HE/FE NEWS Glasgow Clyde College invests £40,000 into Esports programme
Glasgow Clyde College has announced the completion of a £40,000 investment into the revamp of the cutting-edge Esports suite at its Cardonald campus.
This investment has allowed the computing department to invest in brand new computer rigs, a complete room revamp and even a commentary booth, which adds a new dimension to its Esports course, opening up even more career opportunities for current and future students. The Esports industry in Scotland has developed incredibly over the last few years, and the Scottish Esports Federation was established in 2017. There
are now talks of Scotland competing with the British Federation of Esports at the Olympics. The college introduced its Esports lab five years ago, after a lot of future proofing and development conversations within the computing team.
The investment will ensure that their student cohorts will have the best experience to learn and grow in the industry and be able to access top of the range equipment.
Kevin MacLean, Head of Sector for the Faculty of Future Technologies and Designs at Glasgow Clyde College explains, “We are extremely fortunate to have received such a generous amount of funding from
the college. The funding has really allowed us to develop and enhance the students’ learning journey and experience.
“The new revamped suite gives the department a new fit for purpose facility for our staff and students to come and use. This really is a very exciting time for Esports, not only globally but also here in Scotland and the UK.” The Esports curriculum currently offers modules such as competitive gaming, game performance, broadcasting, organising events, health and wellbeing and branding. Students receive a Computing qualification with esports,
which allows them to diversify and go into game design and development, or further their education by taking it on at foundation degree level at Dundee and Angus College.
Through this course, young people are gaining and developing their skills in gaming concepts as well as game design and development. Glasgow Clyde College is passionate about also embedding the soft, transferable, everyday skills that the students can take with them into any job or career that they end up going into, whether it’s the world of Esports or not.
Northumbria University academic awarded OBE for services to education
A Northumbria University academic who played a key role in bringing breakfast clubs and holiday activities to millions of children across the country has been rewarded for her work in the King’s New Year’s Honours List. Professor Greta Defeyter, Director of the Healthy Living Lab at Northumbria University, has been awarded an OBE in recognition of services to education.
Professor Defeyter has spent the last 20 years researching how meals and enriching activities
can be, and are being, provided to millions of children across the UK through schools and community organisations.
Her work has significantly influenced the Department for Education’s rollout of a National School Breakfast programme and funding of the Holiday Activities and Food programme for children and young people across England.
She established the Healthy Living Lab in 2006 to investigate the impacts of school breakfast clubs on children’s health, social and educational wellbeing. Working with Kellogg’s, the Greggs Foundation and Blackpool Council between 2008 and 2019, her research demonstrated that breakfast clubs can improve school attendance and punctuality, motivation, social relationships, educational attainment and quality of life for many children.
This evidence has supported the nationwide expansion of breakfast clubs over the past fifteen years. In September the Chancellor announced a £315 million free breakfast club programme that would provide free school breakfast clubs in all state-funded primary schools next year.
Recognising that school holidays brought difficulties for many families, Professor Defeyter expanded her research. Her evaluations of holiday clubs and city-wide holiday programmes evidenced the need for
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the UK government to alleviate holiday hunger and ensure that children and young people were offered nutritious food and engaging activities outside of term time as well as during the academic year. As a result, in 2021 the government announced that up to £220 million was being made available to local authorities across England to fund the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. HAF and the new HAF Plus programme, which has been co-designed to make it more engaging for older children, provide activities and healthy food to nearly one million children and young people during the school holidays each year. The HAF Plus framework has also been adopted by supporting organisations, such as Kitchen Social, funded by the Mayor’s Fund for London, and has been implemented across all London boroughs.
More recently, Professor Defeyter has been researching broader issues around poverty, school meals, and the Healthy Start Scheme. Through her work with national charities, schools, supermarkets, and caterers, she is currently advising the UK and Scottish Governments on developing national strategies and policies to eliminate the need for food banks. This includes the introduction of Affordable Food Clubs and Cash First Plus programmes; both designed to maximise household income and improve dietary intake and overall well-being. The Order of the British Empire (OBE) is awarded to those who have made a significant impact in the arts, sciences, charitable work and public service.
Professor Defeyter said: “I am both delighted and astonished at being awarded an OBE. To be recognised in this manner for my research with children, young people and families is a humbling experience. “Most importantly, I would like to thank all the organisations, local authorities, charities, children, young people, parents and carers who trusted me, and worked alongside me to conduct this research that has enabled societal change.
“Finally, I wish to thank all my research colleagues within the Healthy Living Lab for all of their support in conducting the research that has made a difference to millions of children and young people. I thank you all!”
Professor Defeyter will formally receive her OBE at a ceremony later in the year.
January 2025
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