Student Life Talk inspires youngsters to pursue university path

YOUNG people in Lancashire were given a valuable insight into university life thanks to a programme which helps support students to progress onto higher education. A group of 20 1st and second year students from West Lancashire College's Public Services course were paid a visit by Future U Student Ambassador, Robin Duffy, who delivered an inspirational session as part of the programme's Student Life Talks.

Robin Duffy, 23, is studying an MSc in Disaster Management at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), after achieving a degree in:- 'Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation.' Sharing his own experiences, Robin provided an in depth overview of all aspects of university life, including applying for places, obtaining student finance, arranging accommodation, managing timetables, budgeting and exploring extra curricular activities.

Future U is a ₤2.2 million Lancashire initiative led by UCLan and involves institutions and organisations across the county, including Lancaster University, Edge Hill University, the University of Cumbria, Blackburn College, Myerscough College and West Lancashire College. A network of 53 Schools, in addition to Colleges, higher education providers and local agencies work together to create activities tailored to the needs of their own.  Robin said:- "It's exciting to achieve your goal and being at university showed me that it's possible. I have had lots of experiences at university including a field trip to Arizona to investigate a plane crash, playing for the university football team and spending my summers working as a camp leader at Camp America. I have done so much in such a short space of time and it's possible for anyone. That's why I aim to inspire future students and once I have my MA, hopefully work for the New York Police Department in the future."

Jessica Richmond, an Outreach Officer at Future U, coaches Student Ambassadors, like Robin to deliver motivational talks in Schools and Colleges around the county.  She said:- "We find that College students can relate to university students as they find them inspiring. The talks show students that 'someone like me' can go to university and demonstrate that there is so much more to university than just studying. We want to allow pupils to explore their strengths, interests and ambitions to realise what possibilities there are for young people wanting to go on into further education. There are opportunities out there that need to be grabbed and Future U can highlight those possibilities."

Mike Cooney, Public Services course team leader at West Lancashire College, added:- "Guest speakers contribute to student enrichment and gives them inspiration for future career opportunities, to see real life situations of comparable learners who have been successful."

Future U received funding from the Office for Students (OfS) as part of its ₤60 million National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP). NCOP is a national network of local partnerships which provides higher education outreach to young people from years 9 to 13 in areas across England where higher education participation is lower than expected.

Protecting Children's Services Funding Crisis

CHILDREN'S care chiefs with Liverpool City Council have joined a national call to action to halt an impending crisis in funding for Children's Services after it was revealed that the City is 1 of the 20 worst hit areas in the country for budget cuts. 5 of the UK's leading children's charities have joined forces to highlight the country's worst:- 'kids cuts hotspots' where local Councils have faced the biggest real terms drop in funding. The report reveals that Liverpool has faced a 41% reduction in funding for Children's Services since 2010/11. With warnings that Local Authorities are facing a ₤3 billion funding gap for Children's Services by 2025, chief executive of Action for Children Julie Bentley has warned that Children's Services are now at:- 'breaking point' Liverpool has lost ₤441m in funding from Central Government since 2010/11, which equates to ₤816 less for every man, woman and child in the City.  Despite this, the City Council has pledged to protect vital services for children, including keeping all of Liverpool's 17 children's centres open. The Council has also announced that it will recruit 160 new members of children's Social Care staff in a bid to reduce caseloads by ½. The report has been put together by:- Action for Children, the National Children's Bureau, Barnado's, The Children's Society and the NSPCC. It concludes that overall, the amount of money available for Children's Services has fallen by a ⅓ per child since 2010. You can find out more about the report on:- ChildrensSociety.Org.UK.

Steve Reddy, Director of Children's Services for Liverpool explains why despite the challenging environment, Liverpool is still making children a priority for our City. "In line with the Mayor's Inclusive Growth Plan priorities, we recognise the future prosperity of the City is dependent on investing in our children and young people. Despite the significant cuts to Local Government budgets, Liverpool is investing in Social Care services to ensure staff have manageable workloads, and they are able to achieve better outcomes for children and families."

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member, Cllr Barry Kushner, said:- "The reduction in funding to our Children's Services has been 41%, so we are trying to protect and prioritise our children, in very difficult circumstances. In the last 9 years we've seen increasing demand from families in crisis coupled a reduction in resources for the Council; who families are looking to, for help in their time of need. Councils need appropriate funding to support children and families in crisis because that is what people deserve."