Search results
-
MA student receives inaugural Prue Goodwin Award
The inaugural Prue Goodwin award has been presented to MA student Alisha Gibbs for an outstanding result for her final dissertation. Alisha has been studying the Children’s Literature and Literacies MA on a full time basis, and handed in her dissertation this year. Titled: "An exploration of children's reading choices: Considerations that impact on what children choose to read and why", the thesis pulls together a range of key topics and issues in children’s literature including: commercialism, adaptation and materiality to explore the reasons why children choose certain books. Alisha said: "I learnt so much during my process, especially the most effective ways of writing a Master's dissertation. At times it felt like the work would never end, especially when I was juggling a job at the same time, but it's been an exciting journey. During the process of creating her final project, Alisha found a method that proved most productive for her. She said: "I have a fairly long commute, and I would spend the time in the car thinking of ideas. I'd have to phone someone else to write them down because I was driving. "When it came time to really focus and turn my studying into a piece of writing, I took the advice of my dissertation supervisor, Dr Amy Webster, and planned a 'writing retreat' which was a great way to stay productive. "I found out I'd won the award while I was at my teaching job. It was a lovely moment to share the news with my students and celebrate their own contribution to the award. They wanted to do it all over again!" Her award was presented at an end of year celebration for BGU's Primary Education students. Alisha had studied a BA in Primary Education with QTS before starting her Master's, so the presentation demonstrated to the third years the benefits of postgraduate study. At the event, Alisha said: "I really didn't expect to win but it's amazing to have my hard work recognised like this. I'll definitely be celebrating tonight!" Dr Prue Goodwin, who received an honorary doctorate from BGU in 2021, has been an inspiration to many colleagues and their teaching. Prue Goodwin trained as a teacher at BGU (1965-1965) and is now a world authority on Primary Education. She is a longstanding member of the UK Literacy Association (UKLA) and a prolific writer, having written and edited more than 18 books and guides. In reflection of Prue’s contribution to the fields of literacy and children’s literature as well her support of related studies at BGU, the Prue Goodwin Award is given annually to the student who achieves the highest mark in the dissertation module on the MA Children’s Literature and Literacies. Alisha's dissertation is also set to be shared with Prue, who is keen to read the work of the award's first recipient.Senior Lecturer in Education Studies and Alisha's dissertation supervisor Dr Amy Webster said: "We are really proud to present this award to Alisha. As the recipient of this award, she will receive the offer to collaborate with a member of staff from the programme to develop an academic article based on their thesis to support her development as a scholar and practitioner of children’s literature and literacies. "Alisha’s thesis was an empirical research project that creatively drew together a range of key topics and issues in children’s literature including commercialism, adaptation and materiality to provide insight into the reasons for children’s reading choices." Learn more about our MA Children’s Literature and Literacies. Alisha receiving her award from Dr Amy Webster at the celebration event -
Adding more value to your recruitment
Thinking about your recruitment needs for 2024-25? It is becoming extremely common for businesses to shift away from a traditional recruitment model to more of a talent acquisition model, focusing on the big-picture needs of an organisation, rather than hiring only to address short-term needs. Bersin by Deloitte defines talent acquisition as “a strategic approach to identifying, attracting, and onboarding talent to efficiently and effectively meet dynamic business needs.” At our forthcoming free webinar, we look to cover: - what the current recruitment landscape looks like and what is needed to engage Gen Z candidates further with a talk from Prospects (part of JISC), how apprenticeships can add value to your recruitment by addressing skills gaps and injecting new life-blood into an organisation, how Knowledge Transfer Partnerships give your organisation so much more than recruitment by ensuring new skills and expertise are embedded in your organisation during and post project and recruitment considerations post COVID and what organisations need to put in place for their employees now. At the end of the seminar, there will be a “spotlight” session whereby 10 top companies in Lincolnshire are sharing what their services are so that you can get any support and assistance you may need locally. Date: 9th August 2023 Time: 5.30pm-6.45pm Venue: Webinar, a link will be provided post registration To book: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/adding-more-value-to-your-recruitment-tickets-650748294667 Agenda 5.30-5.40pm Welcome 5.40pm -5.50pm Current Recruitment Landscape, Recruitment Tips – How to engage Gen Z (Holly Longstaff, Prospects) 5.50pm-6pm How apprenticeships can add value to your recruitment needs (Jonathan Statham, Head of Apprenticeship Recruitment, Bishop Grosseteste University) 6pm – 6.10pm More than recruitment with KTPs (Linette Wallace, Business Development Officer, Bishop Grosseteste University) 6.10pm-6.20pm Recruitment considerations post COVID (Jonathan Cheeseman, Director of People and Infrastructure, Bishop Grosseteste University) 6.20pm-6.30pm Questions and Answers 6.30pm-6.45pm Spotlight session -
Honorary Award recipients announced
Each year, Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has the opportunity to award Honorary Doctorates and Honorary Fellowships at its graduation ceremonies. BGU staff and students, retired staff and alumni and current or former University Council members were invited to nominate candidates for honorary awards. Honorary Fellowship is awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to the University; whilst Honorary Doctorate is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to academic achievement, social, economic or cultural life. We're pleased to announce this year's award recipients, who will be honoured at graduation celebrations in July 2023. Bishop Grosseteste University Vice-Chancellor Rev Canon Professor Peter Neil said: “We are proud to be awarding this year’s honorary recipients for their expertise and service in their respective roles. I am delighted to welcome them to our wider BGU community. “Each one of them is inspirational in their own right and all serve as excellent role models for our students in how to make a positive impact on society.” -
Union Bar wins big at industry awards
Bishop Grosseteste Students' Union (SU) recently made a significant impact at the NUS Best Bar None awards, winning awards in three categories. The event was held at NEC, Birmingham and acknowledges outstanding venues for their safety measures, customer experience, staff training, and community outreach. The SU's venue, Union Bar, was recognised as the "Best Newcomer" and also achieved a Gold Accreditation in the team's first year of operation. Accreditation remains valid for one year, with regular updates and assessments to ensure continuous compliance with evolving priorities, including the safety and well-being of women and girls. Each accredited business receives a personalised report offering valuable advice and recommendations to enhance the safety and atmosphere of their establishment. The Best Bar None (BBN) accreditation scheme recognises, promotes and rewards venues that practice excellent social responsibility. The program is supported by the Home Office, and evaluates hospitality venues based on four essential criteria: venue management, staff training and care, customer safety and welfare, and customer service and community engagement. Abi Savage, CEO of the Students' Union, also received a Special Recognition Award for her exceptional support and dedication to the SU's commercial services. She said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to achieve gold in the first year of us running the bar. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the bar team that we have achieved the gold standard." The SU's Commercial Manager, Kieran Wiseman, and CEO Abi Savage accepting the awards -
Local schools attend BGU charity sports day
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) recently hosted the first free BGU Sports Day Project in June. Welcoming more than 250 children from a local school to the university's sports grounds, the event offered a day filled with excitement and sporting activities. Around 250 Year 5 and 6 students from Westgate Primary Academy were welcomed onto BGU's campus. The session provided a free and exciting opportunity for local children to get active, enjoy sports, and take part in some healthy competition. The event featured a variety of sports activities including javelin, long jump, hurdles, and relay races. The volunteers who contributed to the BGU Sports Day Project included Initial Teacher Education (ITE) trainees, staff volunteers, ITE academics, and representatives BG Futures and the sports centre. By opening its doors to children from neighbouring schools, BGU demonstrated its commitment to promoting physical well-being and active lifestyles among the younger generation. The BGU Sports Day Project was created by Samuel Willis-Dixon, a Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship student at BGU. Sam said: "Having worked as a primary teacher previously, I recognised the limited space available in city schools, particularly for physical education. "As part of my apprenticeship, I had to co-ordinate a work-based project. Creating the BGU Sports Day was not only a chance to be part of an exciting new initiative, but it was also an opportunity to give back to the community and showcase our excellent sport facilities. "It's taken the collaborative efforts of lots of individuals, teams, and departments to make this happen, but seeing how much fun the children had makes it all worth it!" Samuel Willis-Dixon at the Sports Day event -
Innovation in the Education Sector
Do you have an idea for a project to make your business more sustainable/innovate or grow but do not have all the in-house expertise needed to develop it? Would you like to understand how to improve upon leadership in your sector or improve your systems, processes and management capabilities? We're hosting a free online event on Wednesday 20th September from 3.30pm to 5pm where you can discover how to develop the solution you need through a collaboration funded by Innovate UK. Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a UK-wide programme managed by Innovate UK. It’s been running for 45 years and has supported more than 14,000 businesses to drive innovation for a positive impact. A typical KTP project delivers a support package valued at around £80,000 to £100,000 per year. This event aims to bring together organisations working in various areas of the education sector (Primary, Secondary, TESOL, SENDI, Educational Leadership, Autism/ADHD/Wellbeing) to learn about the KTP funding scheme and the best way to collaborate to drive innovation and growth. To facilitate engagement, there will be representatives from our Education Team available throughout the session to provide the opportunity for more targeted conversations to discuss ideas and challenges, and potential ways to collaborate through a KTP. Funding available for projects:- Charities 75% SMEs 67% Public Sector 50% Large Organisations 50% Agenda: • 3.30pm-4.00pm Knowledge Transfer Partnerships intro session (Linette Wallace, Business Development Officer) • 4.00pm – 4.30pm Education at BGU (Dr Sacha Mason, Head of Programmes – Education, Health and Lifelong Learning) • 4.30pm-5.00pm Questions and Answers to the panel Book your free ticket here. -
Announcing: BGU Tennyson Poetry Award 2024
The winner of the Tennyson Poetry Award 2023 at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) on National Poetry Day. Andrew Pearce whose poem ‘The Statue’ impressed the judges, received high praises for its dialogue with the original Tennyson’s poem. With a high calibre of entries this year, the panel found it difficult to choose a winning poem. Read Andrew's poem here. At the same event, The Tennyson Poetry Award 2024 was officially launched. Staff and students are invited to part and send their entries. Inspired by Lincolnshire-born Victorian Poet Laureate, Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), the Tennyson Poetry Award asks you to submit an original poem in response to a poem by Tennyson. This year, the poem should be in answer to ‘The Kraken’ (read below). The poems doesn’t need to imitate Tennyson’s ‘The Kraken’ but may respond to it in varied ways, without limits in terms of form, style, and lyrical language. The winner/s will be announced on National Poetry 2024 (Thursday 3rd October 2024), when we will celebrate ten years of BGU’s Tennyson Poetry Award. To submit your poem, send it as an attachment via email, including your name and contact detail, to Dr Claudia Capancioni, Programme Leader for English, by 3 June 2024: claudia.capancioni@bishopg.ac.uk The Kraken Below the thunders of the upper deep, Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea, His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee About his shadowy sides; above him swell; And far away into the sickly light, From many a wondrous grot and secret cell Unnumbered and enormous polypi Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green. There hath he lain for ages, and will lie Battening upon huge sea worms in his sleep, Until the latter fire shall heat the deep; Then once by man and angels to be seen, In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die. -
BGU Carnival 2023
Promotion To promote the event materials were displayed around campus in areas such as main reception, Curiositea, the Refectory, the Chaplaincy, and Student Advice. A-boards were also placed in key high-traffic areas to capture the attention of as many students as possible. CELT arranged online promotions through the team’s digital display boards and Blackboard, and in collaboration with Marketing and the SU on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and the student portal. Carnival On the day of the carnival, members of CELT and the SU set up Room 3DY with an array of games, wellbeing activities, and music. The strategic placement of both the candy floss and chocolate fondue stalls aimed to encourage students to explore the entire carnival area before heading to their food stall of choice. BGU welcomed therapy ponies courtesy of ‘Rainbow Dreaming CIC’ whose aim is to enrich the lives of as many people as possible through their visits. ‘Jo’ and ‘Buggles’ were very responsive and calm when interacting with the students. The event officially opened at noon, with students initially gathering by the pony enclosure to learn about pony care and their role in helping wellbeing in institutions, such as education and the care sectors. After spending time in this area, students were directed to the carnival in 3DY. Upon arriving at the SU building, students were guided to where carnival bunting and a vibrant atmosphere awaited. A brief introduction by a CELT member set the stage for students to explore the carnival's various activities at their own pace. At the entrance, students were also presented with several support resources. One of these being the Wellbeing Toolkit, which has now seen the fantastic addition of The Recipe Booklet. Carnival activities included ball toss, tin can alley, hook-a-duck, and ‘mindful’ colouring. Games offered the chance to win prizes like a bag of sweets which came in gluten-free and vegan options. While enjoying the activities on offer, students also had the opportunity to indulge in candy floss and a chocolate fountain into which students could dip either marshmallows or fruit. SU mascot Lenny also made an appearance, partaking in a little ‘Pin the tail on the lion’ and offering free hugs and selfies. Most notably this year the infamous hook-a-duck went incident-free, enabling the mop and bucket to remain in the cupboard for another year. In summary, the carnival was a resounding success, generating a vibrant and positive atmosphere. The impressive turnout of over 125 students in 3DY and more than 150 at the pony enclosure underscored the event's popularity. Given the popularity of the event and the positive impact it continues to have on students’ wellbeing, we hope to see the return of the BGU Carnival in 2024. -
LORIC secures Business Support Project funding
Both projects focus on supporting small to medium sized enterprises to engage in research and development that will help them to grow, develop and innovate. A key aspect of the assistance provided via these projects is research to help to provide the information needed by businesses to move forward with the introduction of new products, services and processes. This may involve market research, competitor analysis or designing customer feedback mechanisms. Another important aspect of both projects is supporting businesses to use data more effectively. This can involve using data that a business already holds and analysing it in a way which provides new insights; or accessing new data sets that help to meet the information needs of the business. Through these projects, eligible businesses are able to access digitisation facilities to enable their businesses to become more digitally based and to unlock value from brand heritage by providing digital access to stored documents, such as ledgers, diaries or old photographs. LORIC Project Manager, Kay Purle explains that the support on offer can help to unlock insights that can help businesses to develop new ideas, create new products or services, or even create new business ventures. Support on offer is tailored to the business in order to help them to get the most of their involvement with the projects, and includes bespoke, one-to-one support as well as a range of both online and face to face events. Funding is currently in place to support SMEs in North East Lincolnshire, East Lindsey, Boston and South Holland. For more information visit LORIC | Lincolnshire Open Research & Innovation Centre (bgu.ac.uk) or contact the LORIC team at loric@bishopg.ac.uk. Both projects are made possible by funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. -
Over £600 awarded to improve accessibility at Sport and Fitness centre
Bishop Grosseteste University's on-campus Sport and Fitness Centre has received £621 through Lincolnshire Co-op’s Community Champions scheme. The centre will use this funding to purchase new, accessible equipment, making the fitness centre a more inclusive space for all. The focus will be on expanding the centre's collection of small portable handheld disability friendly gym equipment. For example; resistance bands, light dumbbells and a light battle rope. Carla Evans, Senior Sports and Fitness Centre Instructor said: "Accessibility is a top priority at our fitness centre, and thanks to Lincolnshire Co-op and their generous Community Champions scheme, we will now be able to expand the equipment we have at our facility making us more accessible, and more able to provide disability-friendly opportunities for our local community. "Thank you to everyone who donated, your donation is greatly appreciated and will make a huge impact." Lincolnshire Co-op’s Community Champions scheme combines the efforts of members, colleagues, and customers to raise money for local groups and good causes. A donation is made each time a member shops with their dividend card, colleagues host fundraising events, and customers can donate their spare change. Lincolnshire Co-op's Community Engagement Manager Sam Turner said: “Our Purpose is about making life better in our communities and our Community Champions scheme is central to this. We’re proud to support these local community groups and their amazing work."
Explore BGU
Browse our wide range of degree courses and find the perfect one for you.
Open days are the best way to find out what BGU has to offer.
Download your copy of our prospectus to find out more about life at BGU.