Latest news with #UWE
BBC News
07-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
UWE Professor pushing for more diversity within academia
It was during a trip to a US conference when Emmanuel Adukwu first realised he could be an academic, despite having studied for a masters in the UK. The professor of microbiology at the University of the West of England (UWE) said during his studies "there was nobody that looked like me" teaching."I actually had a 'eureka' moment after going to a conference in the US. That was the first time I saw a gentleman presenting that was an associate professor that was black".UWE and University of Bristol both have a target of making academic staffing more diverse by 2030, aiming for 20%. Universities UK said: "We are working to create more diverse and inclusive environments" for staff and students. The Higher Education Statistics Agency says the number of people from black, Asian or ethnic backgrounds working in academia in the UK has increased over the past 20 years but still remains much lower, in particular the number of black academics - representing just 3.8% of the to BBC Bristol, Prof Adukwu said: "One of the things I think we've really missed for a very long time is we're trying to address under representation in schools, at universities. "We're forgetting the fact that people come out from the community. So we need to have those conversations beyond the walls of the academy with the community."University of Bristol is currently analysing data from its Breaking Barriers project, which it describes as "a survey designed to expose areas of racial injustices in national funding award practices".
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Student, 22, could have been saved from an overdose if police had left a voicemail for her parents during desperate search for her address
A university student died of an overdose after police failed to leave a voicemail for her parents despite desperately needing their help to find her house. Amy Levy, 22, deliberately took an overdose of prescription pills at her student digs in Bristol while on the phone to a friend, who alerted the police as her condition deteriorated. Two forces - Surrey Police and Avon and Somerset Police - launched a frantic search to find the University of the West of England (UWE) student and attempted to contact her parents in Surrey because they did not know her address. But when officers tried to ring her parent's home phone and her mother's mobile, their number showed 'no caller ID' and the calls went unanswered. No voicemail message was left despite the urgency of the situation. Ms Levy was eventually located more than 90 minutes after the first police call, but died in hospital on June 22 2023 from an overdose of several medications, which caused hypoxic brain injury. An inquest jury identified a 'catalogue of missed opportunities' to save Ms Levy, concluding she could have survived if police found her sooner, following a five-day inquest earlier this month. Robert Sowersby, an Assistant Coroner for Avon, has now issued a report expressing concern about the lack of guidance issued to officers and staff regarding voicemail messages. He said it was 'hard to understand' why the officers searching for Ms Levy did not leave a voicemail for her parents. 'Both police forces knew that Amy had taken an overdose at an unknown address and that her condition was deteriorating,' his report said. 'Both forces had graded Amy's case as requiring an 'immediate' response, the most urgent category. 'Despite that factual background, none of the officers or call handlers who phoned Amy's parents left a voicemail message.' He said that, because the missed calls were from an unknown number, Ms Levy's parents did not know that there was an emergency, or that the police wanted to speak with them, and had no way of calling them back. He wrote: 'It is probable that Amy's location could have been obtained earlier than it was if the police had left a suitably worded voicemail for one or more of her parents.' The conclusion of the jury who heard the inquest was that: 'Amy took a deliberate overdose of prescription drugs on 18th June 2023. It is not possible to know her true intent.' In recording how Ms Levy died, the jury identified 'a catalogue of missed opportunities to obtain Amy's correct address' by various bodies including Surrey Police and Avon and Somerset Constabulary. The jury also concluded that if not for those missed opportunities Ms Levy would probably have survived. Mr Sowersby continued in the notice: 'This was an 'immediate' priority search to obtain the address of a young woman whose life was believed to be at risk. 'It is hard to understand the decision made by more than one police caller not to leave any voicemail/message.' Police inspectors from both forces gave evidence at the inquest that there was nothing to have stopped messages being left. One said there was guidance in Avon not to leave voicemails when the incident in question concerns domestic abuse, but there is no general guidance about when to leave a voicemail message in other cases. Mr Sowersby said: 'With limited or no guidance, training or policy on when police and/or police support staff liaising with the public should leave a voicemail, particularly in circumstances where they are trying to obtain important information in a time-pressured situation, I am concerned that there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken.' Responding to the coroner's report, Superintendent Chris Colley of Surrey Police said: 'Our thoughts and condolences remain with Amy's friends and family following what must have been a very hard couple of years for her loved ones.' He added: 'We have now made changes to our procedure around the use of voicemails and telephone contact attempts, to ensure we are doing all we can to be there for people when they need us most.' A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: 'Our thoughts are with the family of Amy Levy, who died in extremely tragic circumstances two years ago. 'A private apology has been made to her family, which we wish to repeat publicly, and we are reviewing our organisational policies in line with the findings relating to this case.' A College of Policing spokesman said: 'National guidance for officers is regularly reviewed to ensure it provides accurate and practical advice for police forces. 'Our reviews take into account information and advice from a range of sources, including coroner's reports, and we will carefully consider the recommendations made from this tragic case.'
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Zulu children's choir performs across the West
A South African children's choir has been performing across the west of England as it takes part in a cultural exchange tour. Made up of 20 school children from the Madadeni Township in South Africa, the choir is visiting the UK as part of Project Zulu, an initiative by the University of the West of England (UWE). Raising funds for their schools back home, they have showcased their traditional Zulu song in a number of West Country locations, including a Bristol Bears game and in Bath and Bristol city centres. Project leader, Ben Knight, said their final performance would take place at the Bristol Beacon on 5 June. Project Zulu arranges for choirs from South African townships to tour the UK every two years. Mr Knight said UWE students studying professions such as teaching, engineering and occupational therapy were sent out to the township in South Africa annually to "spend a few weeks making valuable contributions to the educational life of schools in the township". Then every two years a choir, made up of children from two partnership schools, are brought over to Bristol to spend three weeks performing and sharing their talent and culture. "They've been busking, they've put on concerts," he said. Mr Knight explained the tour aimed to raise money for the two schools involved. "They are over here sharing their extraordinary talents and culture but also earning money to develop their educational opportunities back home," he said. He said this year, one school planned to use the money to develop solar energy and the other hoped to buy IT equipment. "Every penny that is made goes directly back to their schools," he said. "A little bit of your money goes a really long way in South Africa," he added. Mr Knight said "right at the heart of the project" was a "desire to bring people who live a long way apart, and lead very different lives, together". Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Volunteer families sought to host Zulu choir Zulu children's choir performance delights crowds Choir earns £970 in 90-minute busk Project Zulu
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Zulu children's choir performs across the West
A South African children's choir has been performing across the west of England as it takes part in a cultural exchange tour. Made up of 20 school children from the Madadeni Township in South Africa, the choir is visiting the UK as part of Project Zulu, an initiative by the University of the West of England (UWE). Raising funds for their schools back home, they have showcased their traditional Zulu song in a number of West Country locations, including a Bristol Bears game and in Bath and Bristol city centres. Project leader, Ben Knight, said their final performance would take place at the Bristol Beacon on 5 June. Project Zulu arranges for choirs from South African townships to tour the UK every two years. Mr Knight said UWE students studying professions such as teaching, engineering and occupational therapy were sent out to the township in South Africa annually to "spend a few weeks making valuable contributions to the educational life of schools in the township". Then every two years a choir, made up of children from two partnership schools, are brought over to Bristol to spend three weeks performing and sharing their talent and culture. "They've been busking, they've put on concerts," he said. Mr Knight explained the tour aimed to raise money for the two schools involved. "They are over here sharing their extraordinary talents and culture but also earning money to develop their educational opportunities back home," he said. He said this year, one school planned to use the money to develop solar energy and the other hoped to buy IT equipment. "Every penny that is made goes directly back to their schools," he said. "A little bit of your money goes a really long way in South Africa," he added. Mr Knight said "right at the heart of the project" was a "desire to bring people who live a long way apart, and lead very different lives, together". Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Volunteer families sought to host Zulu choir Zulu children's choir performance delights crowds Choir earns £970 in 90-minute busk Project Zulu
BBC News
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Zulu children's choir showcases music and culture across the West
A South African children's choir has been performing across the west of England as it takes part in a cultural exchange up of 20 school children from the Madadeni Township in South Africa, the choir is visiting the UK as part of Project Zulu, an initiative by the University of the West of England (UWE).Raising funds for their schools back home, they have showcased their traditional Zulu song in a number of West Country locations, including a Bristol Bears game and in Bath and Bristol city leader, Ben Knight, said their final performance would take place at the Bristol Beacon on 5 June. Project Zulu arranges for choirs from South African townships to tour the UK every two Knight said UWE students studying professions such as teaching, engineering and occupational therapy were sent out to the township in South Africa annually to "spend a few weeks making valuable contributions to the educational life of schools in the township".Then every two years a choir, made up of children from two partnership schools, are brought over to Bristol to spend three weeks performing and sharing their talent and culture. "They've been busking, they've put on concerts," he said. Mr Knight explained the tour aimed to raise money for the two schools involved."They are over here sharing their extraordinary talents and culture but also earning money to develop their educational opportunities back home," he said. He said this year, one school planned to use the money to develop solar energy and the other hoped to buy IT equipment."Every penny that is made goes directly back to their schools," he said."A little bit of your money goes a really long way in South Africa," he Knight said "right at the heart of the project" was a "desire to bring people who live a long way apart, and lead very different lives, together".
