. David Green said: “Along with our partners in the hospitals, hospices and health care settings, the University is committed to ensuring that all of our graduates are equipped with the right knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable them to succeed as nurses.

“Our aim is to educate outstanding

nurses who combine the best in care and compassion with thoroughly professional and up-to-date health care and I am delighted that the NMC has recognised that we are achieving this goal.”Dr Jan Quallington, Head of Quality Assurance and Enhancement and former intensive care nursing sister at the County Hospital Hereford, added:

“This report is testament to all the hard work by our staff and students. We strive to ensure that our nursing graduates are well prepared to be the best nurses they can be and we work very closely with our partners in the NHS to ensure students can access excellent learning opportunities in both university and practice settings to give them the best possible start to their careers.

We are proud to be able to educate some of the best nurses entering the profession today.”

The University educates around 200 nurses and midwives every year, many of whom go on to work in the West Midlands

region. Nursing at the University was ranked as seventh in the UK in the 2011 Sunday Times Good University Guide, and in the National Student Survey 2011 university nursing education was ranked as the best in the West Midlands.Penny Venables, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals, said: “I was delighted to read the highly positive Programme Monitoring Report from the NMC on the teaching undertaken by the University of Worcester. Our partnership with the University is most important to us and the report serves to highlight the excellent work we have been jointly involved in over the course of the year. I look forward to building further on our partnership arrangements going forward and continuing to benefit from the excellent teaching standards this report highlights.”

Teaching Students Set for Trip to

MadagascarFour teaching students are flying out to Madagascar this summer on a charity mission, thanks to a University scholarship.

Lauren Soper, Alexandra Noakes, Abi Goldsmith and Alice Mills will be assisting The Dodwell Trust in its projects.

Alice, who is doing a degree in Education Studies, leaves first on May 28, and will spend eight weeks volunteering at a zoo.Lauren, Alexandra and Abi, all Primary teaching students, will then fly out on August 19 for a month, when they will be teaching English in

schools.All four students have been awarded £800 each from the University’s Scholarship Panel to assist with the costs of the trip.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,”

said Abi. “I never thought I would get to do something like this, but the scholarship has made it a real possibility.”

Alice added: “I really can’t wait to get out there. I’m going to be teaching English to the zookeepers and also helping them out with jobs. It’s very exciting and great to be able to put something like this on your CV.”

The Dodwell Trust is a registered UK charity, started in 1995 by Christina Dodwell to help the people of Madagascar. The Trust’s chosen field is in education, family health, and sustainable development.

NEWS


Ready for their Madagascan adventures

Regional Partnerships AwardThe University has launched a new award recognising outstanding regional partners in the world of education.The Institute of Education Partnership Awards scheme will see hundreds of schools, colleges and other education partners acknowledged for their commitment and dedication.Professor Chris Robertson, Head of the Institute of Education, said: “This award signifies the value we place on our partnerships and our intention to continue working together to support regional excellence in education. We have an exciting and

innovative programme of development to achieve this purpose jointly.”The University works in active partnership with more than 500 schools, children’s centres and further education colleges across the West Midlands. 60 secondary schools from Worcestershire received the new award at a special ceremony last month. Further award ceremonies are currently being planned to recognise and celebrate other partnerships which exist across the region, including in Herefordshire and further afield across the West Midlands.

Knit one - pearl one - for Worcester Snoezelen

Three patchwork blankets knitted by University staff have been handed over to a local charity for people with disabilities.Staff, along with friends and family, have spent the last four months knitting 160 colourful squares in their own time.The blankets incorporate different textures and will be used in a sensory alcove at the Snoezelen Centre, which is situated in the grounds of the University.Su Fagg from ILS said: “About 18 months ago we started a ‘knit and natter’ group.

Last year we decided to do something for the 2011 charity of the year and approached Worcester Snoezelen to see what they would like us to make. They suggested a blanket for a sensory alcove and we got to work.”Jane Roberts, Project Manager of Worcester Snoezelen, said: “These blankets will be a wonderful addition to our sensory alcove; they are so colourful and textured. We are really grateful to the knitting group for taking the time to create them for us.”

Representatives from partner schools receive the new awards


NEWS

Women Leading

Development conferenceA conference examining gender issues in development was held at St John’s Campus on Saturday 10th March, two days after International Women’s Day.

The conference, organised by the Institute of Science and the Environment in conjunction with Beacons Development Education Centre, was attended by students from Geography and the postgraduate Sustainable Development Advocacy courses, as well as University staff, Beacons volunteers and interested members of the public.Entitled ‘Women Leading Development’, the conference examined the nature of gender inequality in the developing world, in particular how women have spearheaded development initiatives to address underlying gender inequalities. Dr Ruth Jones, from the Institute of Health and Society at the University of Worcester, began the conference by giving an overview of her work in Fiji where she has been working with government and NGOs to develop zero-tolerance policies for domestic violence. This was followed by a presentation by Marie-Lyse Namuhoza, a Rwandan activist in Voice of African Women (VoAW), who outlined the importance of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 promoting women’s participation

in peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction. Dr Geetanjali Gangoli from the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol, went on to highlight the deep-rooted nature of dowry based violence against women in India, and Professor Lalage Bown OBE emphasised the need for development strategies to address gender equality in education. Participants also heard from Laura Searle (Christian Aid), Anita Woodcock (Womankind Worldwide) and Elaine Barbour (Tradecraft) about the work of their respective NGOs in promoting the rights of women.Afternoon workshop sessions explored these and a range of other issues, and throughout the day participants were able to view Geography students’ poster presentations that highlighted the ways in which gender inequalities are central to a range of development issues.Dr Alan Dixon, co-organiser of the conference, said; “It was great to have almost 100 people from a range of different backgrounds contributing to the conference this year. Our speakers also made a point of commenting on how good it was to see so many of our students taking an active interest in international development issues.”

Dr Alan Dixon awards a prize to Geography student Liam Wright for his entry in the student poster competition

Professor Lalage Bown OBE discusses gender equality

Marie-Lyse Namuhoza

Your News & ViewsWe love receiving your news and hearing your stories, events and achievements. Don’t forget to send your messages and photos to us by the last week of the month to [email protected] aim to publish each new issue during the first week of the new month.When you receive your email alerting you to the latest edition of News and Views, this includes a link to an online version. We also include a text only version with this email.Archive issues and PDFsDid you know that you can also access current and archive PDF issues from our website? Past issues are available on the Communication & Development page: http://www.worc.ac.uk/comms/663.htmWe endeavour to act on any comments or recommendations you have. In this issue we have increased the size of the text to improve the reading experience. Should you have any comments, please drop us a line at [email protected]

Third year Drama & Performance students presented their work at a special performance event at Cheltenham’s new Parabola Arts Centre (PAC) last month.PAC is an award-winning new venue in Cheltenham that specialises in promoting and supporting innovative theatre practice. Students were invited to contribute to an evening of new work after the director of PAC, Allegra Galvin, came to meet them and talk to them about working as professional drama practitioners. Her talk was part of a series of events being organised for Drama & Performance students on Employability and Career Planning.The students presented a series of five short ‘work in progress’ performances to an audience of more than 100. Each performance was follwed by a Q and A session, and the audience’s suggestions will help the students to develop their work further for the end of year performance at Worcester in May.

NEWS


UK’S Leading Sports Coaches Head to Worcester for Annual Coaching SummitWith the London 2012 Games now just months away, there has never been a more exciting time to be involved in sports coaching.As a result, some of the country’s leading experts will be heading to Worcester later this month to inspire, inform and energise people at the annual Herefordshire and Worcestershire Coaching Summit.Jane Powell, Head Coach at England Hockey, and Robyn Jones, Professor of Sport and Social Theory, will deliver keynote addresses to attendees at the one-day summit: From grassroots to greatness: the athlete, the coach, the legacy, on Sunday 22 April 2012 at the University of Worcester’s Riverside Centre.The summit will explore the role and impact of the coach on athlete development and in shaping the next generation of locally-grown Olympic

talent. It is an opportunity for sports coaches across Herefordshire and Worcestershire to learn from the best and improve their coaching knowledge and capabilities in order to help their teams and athletes reach their full potential.There will be a number of interactive workshops and discussions to participate in on the day, delivered by experts including the Worcester Warriors’ Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Stuart Pickering. Workshop topics will include: coaching athletes with disabilities, using video analysis to enhance performance, managing and preventing overtraining and training structure, development, planning and delivery.With a strong focus on the role and influence of the coach in grassroots sport, the summit will be of interest to both practising and aspiring coaches as well as PE teachers, sports science

students and academics specialising in sports coaching. Tickets cost £30 (£25 for students) and all attendees will receive two free tickets to a Worcestershire County Cricket match.For more information and to register for the summit, visit www.morethansport.com/coachingsummitThe Herefordshire and Worcestershire Coaching Summit is an annual event organised by the Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire and the University of Worcester.

Rugby Union coach Brian Ashton (centre) at the 2011 Summit

CLEANING STAFF RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION

Cleaning staff at the University have completed a professional qualification.

Six members of staff undertook a British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) accredited course to enable them to fully train and assess new cleaning staff joining the University. The University has also been accredited as an Assessment Centre.

Mark Hughes, Director of Estates and Facilities at the University, said: “We are raising and professionalising our standards so that we can continue to offer a first class service.

“This will allow us to now offer professional qualifications and training to all of our cleaning staff.”

Cleaners Rose Bosworth, Shirley Lewis and Christine Hudspith, along with supervisors Lynne Bennett and Theresa Pishneshin and manager Jamie Hill, all gained the qualification, with Theresa and Jamie also being accredited as assessors.

The University’s cleaning team is increasing to around 50 members of staff, as the University continues to expand.


NEWS

Reincarnation, Revenge and WrecksApril sees the 100-year anniversary of the sinking of Titanic.Imagine living a life on Titanic, abruptly cut short.And now, today, 100 years later, you’re alive again, and having to face the people you knew, and what happened then. You’d rather not bother.Because you’ve got your own secrets – which you don’t want to share. Imagine having your own ghost. She has her own agenda, and it might not be yours.This is Carrin Smith’s dilemma, as she moves towards the big anniversary – 100 years since Titanic sank. Can she survive, and what is it like to be a ghost? And should the wreck be plundered for artefacts? You decide.These are the themes of Ship of Haunts: the other Titanic story, Ellie Stevenson’s first novel which will be published as an e-book on Amazon shortly, to coincide with the big anniversary. As well as Titanic, Ship of Haunts, looks at child migration. The novel asks a big question. How can we stop the past from repeating? Ellie Stevenson works in the Institute of Humanities and Creative Arts.

Teaching Staff Get Involved in Disability Sport SessionA special course, aimed at equipping teachers with the skills to encourage disabled young people to get involved in sport, was held at the University of Worcester.

TOP Sportsability is a scheme run in association with the School Games 2012, the Youth Sport Trust and Paralympics GB. It aims to create opportunities for young people with disabilities to enjoy, participate and perform in PE and sport.

Teachers, teaching assistants and teaching students from across the County were invited to take part in a special session, run with Chadsgrove School

in Bromsgrove, at the University learning about how to involve disabled young people in sport.

They got the chance to try out a range of sports, including wheelchair basketball, blind football and boccia, and learn techniques for helping young people to participate.

Kerry Greaves, Sports Disability Teacher at Chadsgrove School who led some of the sessions, said: “I was really pleased that awareness was raised and barriers to disability were being challenged with the active participation of all members attending the course.”

Design Students Create Eco Packaging Solutions for Local BreweryDesign students from the University of Worcester have been working on a sustainable packaging project to support the Wye Valley Brewery in Herefordshire.

The brewery sees sustainability as a growing factor in its business and places particular emphasis on the use of local hops, which supports the local farmers and helps minimise its ‘food miles.’ In addition the majority of its product is cask ale, using beer barrels, which are the ultimate reusable packaging.

However, for this project, Wye Valley Brewery commissioned the Graphic Design students to improve the environmental credentials of secondary packaging for their bottle-conditioned ales.

The students were tasked to create packaging prototypes to display and protect a gift-pack combination of bottled ales and condiments, also featuring produce from another local business, Legges of Bromyard.

Jennie Hermolle, Wye Valley Brewery Marketing Executive, said:

“It was great to see the fresh thinking the students brought to bear on this project. We were impressed by the breadth of design ideas and also the depth of thinking that had gone into addressing sustainability issues.

As a regional brewery, it was a fantastic opportunity to harness so much up-and-coming creative talent.”

Rosanna Perez-Curtis was selected by the clients as having the best design and has now been offered the chance to meet with the Wye Valley Brewery’s main packaging supplier to discuss her ideas further. They’ll also look into the feasibility of incorporating some or all of her ideas into future packaging solutions for the brewery.

Rosanna said: “Green Design has been an eye-opening module which has allowed us to witness and experience the advantages of sustainable packaging design and how important it is to encourage and promote. It was a pleasure to be working with Wye Valley Brewery in our ‘live’ brief and to be given the opportunity to support a local business striving towards increasing their sustainability in as many ways as possible.”

Additional contributions came from students Nicole Little, Kashka Neri and Lizzie Boland. Many of the students’ concepts utilise new and evolving sustainable packaging methods as well as ways of encouraging people not to throw away packaging afterwards, such as creating games on the reverse.

The students involved were studying on the Graphic Design and Multimedia course’s unique final year ‘Green Design’ module.

Senior design tutor Andy Stevenson said:

“Today’s designers are increasingly being called on to work with sustainability in mind due to organisations and employers embedding

these commitments in their ‘corporate responsibility charters’ such as Marks and Spencer with their ‘Plan A’ commitments.”

Katy Boom, the University of Worcester’s Director of Environmental Sustainability, added: “The innovative way this module is taught, one that is both practical and vocational is something students are increasingly asking for from their universities and something we have a long history of here at the University of Worcester. The University of Worcester is already one of the greenest universities in the Country and is now carefully developing courses to reflect this commitment.”


NEWS

EARTH HERITAGE TRUST

The Geopark WayIn 2008 the Trust

researched and created the first geology themed

long distance walking trail in the UK. The route winds its way for 109 miles through the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark from Bridgnorth to Gloucester and offers varied walking alongside rivers, through forests, along ridges and across heathlands as it explores 700 million years of the Earth’s history. A fine range of rocks and fossils can be seen, together with intriguing traces of the Ice Age.

The rocks along the Geopark Way tell amazing stories of continental collision, of tropical seas, hot deserts, equatorial swamps and coastal lagoons and of vast ice sheets and polar deserts. But just as interesting are the building stones of churches, bridges, town halls, cottages and even a cathedral. These stories can be followed in the guidebook, delivering a totally new perspective on long distance walking.

Amongst the beautiful scenery there is a diversity of wildlife. Locally distinctive villages and towns dot the route, bringing further elements of exploration and enchantment. The trail guide draws attention to examples of how geology has played a significant part in influencing the wildlife, archaeology, social and industrial history of the area. The way-marked route is conveniently split into 17 comfortable one day walks. All of these are clearly documented in the guidebook, which also includes a separate visitor guide listing tourist amenities and places to stay.

A groundbreaking partnership with the British Geological Survey was established in 2011 with the publication of a special 1:100,000 geology map of the Geopark.

For the amateur geologist walking the trail this map is a great reference. It is available from the Trust for £6 or it can be purchased with the Geopark Way guidebook for a combined price of £15. The guidebook alone is £9.95.

There is now a set of three circular trails which branch off the Geopark Way. These are Mathon and the Malvern Hills, Alfrick and the Suckley Hills, and Martley. They provide wonderful one-day geology and landscape walks of 9 miles, 5 miles and 6 miles respectively. These are all free and can be downloaded from the Trust’s website – www.EarthHeritageTrust.org or collected from the Trust’s office in Woodbury.

For the less energetic, there are the tried and tested town walks around Ledbury, Stourport, Alveley and Bridgnorth. These guides entitled Walk through the past for a healthy future are available from the Trust for £1 each. Also there are the Trust’s acclaimed Explore guides covering parts of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Many of these are adjacent to or linked to the Geopark Way. There are ten guides in this collection that might interest Geopark Way enthusiasts. All are available from the Trust. They are priced at £1.95 and £2.00.

So give your walking boots a clean and join the thousands of people that have already walked all or part of the Geopark Way. To find out more contact Geopark Way Manager Natalie Watkins – [email protected]


Digital Arts Lecturer to Showcase 30 Years of Work in TVDigital arts lecturer, David James is to showcase 30 years of work in the TV industry during a special exhibition.David worked for a number of top TV companies as a motion graphics designer, before moving in to higher education teaching 10 years ago.He has designed graphics, including opening titles, for programmes such as Crimestoppers and TV Eye, the then ITV equivalent of the BBC’s Panorama, and international wildlife productions such as Wildfilm.David, who is course leader for Creative Digital Media, will be displaying stills images of his work at the University’s St John’s Campus from 16 - 27 April.

“I think it’s important that students can see that lecturers actually worked in the industry and therefore have the knowledge and experience to pass on,” he said.

“I hope that students, and other members

of the University or public, will enjoy looking at some of the images and it may provoke some memories and discussions.”David’s 30-year career in broadcast television includes such posts as Supervising Designer for news and current affairs at Thames Television, Deputy Head of the Design Group at HTV Wales and Head of the Design Group at ITV West. In 1985 he designed and art directed the opening titles for Wales at Six, one of the first computer-generated sequences broadcast in the UK, was one of the first designers in the Country to use the world’s first broadcast digital graphics system – the Quantel Paintbox

– and, with a colleague, produced the first sequence to be shown on British television to be produced entirely on a desktop Apple computer.His work features in a number of books about television graphics.

NEWS


Businesses Urged to Take Action on Cyber SecuritySmall and medium sized businesses could be leaving themselves and their partners exposed to computer hackers because of a lack of understanding of information systems.Computing lecturer Richard Henson, a leading UK cyber security specialist, is warning organisations to get more savvy in a bid to save themselves money and protect their businesses against cyber crime, which is estimated to cost the country £27bn a year.He also recommends penetration testing, because hackers are using ever more devious methods to gain access.Richard, who last month presented at a cybersecurity workshop for small businesses in Malvern and participated in a major cybersecurity showcase event in Brussels, said SMEs faced losing contracts to major companies if their information security systems were not up-to-scratch, and could potentially face losing thousands of pounds through lost trade should their computer systems become infected, or if hackers are able to access financial information.

Stills of some of David’s work

Charging ForwardTwo electric vehicle charging posts have been installed at University locations as part of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.

The University was selected as one of the first locations to become part of the Plugged in Midlands project in the West Midlands, a £2.9 million scheme administered by Malvern-based Central Technology Belt (CTB) and Cenex to accelerate the development of electric motoring infrastructure across the Midlands. It is the first location in Worcester to install the charging posts.

Plugged in Midlands will give consumers standardisation of plugs and access to charge posts across the Midlands with the same membership card. The cards release the cover to the plug and allow a vehicle to plug in. Membership costs £20.

Katy Boom, Director of Environmental Sustainability, said: “We are delighted to be involved in the Plugged in Midlands project and hope that we will start to see more electric vehicles replacing traditional cars. We have installed two charging posts, each post with two sockets, one at our Riverside building in

Hylton Road and one on the Woodbury car park, at St John’s Campus.

“To fully charge a battery from empty takes around eight hours. As we already charge for parking we are not going to charge any extra for the use of the electricity, which at most would be £1.”

Alan White, chief executive of CTB, added: “Building a viable electric motoring infrastructure is crucial if the UK is to overcome what is currently the largest barrier to electric motoring, range anxiety.

“That’s why the installation of these first two posts at the University is such a landmark for the Plugged in Midlands project, and for cleaner motoring across the region.”

Filling up at the pump

[email protected] / NOVEMBER 2009 / 15

COVER STORY


STAFF FEATURE

This month we get mindful and spiritual with Worcester Business School’s ASU Manager Julia Mathias.

Finding inner calm:

Chatting to Julia Mathias in the coffee shop I was surprised, to say the least, when she told me she was a Buddhist. Somewhat ignorantly, or naively, Julia wasn’t quite what I expected from a Buddhist; she is very confident, bubbly and has a wicked sense of humour.

I’d gone to chat to Julia to find out about her jewellery making and homeopathy, but became more engrossed in her thoughts and beliefs around mindfulness and Buddhism.

Julia became a Buddhist eight years ago as a result of a growing interest in meditation, holistic health and how to live a better life.

“I used to do yoga but I wanted to explore meditation more, becoming a Buddhist grew out of that interest,” she said. “I find that it helps me to explore my life in more depth and to understand myself and other people.”

Julia has attended retreats and meditates daily, which she says has helped to take time out from the daily rush of modern life. She is now exploring how the introduction of mindfulness at work sessions at the University might be of benefit to staff, after attending the first national conference on mindfulness at work.

Julia is also a practicing homeopath, alongside her day job at the University, where she is currently on secondment from the Institute of Health and Society to Worcester Business School.

“When I was expecting my son, who is now 11, I decided to do some further

study and looked into homeopathy, as that is something I had used previously with great success”, Julia said. “Homeopathy is a system of treating illnesses with like for like; so you take a substance of something that causes certain symptoms and use it to treat the illness. It’s all derived from natural substances including plants and minerals.

“I have a small practice at home where I see a few clients but it’s something I fit around my other commitments.”

As well as homeopathy, Julia fills what little spare time she has making jewellery, much of which you may have seen her wearing around the University.

“I did a degree in art and design in London and specialised in jewellery,” she said. “After I graduated, my husband also decided to do a degree so I had to get a job to support us, and the jewellery design had to be put on hold. It was a long time before I came back to jewellery, and I just started doing it on my kitchen table, as I still do. I now sell locally through a gallery and also do commissioned pieces for family, friends, and anyone who asks.”

“I mainly use Sterling Silver and lots of different natural stones,” she said. “I like the really unusual stones. Although I trained in stone setting I no longer have a full workshop so don’t currently make rings but concentrate on bracelets, necklaces and earrings.”

What do you get up to when you leave the Campus? Email Sally Jones with your interesting stories at [email protected]

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News and Views April 2012