Chaplaincy notice

11 April 2008

Honorary Fellowships are given in recognition of outstanding achievement by an individual in a given field or profession and to those who exemplify LJMU's ethos to 'dream, plan and achieve'.

Professor Michael Brown, LJMU's Vice Chancellor, said: "Our graduation ceremonies are going to be extra special this year. Not only are all of our Honorary Fellows exceptional individuals who have achieved much in their specific professions but Dr Brian May will be attending for the first time as our new Chancellor. We pride ourselves on being an entrepreneurial university. All of our Honorary Fellows possess this trait too and as such are outstanding role models for our students."

This year LJMU will be joined by:

• Richard Stilgoe OBE receives his Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contribution to musical theatre and his support for educating the young through performance art. Richard's 40 year career includes television, with appearances on Nationwide and That's Life, plus collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, providing the lyrics for Cats, Starlight Express and Phantom of the Opera. He also founded the Orpheus Centre in Surrey, a performing arts centre for young disabled people and presents the Music for Youth School Proms every year.
• TV presenter, broadcaster and children's campaigner Esther Rantzen CBE will be admitted as a Fellow of the University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to journalism and for her pioneering work with Childline. Since its launch in October 1986, Childline has counselled over 1million children and currently receives around 4,000 calls a day.
• Dr Brian Jacques receives his Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contribution to children's literature. Brian is a best selling author of more than 25 books for younger readers, including the hugely popular Redwall series.
• Norma Heyman receives a Fellowship in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the British film industry. Norma is an award winning and pioneering producer of some of the UK's most successful films including Dangerous Liaisons, The Honorary Consul, Buster, Mary Reilly and Mrs Henderson Presents. A founder of the Women in Film and Television organisation, Norma has been active in encouraging new generations of women into the industry. 
• The Right Hon Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank receives his Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contribution to politics and public service. He was one of the Gang of Four who founded the SDP and is now, as Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.
• Professor Martin Rees will be admitted as a Fellow of the University in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Astronomy. He is one of the UK's most gifted scientists and is currently President of the Royal Society, Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge.
• Andrew Holroyd OBE receives a Fellowship in recognition of his long and dedicated career as a leading Liverpool solicitor serving the inner city communities. An active legal aid campaigner, he specialises in immigration law at Jackson and Canter, where he is a partner. Andrew has been the President of the Law Society since 1999.
• Rosemary Hawley MBE JP DL receives her Fellowship in recognition of her long standing support and service to LJMU. Rosemary served on the Board of Governors for 10 years, taking one year out to serve as High Sheriff of Merseyside. In addition to her dedicated service at LJMU, Rosemary is Chair of the Knowsley NHS Primary Care Trust, former Chair of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, a Director of the Blackburne House Centre for Women and a Magistrate.
• Jim Gill OBE receives a Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the regeneration and economic rebirth of Liverpool since the 1980s. Jim has been Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision, the UK's first urban regeneration company, since 2001 and has overseen the enormous redevelopment of Liverpool city centre. This year, Jim became Chief Executive of Liverpool's new economic development company, which brings together the resources of three agencies, including Liverpool Vision.
• John Mohin FRSA receives his Fellowship in recognition of his commitment to broadening the understanding and appreciation of English ceramics through his work as a Director of Wedgwood and otherwise. Born in Liverpool, John has been a keen advocate and champion of the University's Roscoe Lecture series and plays a key role in strengthening the relationship between Wedgwood and LJMU. 
• Lynette Beardwood will be admitted as a Fellow of the University in recognition of her charitable work and support for Merseyside students.  Lynette has strong family connections with both Liverpool and the Wirral.   She became involved with LJMU ten years ago out of concern that financial pressures were once again preventing some of the region's brightest young people from continuing into higher education. Lynette is a Trustee of the University and leads in the development of the LJMU Alumni Association which, amongst other activities, enables successful graduates to support future generations of students.

Recognising LJMU's increasing connections with Malaysia, the University will present a further two Honorary Fellowships to:

• Yoong Lai Thye, Principal of TAR College, Malaysia, will receive an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her dedicated services to higher education. Ms Yoong has played an instrumental role in cementing relations between TAR College and LJMU. This partnership has enabled over 2,000 Malaysian students to study at the University since 2002, thanks to a unique collaborative summer semester programme.
• Dr Puan Hajjah Bibi Florina Abdullah, Malaysia's First Director of Nursing at the Ministry of Health, receives her Fellowship in recognition of her outstanding services to nursing and midwifery education. In collaboration with LJMU, Matron Bibi is overseeing the rapid modernisation of nursing services within Malaysia to provide high quality healthcare for its citizens.

LJMU will also present three corporate awards to:

• Macmillan Cancer Support in recognition of its contribution to improving the lives of people affected by cancer, particularly through the work of Macmillan nurses. Macmillan provides practical, medical, emotional and financial support for people diagnosed with cancer and their families, campaigns for better cancer care and fights discrimination. The Award will be accepted by Chief Executive, Ciaran Devane.
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation in recognition of its outstanding contribution to searching out the causes of social problems, demonstrating possible solutions to them, and influencing social change. Director Julia Unwin will accept the award on behalf of the Foundation.
• Amnesty International in recognition of its global contribution to human rights. Amnesty International has more than a quarter of a million members in the UK and over two million worldwide, who are campaigning to abolish the death penalty and end torture, for the release of all prisoners of conscience, to control the arms trade and to stop violence against women. The organisation's vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the 60th anniversary of which will be marked in 2008. The award will be accepted by Amnesty International Director, Kate Allen.

Nominations for Fellowships and Corporate Awards are invited from both inside and outside the University and are selected on a confidential basis by a special committee representing the Board of Governors, the Academic Board and the Students' Union.