Howard League Student Group at Runshaw College

JENNIFER Kay, from the Howard League for Penal Reform recently visited Runshaw Adult College to speak to degree students who had a specific interest in penal reform. Jennifer is the National Student Officer and her role involves travelling around England and Wales informing and supporting students with an interest in setting up a student group.

Students from courses including the BA (Hons) Criminology & Criminal Justice, BA (Hons) LLB Law with Criminology and BSc Psychology attended a presentation delivered by Jennifer, in which she discussed the overall aims and vision of the Howard League.

In the afternoon Jennifer held a smaller focus group with students interested in setting up Runshaw College's first ever Howard League Student Group. This was an extremely successful session which resulted in official affiliation with The Howard League for Penal Reform. During the academic year (2011 to 2012), the Student Group will be organising a range of meetings as well as visits from guest speakers within the area of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

"Runshaw College has excellent facilities for students. I was really impressed when I saw the teaching and learning facilities available.  The students were enthusiastic and it is clear they are thoroughly enjoying their studies at Runshaw. I am really looking forward to working with them over the next academic year." commented Jennifer.

Laura Monteith, Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Criminology & Criminal Justice course at Runshaw College added:- "Having been a member of a Howard League group while I was at university, I wanted our students to have the opportunity to get involved in this. It really helps bring learning to life and allows for debate and discussion with guest speakers and academics with real experience and knowledge within this sector, which is invaluable when studying Criminology and Criminal Justice at degree level."

Disaster has struck at St Helens Theatre Royal!

WHILST polishing his magic lamp in preparation for the Pantomime season in St Helens, Genie accidentally picked up Widow Twankey’s Veruca cream instead of the Brasso and completely ruined the 1000 year old relic he calls home. After the biggest diva fit in St Helens Theatre Royal history, yes, even bigger than Freddie Starr’s, Genie is without a place to live and the panto is without a lamp, so his friends are bringing him to Liverpool to go shopping for a new one.

So Aladdin (Coronation Street’s Nick Cochrane), Jasmine (Leah Murphy), Abernazer (Master of illusion Richard de Vere), Widow Twankey (Si Foster), Slave of the Ring (Radio City 96.7’s Claire Simonsen) and of course Genie (Marc Lawlor) are coming to Liverpool on an amazingly magical contraption known as a train (magic carpet’s carbon emissions are just too high to fly that far sadly, think of the planet) before having a look around the magical, alternative and antique boutiques and emporiums of Liverpool including 69A.

Genie said:- "I was so upset and annoyed with myself and with Widow Twankey for leaving her cream out in the middle of the dressing room like that. When I saw the lamp, my home, disintegrate in front of my eyes my heart broke into a million pieces and since then I haven’t felt like granting a single wish since, which isn’t good with the panto opening in only a couple of weeks. Lucky for Widow Twankey, I don’t hold a grudge and won’t be swapping the cream with Brasso (muahahaha). I just want to find a new home and put this whole sorry episode behind me. I’ve been watching a lot of that Kirsty Allsopp’s ‘Kristy’s Homemade Home' over the last few weeks though and now I can’t wait to decorate, which has softened the blow a little, I suppose!"

Chantelle Nolan, Theatre Manager at St Helens Theatre Royal and the show’s Director said:- "I was sat at my desk in the office and heard the most incredible screams, I couldn’t believe it. When I ran down to the dressing rooms, I saw Genie in a heap crying and Abernazer in such a flap, I didn’t know what had happened. I feel so sorry for Genie losing his home in that way, especially so close to Christmas and have had some stern words with Widow Twankey since. I hope that Genie finds a new home he can live in for the next thousand years during his trip to Liverpool and save the show in the process. After all, we can’t tell the tale of Aladdin without a magic lamp, can we boys and girls?"