Keele University Students’ Union scores top marks for its legal services

Keele University Students’ Union’s Independent Advice Unit has received high praise in a recent Community Legal Service Quality Mark audit. 

The IAU has been offering a full range of advice services to Keele students for the last 17 years, including advice on housing, debt, immigration and academic and personal issues.   The Unit’s three trained advisors offer professional, free, independent advice that’s confidential and non-judgmental.    

The IAU is a member of the Community Legal Service, which awards the Quality Mark.  The Quality Mark itself ensures that organisations who provide legal services to members of the public have achieved quality assurance standards that assure the quality of information and advice provided. 

While the unit has held the full award for the past 7 years, the post-award monitoring audit highlighted its ‘very good strategic planning process’ and its exemplary documentation process.  The auditor said, “Congratulations to everyone involved in maintaining a high level of compliance…this is a credit to your organisation.”

Keele University student hopes to be crowned Miss Ghana UK

A Keele University student is in the running to be crowned Miss Ghana UK at a gala pageant on Saturday (NOVEMBER 7).

Melissa Obosi

Melissa Obosi, who is studying for a master’s degree in International Relations, is among nine finalists in the competition, which aims to highlight Ghana’s rich heritage and bring together UK-based Ghanaians in a celebration of their culture.

The 22-year-old, who comes from North London, is a keen charity worker and plans to work with people in Ghana to raise awareness of the dangers of cancer if she is crowned the winner. Her ambition is to work on overseas development and humanitarian campaigns.

She said: “Miss Ghana UK is a prestigious role and the winner is seen as a role model for Ghanaians around the world. I am a little nervous and have been working hard to prepare for the pageant, but it will all be worth it on the night.

“Being an international relations student I have a keen interest in humanitarian campaigns and am keen to promote education, empowerment and self-reliance. I have lost a few people to cancer, but I have also seen people who have overcome it. That’s why I want to help people in Ghana learn that there are simple procedures that can save their lives.”

Keele scientists in their element with chemistry podcasts

Two scientists from Keele University have contributed podcasts to an interactive look at the periodic table.

Professor Pat Bailey and Dr Katherine Haxton appear in Chemistry World’s Chemistry In Its Element series, in which a leading scientist or author takes a look at the story behind an element.

Professor Bailey compares Boron to a “boring, middle-aged accountant […] with an unexpected side to him in his spare time”, while Dr Haxton’s look at Platinum takes in blonde hair, expensive jewellery, a new generation of catalysts, anti cancer drugs and the Spanish conquistadors.

Professor Bailey, dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Keele University, said: “It was a challenge to write a three minute description of my chemical element in an unusual and engaging way, and good fun to have to deliver it in a recording studio – the closest most academics will get to recording a pop song, I guess!”

Chemistry World is the publication of the Royal Society of Chemistry. The interactive periodic table can be found at http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/podcast/element.asp

Key appointments at Keele University Faculty of Health

Keele University’s Faculty of Health has announced two key appointments.

Professor Gordon Ferns has been appointed to the combined post of Director of the Research Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine in Keele’s Faculty of Health and Director of R&D at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and Professor Val Wass has been named as Head of the Keele University Medical School and Professor of Medical Education.

Professor Ferns was Dean of Medicine at the University of Surrey and Clinical Director of the NIHR Surrey & Sussex Comprehensive Local Research Network. Professor Ferns qualified in Medicine from St Barts, University of London then undertook specialty training in Chemical Pathology at the hospital where he worked on the molecular genetics of diabetes and atherosclerosis supported by a Wellcome Clinical Fellowship. Following his MD, Professor Ferns spent three years in Seattle, Washington as American Heart Association-British Heart Foundation Fellow developing models of accelerated atherosclerosis. He returned to the UK in 1991 to the post of Senior Scientist in the William Harvey Research Institute. He was appointed to a Senior Lectureship in Chemical Pathology at the University of Leicester (1993-1995), before his appointment to the Chair of Metabolic and Molecular Medicine at the University of Surrey where he has been for the past 14 years. In 2007 he was appointed Dean of Medicine at the University and Clinical Director of the NIHR Surrey & Sussex Comprehensive Local Research Network.

Professor Wass graduated from Guys, University of London then worked at the hospital for ten years in Paediatrics and Nephrology before an interest in holistic patient care led her to train in Primary Care. She practiced for 11 years as a GP in Kent before moving back into academic medicine at Guy’s, Kings and St Thomas’s Medical School as a Senior Lecturer in Primary Care. In 2003 she was appointed as Professor of Community Based Medical Education at Manchester Medical School and is currently responsible for the community programme and for leading academic and international development of the course.

Students working together to make a difference in North Staffordshire

Students from Keele and Staffordshire Universities are working with local organisation LOVEstoke to make a difference for people in need across North Staffordshire as part of CSV Make a Difference Day, the UK’s single biggest day of volunteering.

Student volunteers will be at the LOVEstoke When… distribution centre in Fenton on Saturday (October 31) to sort items that have been donated from companies such as Ethel Austin. Once sorted these items are distributed to people in need across the City such as single parents, children’s centres and women’s refuges.

Keele and Staffordshire University students regularly give up their time to volunteer with a variety of organisations in Stoke and across Staffordshire, while LOVEstoke works with people and projects across the City to improve communities.

The CSV (Community Service Volunteers) Make a Difference campaign encourages and celebrates people who take action to make their community a better place. Together with LOVEstoke, Keele and Staffordshire University students are only too glad to take part in community action that ensures Stoke is a great place to live, work and play.

Becky Wardell, of VE@Keele, Keele’s volunteering society, said: “Our volunteers are really passionate about helping others.  It’s often the small volunteering projects which can make a real difference and a big contribution to improving our whole community.  That is why we are supporting LoveStoke at the When… distribution centre, because it’s something that anyone can be involved in and it benefits local people in the community.”