STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS | 07


Graduate Vikki Playforth was not content to


simply tackle the years of intense study necessary to become a primary teacher for children with special educational needs. At the same time she put in an amazing 782 hours of voluntary service, with activities that took her from her native Lancashire to Peru in the South American continent, where she volunteered in a local orphanage, raising much needed funds for games and toys with, amongst other things, a bungee jump.


Graham Chadwick, 25, had already


completed a BSc in Outdoor Studies when he enrolled on the Graduate Diploma in Youth and Community Development. As part of his course he undertook a 12-week placement in Brazil with “Volunteer in Brazil” working on their two main projects: the first project is based in Rio de Janeiro and works with young people living in poverty from the favelas (slums), supporting their education and giving them opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.


The other project is based in rural Brazil in the poorest and driest state and supports local community development projects, such as the building of 150 houses in a remote village, while currently it supports an agricultural college. This enables young people to receive education and gain skills, allowing them to remain living in their communities rather then being forced to find work in the major cities. They are also taught English.


N Andrew Elliott


won an Award of Merit from the Accolade competition (USA) for The Maniac Project with Ed Cooper his tutor and co-producer.


Andrew (right) with Ed


Designer/maker Tom Hopkins-Gibson, who graduated with first class honours in contemporary applied arts in 2008, was featured in The Next Big Thing, a BBC2 series presented by Theo Paphitis of “Dragons Den” fame, which followed Tom and other new designers as they bid to catch the eye of well-known retailers.


In a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the six-week series followed Tom as he succeeded in securing a commission from iconic department store Liberty.


Above: Tom Hopkins-Gibson


Tom’s delicate wood grained ceramics and carved driftwood bowls bear witness to his previous working life as a carpenter, before he returned to study for his degree as a mature student.


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