News reports located on this page = 2.

University project receives funding boost

A programme to help more young people in West Lancashire start University has been handed a funding boost after being renewed until July 2021. Future U, which works to increase the numbers of young people in Lancashire attending higher education, has been extended for the next academic year, following an approval of funding by the Office for Students. The ₤60m University Connect programme supports 29 different projects like Future U all across the UK to help young people in School years 9 to 13 access higher education.

Since launching in 2017, Future U has held more than 800 events and activities to support over 16,000 young people to think about applying for University. The programme works alongside the county's 4 Universities and 10 colleges throughout Lancashire, including:- West Lancashire College and Edge Hill University, and has continued to deliver activities online during the lockdown. In addition to promoting the benefits of University to prospective students, the programme also supports young people to understand student finance, living away from home and raising career ambitions to develop the next set of skilled workers for the county.

Theo Blackburn, Programme Manager at Future U said:- "Future U plays a crucial role in supporting young people across Lancashire by raising their aspirations and removing barriers to them progressing on to University as well as Higher and Degree Apprenticeships. As part of Phase 2 of our project we are very excited about the increased number of Schools and colleges we are able to support with our new criteria. We're also watching what a positive impact our new website is having in supporting all secondary Schools across Lancashire. We will be increasing the range of resources available over the coming months including guidance for parents and carers on how to support their young people."

Future U is part of the national University Connect Programme, funded by the Office for Students, and continues to support School pupils across Lancashire to encourage more young people to think about higher education and future careers. The project involves institutions and organisations across the county including the University of Central Lancashire, Lancaster University, Edge Hill University and the University of Cumbria. Lancashire's Future U works with a network of Schools, in addition to colleges, higher education providers and local agencies to create tailored activities to meet the needs of students for now and the future. Its list of partners includes:- Blackburn College, Blackpool 6th Form College, Blackpool and the Fylde College, Burnley College, Edge Hill University, Inspira, Kendal College, Lancaster University, Myerscough College, Nelson and Colne College, Preston's College, STEMFirst, Runshaw College, The Lancashire Colleges, University of Central Lancashire, University of Cumbria, West Lancashire College.

Inspiring NHS anthology being created through Covid-19 pandemic

A free online creative writing course:- 'Writing for Wellbeing,' designed for people to do whether they are self isolating or social distancing during lockdown and to help support the wellbeing of key workers and the general public in the battle against Covid-19. Contributors and participants have so far included:- NHS staff from Alder Hey, Great Ormond Street, Manchester, Sheffield and Edinburgh NHS Hospitals and trusts, as well as those shielding for health reasons and generally social distancing. Participants have reported a boost to their overall sense of wellbeing and said they felt less isolated as a result of being involved in the programme, in addition to learning new creative writing skills. The Writing for Wellbeing programme is led by PhD candidate Bernadette McBride and Dr Sam Solnick, using research and featuring appearances from academics and writers connected to the University of Liverpool's Literature and Science Hub and Centre for New and International Writing.

The project was based on a Writing for Wellbeing programme that McBride and Solnick were running at the:- 'Life Rooms at the Playhouse Project,' an initiative between NHS Mersey Care and Everyman and Playhouse Theatres. Once lockdown began, McBride and Solnick then began to make the:- 'Writing for Wellbeing' creative writing videos online instead opening it up to key workers and those shielding and self isolating. McBride has previously worked with Alder Hey Children's Hospital leading a 12 week Writing for Wellbeing course for staff in 2019. She also won the Liverpool Guild award for the:- 'Biggest Impact on the City of Liverpool' for her work championing arts for health projects in the City. And now, after 3 months of lockdown, the course organizers are working with all those who have sent in poetry and prose in response to the course to produce a:- 'Writing for Wellbeing' anthology, which will be published later this summer. All proceeds will go to NHS charities in the Merseyside area.

The anthology is still open for submissions until Friday, 17 July 2020, at 5pm. Anyone can submit as long as their writing responds in some way to 1 of the course videos on the Writing for Wellbeing website. All of the course materials are still available to view with guidelines on submitting to the anthology online.  Each week of the course had a different theme producing creative writing from varied lockdown subjects from:- "Hope and Reimagined Futures" to "Voicing Vulnerability." Participants send their writing in and get personalized feedback and tips from the University's English department.