Wednesday 09-07-2014 - 10:33

Last week, the staff and officer team from University of Cumbria Students’ Union were invited to the annual NUS Awards, held this year at Bolton’s Macron Football Stadium.

The awards ceremony was on the final evening of the annual NUS Conference, and it was a pleasure to meet representatives from other unions from around the country, sharing stories, successes, and tips for best practice.  It was a great reminder of the wider student movement we are all a part of, and the various achievements from all corners of the country that result in positive outcomes and enhanced experiences for students in the UK.

UCSU received the Students’ Union Evaluation Initiative (SUEI) Silver Award – one of only three unions in the country to be awarded this level this year.  This is an improvement on our Bronze Award of 2010, and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to improving and enhancing all of the services, opportunities and activities we provide for our members.  The SUEI Silver Award is also testament to the hard work and enthusiasm of our staff and elected officer team, especially when considering the weight of various challenges we had to overcome during the last 12 months – working with a smaller staff team with fewer resources, but still trying to represent the needs and interests of some 10,000 members spread all over the country in 6 different campus locations.  We are absolutely delighted that our hard work, dedication and commitment to improving the student experience at the University of Cumbria has been recognised nationally, and we look forward to continuing this in to the new academic year, with a brand new officer team.

UCSU also scooped the big award of the night – the Endsleigh Student of the Year Award. This was the last award to be given out, and you could feel the anticipation and excitement building as the shortlist was read out.  Natalie Atkinson, who is about to graduate from University of Cumbria with a first class honours BSc Police, Investigation and Criminology Degree, was nominated along with thousands of students from other unions all over the country.  What makes Natalie’s victory all the more sweet is that this category was the only one which was open to public applications – meaning that any student from any institution could submit an application. 

Natalie won “by quite some distance” according to the presenter, and she was congratulated by current NUS President, Toni Pearce. Natalie’s story is frankly inspirational, and came to our attention after receiving multiple nominations for our own annual Success Awards.   Between the ages of 13 and 18, Natalie lived in no fewer than 25 different addresses, with over 50 convictions for battery and assault, spending time under sentence in secure children’s units, and later, prison. Living with rapists, murderers and drug dealers led to depression, addiction and self-harm. Despite a troubled background, Natalie overcame all of these issues after her release to embark on her degree at the University of Cumbria. She has now been accepted to study a Master’s degree in Criminology at the London School of Economics (LSE) in September 2014 – quite a remarkable journey, and one which has enabled her to turn her life around.  Her positive attitude and commitment to her studies has transformed Natalie’s life, and the future looks incredibly bright for her. She was recently the subject of BBC TV documentary, ‘Banged up and left to fail,’ on BBC 3, which gave younger viewers a chance to understand how people and times can change for the better if you set your mind to it.

We’re incredibly proud to have Natalie as a member of UCSU, and wish her every success when she embarks on her Master’s at LSE. A truly inspirational woman and a fine example of how anything is possible, regardless of background and whatever has gone before.

We caught up with her after the Awards to find out more about her incredible journey whilst at the University of Cumbria.

How does it feel to be recognised and rewarded for your achievements?

Winning Endsleigh Student of the Year 2014 is amazing and to be honest I am still in shock that I was given the award. I was absolutely speechless when my name was called out! I feel really proud of UCSU, the University and myself - without the University I would not have been given the opportunity to study.

How has Cumbria contributed to your academic success?

The amount of support I have received from UoC, especially those linked directly to BSc Policing, Investigation and Criminology has been unbelievable and I could not have asked for any more support and guidance. I would recommend UoC to anyone who wants to be part of a small and friendly University. Going to UoC has been one of the best decisions of my life and I am thankful that I chose to go to a smaller University were I was able to receive guidance, understanding and the support I needed to succeed.

What advice would you give to young people who may find themselves in trouble or want to change their circumstances?

Looking back, if someone had said to me a few years ago that in 2014 you will be graduating with a first class honours degree, moving to London to commence a Master’s degree and looking forward to a successful career, I would have laughed; but this is my life. If you set your mind to it anything is achievable, but it is up to you to make the changes that need to be made. I have gone from being a prolific offender living a chaotic lifestyle to living a settled and happy life, so if I can do it then anyone can. All you need to do is take little steps to begin with and you will see things changing. Everyone will have a different path to desistance… you just need to find yours.

Do you have a bit of extra confidence going in to LSE in September having achieved so much during your time at Cumbria?

Returning to education was one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome. When I first started University I was so nervous that I would not fit in, as I thought everyone would know I am an ex-offender and that I would not be able to do the work. However I quickly became settled and got into the swing of Uni life. My confidence has grown and I now believe in myself that I can achieve and fulfil my potential. My achievements and successes at UoC are the reason I am going on to study at postgraduate level at LSE. Never would I have had the confidence to even apply for such a prestigious Uni if I had not been supported and encouraged at Cumbria.

UCSU Chief Executive Daryl Ormerod led the UCSU cohort at both the NUS Conference and Awards ceremony. It was also a very proud evening for him, having led the team through the last few years, developing and improving all the time to now be a union which can stand toe-to-toe with bigger and better resourced unions from much larger universities - once again proving the age old idea of quality over quantity.  He had this to say after the ceremony –

“Natalie’s story is compelling, and her ongoing commitment to developing herself so that she may in turn help others as she has been helped, is simply inspiring. We are proud to have her amongst our membership, and wish her well for what I am sure will be a highly successful future.

UCSU being recognised as a high performing students’ union with the SUEI silver award rounded off a wonderful evening for us. Our members and stakeholders can take assurances from knowing that the objective and rigorous audit process established that UCSU is indeed very good, and delivers significant benefits for members with performance built on a platform of robust governance and leadership.

The SUEI award highlights UCSU’s progress over the last few years, and is a testament to the energy and dedication of our volunteers, officers and staff, and we are delighted to be shown to be performing to the standards of the likes of Birmingham Guild and Loughborough SU who also received a silver award.”