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Explore Death, Grief and Medieval Beliefs on the Second 2020 Death and Dying Conference Weekend
Split over two weekends, the annual Death and Dying Conference at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) aims to provide a forum where emotionally draining or difficult to discuss topics can be shared and explored with both respect and understanding. -
Using Shared Reading to explore the ‘telling’ of death
Earlier this year, at the 2020 Death and Dying conference, attendees came together to discuss how shared reading could explore the ‘telling’ of death. One of the goals of the workshop was to use art to capture a ‘live’ response that included something of the personal and transitory nature of the event. Aimee Quickfall, Head of Programmes for Primary Education and Early Years at BGU, Dr Clare Lawrence, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Development, and Dr John Rimmer, Senior Lecturer PGCE secondary (art and design), share their feedback on the unique and engaging experience. Using Shared Reading to explore the ‘telling’ of death Academic and Creative Responses to Death and Dying Conference, BGU 2020 Dr Clare Lawrence, Aimee Quickfall, Dr John Rimmer Shared Reading is an approach pioneered and developed by Jane Davis to use the read-aloud experience of literary texts to explore group participants’ reflections, thoughts and memories, where the text is presented as a live presence, not as something pre-read or an object of study. This Shared Reading workshop was part of a conference that had as its theme, How to tell the children, and as such used texts that explored the ‘telling’ of death, and the experience of parents’ death as understood by the (adult) child of those parents. The text chosen were Gertrude’s description of Ophelia’s death in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act IV sc. v and Charles Causley’s poem Eden Rock. Throughout the workshop Aimee Quickfall took notes visually, sketching and drawing as the participants talked. These sketches sought to capture something of the perspectives and experiences of those who took part, less to create a factual record and more to produce a live response that included something of the personal and transitory nature of the event. This method builds on the work of Heath and Chapman (2018), who believe that ‘a sketch does something different to, say, a photograph or a written field note’ (Heath and Chapman, 2018 p. 715). Back and Puwar (2012) suggest that the nature of data that is generated through sketching is different from that generated through other methods, not least because of what drawing, of necessity, leaves out. The artist must choose what to record, so that the record is always synthesised and personalised in a way that a mechanical record is not. Midgley (2011) believes that this means that drawing can capture passions and tensions in a way that other means of recording do not. The discussions during the workshop were then further synthesised by John Rimmer, who worked what was discussed into a piece of highly abstract animated art, reflecting his interpretation of the themes that were explored. These academic and Creative responses to the workshop will be shared in due course through published output. If you’d like to explore a future as part of diverse learning community, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team, or book onto an Open Event to find out how to take your first steps. References: Back, L., & Puwar, N. (2012). A manifesto for live methods: provocations and capacities. The sociological review, 60, 6-17. Heath, S., Chapman, L., & Centre Sketchers, T. M. (2018). Observational sketching as method. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 21(6), 713-728. Midgley, J. (2011). Drawing Lives-Reportage at Work. Studies in Material Thinking, (4). Retrieved, 5. -
Clap for carers: How two BGU students are helping the most vulnerable during Covid-19
As the United Kingdom continues to grapple with ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic care providers across the country have been adapting their procedures to ensure that vulnerable people receive the support they need. EarlyBird Lifestyle Support is one of these hard-working groups and they’ve been sharing how the pandemic has impacted their work. Created and run by Bishop Grosseteste University students Damian Taylor (MA Health & Social Care) and Neil Martin (MA Education with TESOL) Earlybird prides itself on being a friendly well-being service supporting people throughout the city of Lincoln and surrounding areas with tasks such as cooking, cleaning, collecting prescriptions and medication, food shopping, trips out, escorting individuals to appointments and more. Damian discusses the changes the pandemic, and associated lockdown, has brought and how the team at Earlybird have adapted to it: “We work with many of groups left most vulnerable to COVID-19, primarily our older clients but also younger individuals suffering from mental health or other disability related problems. We wore a lot of protection anyway, but we’ve had to increase our use of PPE. It’s been so difficult to find supplies for reasonable prices though. We are also finding that many of our clients find the staff wearing the full PPE quite intimidating and try our best not to scare them off. Ultimately our team works to promote independence for vulnerable people, allowing them to lead their choice of lifestyle. That choice can be so easily lost at times like this and I’m proud to think we’re helping people to keep some level of freedom. I’d like to thank all our staff for their hard work during this time. Their enthusiasm and professionalism haven’t dropped once. They’re truly the backbone to the business, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.” Support from EarlyBird is available to anyone in Lincolnshire and the surrounding area, to find out how they can help you visit their website, or get in contact via email at info@ebls.co.uk or on 01522424161. Damian and Neil are the one of the many success stories to emerge from the BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). If you have got a vision for your own business but aren’t sure where to begin then the BG Futures team are the perfect place to start. With facilities and expert support available in their incubation centre, they’ll be able to get you on the road to success. Visit our website or contact them today to see how you can start your own adventure. -
‘World Changing’ Trans Student Experience Project Included in International Social Psychology Text
The CELT-LTIF funded ‘Transforming the Student Experience’ project has been featured as an example of ‘world changing’ applied research in a new book. The project was co designed and developed through a partnership between trans and non-trans students and staff and has seen many of its recommendations, including more inclusive welcome messaging and trans awareness training for staff and students, either achieved or in the process of going through the University Committee structure. Internationally renowned Social Psychologist Wendy Stainton Rogers was impressed by the project following a presentation by Sue Becker and former BGU student Ashley Ravenwood at the BPS Psychology of Sexualities Section 20th Anniversary Conference in July 2018, describing it as: “…a great project with real progress and outcomes, and a good model to follow”. In her recent book, Perspectives on Social Psychology – A Psychology of Human Being, Rogers features the project as a case study to inspire others to come together and make positive changes in their communities. The project team continue to work to ensure findings and recommendations from the project are embedded into BGU policy and practice and are currently working to publish a paper outlining their approach and findings. The project team are: Alex Dale Whistler – Education Studies and Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Jayde Williams – Primary Education with recommendation for QTS Dr Sue Becker – Programme Leader for Psychology Lyndsay Muir – Senior Lecturer Dr Sue Cordell – Head of Learning Enhancement Dr Claire Thomson – Head of the Centre for Enhancement in Learning and Teaching Dr Gianina Postavaru – Lecturer in Psychology If you’d like to become a part of BGU’s research focused community, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us at one of our upcoming virtual open days. -
Be Your Own Boss: BG Futures Join the Prince's Trust to Support Young Entrepreneurs
BG Futures, the Careers, Employability and Enterprise department at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have teamed up with the Prince’s Trust to offer young entrepreneurs a route into self-employment. Sarah Moseley, Enterprise Development Manager at BG Futures and John Holliday, Prince’s Trust Executive first met in February to explore ways they could partner to support those students who were interested in setting up their own business as Sarah explains: “The Enterprise agenda at BGU already provides opportunities for students to gain knowledge, skills, work-readiness and personal development. Widening the student experience is crucial for us and the Prince’s Trusts strategy to transform young people’s lives aligns perfectly with that of BGU” The Prince’s Trust has responded to the current constraints coronavirus has imposed on face to face delivery, by offering a monthly 2-day webinar which details all the different aspects of setting up and running your own business. The subjects covered include marketing, selling, branding, finding and keeping customers, business finance, taxation, legal structure and competitor analysis. This is followed by 1-2-1 support with John on how to write a business plan and securing either grant or loan funding to cover your start-up costs. Once you launch, two years of ongoing support is provided by one of the Prince’s Trust’s experienced business mentors. Future dates earmarked for the webinars include June 22/23, July 20/21 and August 24/25. Sergiu and George, on the BA (Hons) Business (Team Entrepreneurship) and Professional Graduate Diploma in Education, Training and Skills (PGDE) courses respectively, are two of the BGU students to have taken part in the webinars so far. They shared their excitement for what their participation could offer them: “I found the course very helpful as it gave me access to the Princes Trusts vast range of resources such as business plan templates, their network and a personal 1 to 1 mentor to overlook my development and make sure I’m on the right tracks with possible funding and grants opportunities” Sergiu “I am interested in starting a business in the future and found the sessions really useful and motivational” George Speaking following their feedback Sarah said: “With many plans on hold and University students having to adapt to new ways of learning and development I am delighted that Sergiu and George felt able to take some time to focus on their future” To find out more about the work of the Enterprise Team at BG Futures contact sarah.moseley@bishopg.ac.uk Tel: 01522 563817 For further details of The Prince’s Trust programme contact John Holliday on 07766 778341. -
LiNCHigher project to provide 25,000 Lincolnshire students with online learning programme
LiNCHigher, a collaborative outreach programme that brings together Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), the University of Lincoln and 45 schools, colleges and other local organisations, is delighted to announce that they have teamed up with Lincolnshire-based creative digital agency First Media, to launch ‘LiNCHigher Learning’. LiNCHigher Learning will enable around 25,000 students across Lincolnshire access to specialist learning resources online during and beyond this COVID-19 pandemic, and is available now for schools and colleges across Lincolnshire; free of charge. Part of the Office for Students’ Uni Connect Programme that was set up in January 2017, LiNCHigher, which is a consortium of all Universities and Colleges across Lincolnshire, is the first of the 29 Uni Connect partnerships across the country to launch such a service to secondary school and college students. The programme will grant increased access to information about educational journeys, students’ aspirations and the opportunities that Higher Education can provide, as well as bringing fun activities from education providers from across the country. First Media, who specialise in creative digital solutions in eLearning, software development, web design and events, were able to add functionality to their award-winning eProspectus software to create an online learning platform that is simple and secure to use. LiNCHigher is also in the process of launching a Careers & Higher Education Outreach Hub ready for July 2021, and work with First Media has enabled the project to be fast-tracked. The new Lincolnshire Outreach Careers Hub will provide a one stop resource for all students, parents, teachers and educational advisors across Lincolnshire seeking support and guidance on all aspects of Higher Education across the county. The eProspectus already has an ecosystem in place to engage with learners, advisors, schools, colleges, training providers and local authorities across Lincolnshire. It’s designed to promote careers, pathways and opportunities available to young people, including a way for Year 11 students of applying for a place at college and it’s currently being used by 10 Local Authorities around the UK. Ian Hargreaves, Education Solutions Director for First Media, said: “We have really enjoyed working on this project with Jonathan and his team. We were able to quickly mobilise our team to produce a sophisticated and expandable solution that grows our existing platform to provide a complete solution for them in an incredibly quick timeframe.” Jonathan Lidster, Project Manager for LiNCHigher, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Lincolnshire-based First Media on this exciting online programme that, despite the current circumstances, students across the county can access some great learning resources; free of charge. “We hope that the free online material and courses will help reduce the pressure on teachers and parents, and continue to encourage students with their studies, and support and strengthen their decisions concerning their future, during this time. “We look forward to building on this online platform and working further with First Media to get out Outreach Hub released.” LiNCHigher is part of the Office for Students’ Uni Connect Programme. LiNCHigher, alongside its strategic partners, work in over 40 schools, six colleges and two Universities across Lincolnshire, aiming to raise aspirations of young people in discovering the benefits of choosing Higher Education through information, guidance and impartial advice. For more information please visit www.linchigher.co.uk -
BGSU are on a Mission to Help the Humble Hedgehog
Members of Bishop Grosseteste University’s Students’ Union are on a mission to make the University’s campus a safe space for the Hedgehogs of Lincoln. Working alongside Hedgehog Friendly Campus, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and BGU’s Estates Team they are planning a number of initiatives and activities to gain official accreditation as a ‘hedgehog-friendly’ campus. These include reducing the amount of litter and upgrading the green spaces on campus, as well as installing hedgehog houses, running fund-raising events and offering educational sessions on hedgehog welfare. Kaylee Hempenstall, Activities Officer at BGSU, is leading the project and explained why she felt it was important to get involved: “Now, more than ever, we need to be taking care of our planet, and this initiative will really help us to do our bit for the environment, all whilst protecting some of nature’s most vulnerable creatures. I put a motion to Student Council that BGU should work towards becoming hedgehog friendly after hearing about what the initiative does and how we can help – hedgehog population has fallen drastically in recent years, with a decline of up to 50% since the year 2000. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society developed the hedgehog-friendly campus campaign in a bid to bring hedgehog population numbers up, and keep them safe – and I think it’s a fantastic idea. BGU is already quite a green campus, with the potential to become the perfect habitat for hedgehogs! As well as helping hedgehogs, working towards hedgehog-friendly accreditation has so many other positive outcomes for the university and its students.” There are three levels to the hedgehog-friendly campus accreditation – Bronze, Silver, and Gold. If all goes well BGSU are hoping to have achieved Bronze status by December with a further goal reaching the additional levels in the future. To kickstart their work BGSU will including a collection of hedgehog themed questions in their weekly quiz (this Sunday on their Facebook page) and they plan to begin running webinars in the near future. You can keep up to date on their activities, and find out how you can get involved on their website. -
BGU Sign Memorandum of Understanding with Bangkok University International
As part of Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) ongoing work in Thailand, Wayne Dyble, International Manager, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of BGU with Bangkok University International (BUI). The Memorandum reflects the maturing relationship between the two institutions which will see BGU PGCE students visit the Bangkok campus with the prospect of BUI undergraduates visiting BGU’s Lincoln campus to study Business English classes. Following the signing ceremony Aimee Quickfall, Head of Programmes for Primary Education and Early Years at BGU, led a Business English taster workshop with around forty BUI students. During the workshop students were encouraged to explore the subtleties of Business English and how language assumes a contextual specificity. Wayne Dyble along with BGU colleagues Professor Chris Atkin and Dr Phil Wood also supported the session. Whilst Thailand the BGU team developed institutional links and worked with a range of Thai stakeholders on a research bid focussed on curriculum reform and teacher standards. For further information on the visit or BGU’s activities in Thailand and other International activities, please contact Wayne Dyble or visit our International web pages. -
Putting Smiles at the Heart of Teaching: Children's (Un) Happiness explored in Senior Lecturer's new book
If you ask parents what they most want for their child, many will say something like this: ‘I just want my child to be happy’. Whilst most understand that they cannot ensure their children are permanently happy, they are often unprepared for seeing their children frequently or deeply sad. ‘Why are our children so unhappy?’ is a question that baffles parents worldwide but a new book edited by Dr Maria Efstratopoulou aims to provide an understanding of the factors that influence children’s emotions which it believes is essential for anyone interacting with young children. Differing from most books in the field, which focus on offering advice to professionals on how to manage children’s behaviour, Bring My Smile Back: Working with Unhappy Children in Education aims to explore the crucial link between emotions, well-being and learning and the wider social factors affecting children’s happiness. The authors, including several of Dr Efstratopoulou’s colleagues at BGU, draw from a range of experience, examples, case studies and educational approaches to engage with children’s’ wellbeing and emotions. With chapters covering areas such as ‘Can we define happiness?’, supporting children with communication problems and the ‘(Un)Happiness of Black and Ethnic Minority Children’ Bring My Smile Back focuses on children’s happiness rather than their academic achievements and positive behaviour, in essence putting children’s Smiles at the heart of teaching. Writing in the book’s forward Professor Scott Fleming, Deputy Vice-Chancellor in BGU, praised the publication’s accessible exploration as a “landmark contribution” to education: “Children’s wellbeing and happiness have become matters of global concern. This important and exciting collection brings together the work of an impressive team of International Social science scholars and practitioners to address these challenges. Its timing could hardly be better. The chapters have a very accessible structure and format, they are conceptually sophisticated and have an explicit applied professional practitioner emphasis. They should be read by students, researchers, policy-makers and those responsible for service delivery. If they are Bring my smile back: Working with unhappy children in education is likely to become a landmark contribution. I am delighted to endorse a book that features my colleagues from Bishop Grosseteste University. With a rich heritage in teacher education and training, this book is an embodiment of many of our traditional values as well as a firm commitment to health-related subject fields that form part of our portfolio of undergraduate and taught postgraduate awards” Also involved in the publication were Craig Bridge, Educational Psychologist and Lecturer, Dr. Hadiza Kere Abdulrahman, Lecturer of Inclusive Education and Dr.Tracy Jeffery, Lecturer in SENI all from BGU. If you are interested in exploring a future in education and psychology than visit our course pages or speak to a member of our Enquiries Team to find out how BGU could be the place for you. -
BGU History MA student nominated for national dissertation prize
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) History student, Abigail White, has been nominated for a nationally recognised competition for outstanding MA thesis in History. Abigail’s work entitled: ‘To what extent did the School Boards contribute to changes in teacher training colleges, 1890-1912? The case of Lincoln Diocesan Training College.’ explored the educational history of Lincoln Diocesan Training College (as BGU was once known) and made exceptional use of the University’s own library and archives. Focusing on the Training College it evaluates why teacher training colleges experienced change in the 1890s and into the twentieth century. Following its publication, Abigail’s dissertation has been nominated for the Rees Davies Prize for an outstanding Master’s Thesis, an award which commemorates former Royal Historical Society President and distinguished medieval scholar, Professor Sir Rees Davies (1938-2005). The prize is awarded for the best Master’s dissertation submitted by a UK institution of Higher Education. The winner is awarded a prize of £250 and invited to submit an article based on the dissertation to be considered for publication in the RHS Transactions. Speaking following the announcement, Abigail described her pride at receiving the nomination and explained why that particular area of history proved so captivating: “To find out that my piece of work had also been nominated for such a prestigious award was astonishing and a real privilege. Choosing my topic was the easiest part of the whole dissertation process. I was, and still am, amazed that most of the buildings at BGU are original meaning that the Victorian students would have been as familiar with them as I am. For instance, on both the Chapel and Skinner building exterior walls you can see evidence of the college expansion that happened at the turn of the century in 1900. This, coupled with the fact that the students were young women whose opportunities for a career and independence was limited during this period, made BGU’s history unique and fascinating topic to write about. Furthermore, using Lincoln Diocesan Training College as a topic also gave me the opportunity to see original documents detailing the student experience at Lincoln Diocesan Training College at the end of nineteenth century. So much so, that I was able to track a good majority of the students on the census which brought up some previously unknown insights including the fact that William Gladstone’s granddaughter, Margaret Wickham, completed a year of study here!” If you’d like to follow in Abigail’s footsteps and uncover new adventures on a History course at BGU, visit our website, book onto one of our Open Days or speak to a member of our Enquiries Team.
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