News release: Turning your life around

Abstract

Gerald Vaughan changed his life completely when he took early retirement from the
civil service. He got the teaching bug after working for an IT training company and
decided to take things one step further by enrolling on a Certificate in Education course
at Burnley College. Now Gerald, 61, from Briercliffe is doing so well that he's been
given a special award at a ceremony at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
Gerald, now working as an IT tutor at Burnley College, was presented with the Tim
Curtis Award for Outstanding Progress. The Awards are presented annually, as a
lasting memorial to a former Deputy Director of the University who died of Leukaemia
and who was passionate about extending access to higher education to people who may
have missed their chance first time round. Each year nominated students from the
University's partner colleges, who have performed particularly well in the face of
difficulty, are presented with a certificate and a cheque for £150.
A fellow award winner from Burnley College was mature student Joanna Ridehalgh,
who was given the Partnership Award, also for outstanding progress. Joanna, originally
a pub landlady has always wanted to work with children. She went back to college to
take a two-year Higher National Diploma in Childhood Studies and has now progressed
to the University to take a degree in education. She eventually hopes to become a
teacher.
8 May 2003
nr039pc
-ends-
Note to editors: Digital image attached- Joanna Ridehalgh, John Wilkinson (Burnley
College) and Gerald Vaughan at the special Awards Ceremony in Preston.