GRADUATION 2023: Myerscough celebrates student success as new Honorary Fellowships awarded

Myerscough’s degree students completing their study programmes in 2023 have been recognised for their achievements, while further education students at a number of Myerscough’s centres have been celebrated at their own special ceremonies.

You can catch up with our ceremonies from our Preston centre in full on our YouTube channel

Alison Robinson, who was attending her final graduation ceremonies as Chief Executive and Principal before her retirement, said: ‘’Graduation is where we recognise and celebrate the achievements of our students from around the world, whether studying on-campus or online.

‘’It’s a day to celebrate, to join with families, friends and Myerscough staff to mark the end of one stage of life’s journey and reflect on the next. It is a day that students have worked towards for a long time and the results reflect the commitment, hard work and dedication of students and staff at University Centre Myerscough.

‘’I hope you have enjoyed life as a Myerscough student and taken full advantage of the many opportunities available both inside and outside the classroom during your years with us. It is these wider experiences which will have developed you as individuals, enhanced job opportunities and established friendships that will last a lifetime.

‘’On behalf of the Governors and staff here at University Centre Myerscough, congratulations to you on your successes, good luck during the next stage of your life journey, and please keep in touch and let us know of your continuing achievements throughout your life.’’

Edwin J Booth, Myerscough College Patron, said: “Today we celebrate the success of daughters, sons, family and friends and we are proud to share in their achievements.

‘’Learning is something that continues throughout life; we hope that you will not see today as an end but as a continuation of the learning journey whether that be continuing in education or entering into employment.

‘’Whatever opportunities lie ahead – seize them and live life to the full. Congratulations!”

Myerscough is also delighted to announce the awarding of its latest Honorary Fellowships.

Sharon Durdant-Hollamby, Rick Shiels and Allan Foster have all accepted the highest honour that the College can bestow.

They have now been inducted into Myerscough’s elite group of inspirational people and join a very exclusive club that contains names from the world of business, sport and entertainment.

Sharon Durdant-Hollamby

Sharon, who was President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters until April 2023, is also a Chartered Arboriculturist and Fellow of the Institute, with experience in local government and contracting.

In 2007 she took on the role of Managing Director for a private environmental consultancy, providing arboricultural, landscape and ecological services, and since 2015 has been the Director of Sharon Hosegood Associates Ltd, an innovative arboricultural consultancy. Her specialisms are trees in relation to planning and construction, tree hazard management, and tree radar. A Fellow of the Arboricultural Association and an Expert Witness, Sharon brings to the Institute a passion for promoting careers in arboriculture and forestry, spreading the word about trees in general, and improving the wellbeing of our society through improved environments.

She is a former member of the British Standards Institute Trees Committee, a regular contributor to Trees and Design Action Group and a regular public speaker and chair, both home and abroad. With her husband Noel, Sharon hosts and produces the Tree Lady Talks podcast, covering all things tree, nature, outdoor spaces and wellbeing related through conversations with people from all walks of life.

Sharon Durdant-Hollamby is awarded a Myerscough Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her outstanding contribution to arboriculture and forestry.

Sharon said: “Look forward to a brilliant career. There has never been a more important time to work with trees; tackling the biodiversity, climate and nature deficit crises and meeting peoples innate need for nature.

‘’Expect to be curious, scientifically rigorous, compassionate, an advocate, a creative problem solver and a visionary. Sometimes you will be a lone voice in a team who have other priorities, and you will need to champion trees. At other times you will work with a team to push forward emerging technologies, new social science and community engagement.

‘’Trees are silent witnesses to changing times. Be part of the profession that continues to push things forward to the next level to ensure the health of trees, society and the planet.”

Rick Shiels

From his humble beginnings growing up playing golf after school with his mum, to passing over two million subscribers on YouTube, Rick knows what it takes to drive the game forward and reach millions of golfers across the globe.

By his teens, Rick truly had the golf bug and was playing dawn to dusk whenever he could, especially during his school summer holidays. He went on to study a National Diploma in Golf Studies here at Myerscough College for two years and, at 18 years old, decided that a job in golf was something that he wanted to pursue.

Rick turned pro at the age of 19 and enlisted on the three year PGA course, during which time his mindset changed, and he knew that he wanted to focus his attention on coaching. From then on he began to transition to posting his coaching content online and, from humble beginnings, his YouTube career started to take off. Rick’s popularity grew and grew over the years, and he started to make a difference to the games of millions of golfers across the globe.

In 2019, Rick helped host the first ever YouTube Golf Day which raised over £15,000 for Prostate Cancer UK and only last year walked 150 miles prior to the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews with his golf clubs on his back, raising an astonishing £115,000 for the same charity.

Rick Shiels is awarded a Myerscough Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contribution to golf.

Allan Foster

Allan Foster is the current Chair of the Myerscough College Corporation.

Allan spent 35 years in universities – Sheffield Hallam, University of Central Lancashire, University of Manchester and, finally, at Keele University until he retired in 2005.

He subsequently taught part time at Manchester Metropolitan University and has been a consultant to a variety of companies and educational institutions globally. He was responsible for leading the development of various areas of learning support and resources, information management and IT, media production and archives and has written extensively on these topics.

He was a director of a university press and has been actively involved in scholarly publishing and the challenges this faces in a fast moving digital landscape. He served on management and governance boards at these institutions and on numerous external bodies in higher education and research. In the last decade he has served as a senior governor at Lytham St Annes High School, one of the biggest secondary schools in Lancashire, and is currently Chair of the School’s Resources Committee.

His educational philosophy has always been to put the learner at the centre of all endeavours and he’s proud that Myerscough’s ethos is entirely consistent with this.

Allan Foster is awarded a Myerscough Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the education sector.

Allan said: “I’m proud and humbled to be involved in the graduation celebrations.

‘’Myerscough rightly prides itself on its connections to employers in the land-based and sports sectors. From today onwards our students will be alumni of the College and we hope that they will carry very happy memories of their time here as they progress in their successful professional careers.