Latest news with #UniversityofGloucestershire
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Debenham's legacy: Mission to honour city's first department
Staff and shoppers with stories of a city's first department store are being asked to share them for a new exhibition. Work is under way to transform Gloucester's former Debenhams into a university campus. To honour the building's legacy, the University of Gloucestershire is collecting photographs and memories, which it will share at an event in shop started in 1889 as a drapery store, called the Bon Marché, before expanding into a large department store, when it homed everything from clothes to a small zoo. Former manager John Forward said: "It was a huge community. You had plumbers, carpenters, you had a nurse in the store, you had a doctor, we even had a store chaplain." People will be able to view the Memories of Debenhams collection at an exhibition on 13 Greenaway, who is leading the project, said: "I'd like to invite people to share their memories and stories, to get in touch with us and perhaps share a photo or a little fragment of something that means something important to them.""I understand how important this building is to the people of Gloucester and city campus is a new incarnation for the building, but it's a moment to reflect on an amazing history and to put that in the context of where we're going next." As part of the project, history graduates from the university are sifting through the collections at Gloucestershire Archives looking at ledgers, notebooks, blueprints and hundreds of photographs. The site became a huge destination for the city after World War Two, when bosses aimed to sell everything under one roof. It was later sold to Debenhams in 1971 before closing in 2021.A university spokesperson said: "Minute books show how the employees and management were committed to the idea that the building should serve as more than just a department store. "It was also a communal space that hosted events, participated in parades, and did so by engaging the entire staff."Layla Harrison, one of the student researchers, found minutes of a meeting from 1949 where management were discussing how much they could ask staff to contribute towards the city's new war memorial. "I think it shows how involved they wanted to be with stuff going on in the city and how important [the contribution] was to the war memorial which is obviously still something that's so important now," she said.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
How is climate change affecting Gloucestershire?
Gloucestershire is the driest county in the West, with less rainfall then Wiltshire, Somerset and Bristol, Met Office statistics a particularly dry spring followed by a hot June has resulted in challenges for the county's agriculture and follows a wet winter, which caused farmers to lose thousands of pounds in crop Short, professor of environmental governance at the University of Gloucestershire, said that, due to the effects of climate change, he was predicting unpredictability in the county and beyond. Here we take a look at examples of how farms, rivers and vineyards are faring in Gloucestershire. Crop failure An incredibly wet period in autumn meant all the wheat crops that were sown at Blackhouse Farm in Newent were wiped Lowe, whose family have owned the farm since the 1950s, had to start again, opting instead to grow maize for animal process cost him £30,000. "We came to the spring with practically no crops established," Mr Lowe said. "It is becoming more tricky, all farmers feel they are slaves to mother nature – and you've got to work with mother nature, not fight her, because she will win every time," Mr Lowe farm has a water gauge that shows it has had only two spells of rain since the start of April, both about 0.4in to 0.6in (10mm to 15mm)."We have to tailor our cropping depending on what situation arises, for example, we've ended up planting maize because it was the last option we had," he said. Low rivers Those monitoring the River Churn, a tributary of the Thames, have measured 10 million litres of water flowing every this time of year, the flow rate should be double that number, experts say."We've effectively had the driest spring on record for the Churn catchment and large parts of the Cotswolds," said hydrogeologist Dr Mike river is lower than it was in 2022, which was the last time the area experienced a significant dry spell and heatwave, Dr Jones added: "Ultimately later on in the year we ended up in a declared drought with temporary use bans. "I don't want to give an alarmist view but that's the sort of situation we are in today on the Churn." Dr Jones is also a member of the group Friends of the Gumstool Brook, an offshoot of the group has been trying to improve river flow into the stream, but given that the Churn in Cirencester has been recorded to have its "lowest and slowest flow this early in the year", it has been a difficult Office statistics show that from April to June 2022, 4.8in (123mm) of rain fell in Gloucestershire – and only 3.1in (79mm) fell in the same period this year. Boost for vineyards Vineyards in Gloucestershire have had a particularly good year, with the dry weather and long sunny days helping bring the grapes on follows one of the poorest years last year with lots of rain – which was "disastrous" for the crop, said Martin Fowke, of Three Choirs Vineyard."We are flowering at the moment which is two weeks earlier than we would expect to be and that gives us a longer growing season and the opportunity for more ripeness," he said. Mr Fowke said he believed this year was drier than 2018, which was the most recent comparable to trade body WineGB, there are now 4,209 hectares of vineyards in the UK, with English wine said to contribute several billion pounds in economic activity annually. Proposed solutions So how do we change our environment in order to cope with the new weather patterns brought about by climate change?Professor Chris Short, from the University of Gloucestershire, regularly speaks to farmers about the measures they can put in place to cope with higher temperatures in the summer and heavier rainfall in the said: "The key thing they [farmers] are recognising is the one thing they can manage is their soil."They need their soil to be as healthy as possible so it can retain moisture for longer." Professor Short has been looking at increasing soil health by diversifying crops, meaning a number of different crops are planted in the same field. This not only makes soil healthier but gives farmers options should a crop has also been research looking at shading crops under more trees is an approach that has been suggested for urban areas too, although Professor Short said much more may need to be done besides."We have so much hard surface in our cities, if you have those very localised, very heavy rainfall events, whatever system you have in place isn't going to sustain that," he professor proposes use of green walls, green roofs and permeable surfaces to slow rain water down and reduce flash flooding."Several people have commented maybe this is the new norm: we can predict it's going to become unpredictable," he said.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Stroud dipper bird survey to reveal data on River Frome health
A research project looking into declining dipper bird populations could provide a valuable insight into the health of the River have been invited to help with the Stroud Valleys Dipper Project by monitoring the species, which is highly sensitive to changes in water acidity and University of Gloucestershire said the nature of the birds made them an important bio-monitoring species for freshwater lecturer in practical ecology at the university, Dr Mark O'Connell, said he wanted to find out if developments along the River Frome were going to "damage biodiversity". "The River Frome and its tributaries are more than 56 miles (90km) in length and there is a lot of development in the catchment," he said. "We need to know if that change is going to damage biodiversity." He said the dipper is an "excellent" indicator of river health."It is impossible to monitor everything, so instead we use bio-indicators," he explained. "Dippers feed on water invertebrates, and pollution can affect their populations."The project is asking volunteers to take part in the survey and add any dipper sightings to a O'Connell said one of the project's aims is to "set a baseline" for dipper populations in the Stroud Valleys so there is "something to measure change against". The International Union for Conservation of Nature has 'Amber Listed' the European dipper due to a 39% decline in the UK since 1995, which means there is cause for concern about the species' conservation Dr O'Connell said there was hope of reversing the decline, including by slowing down the volume of water that enters the river during rainfall."We're taking a complicated environmental situation and coming up with practical solutions," he said."We can put the bends back in the river and implement leaky dams, which slow down the river."Changes also need to be made to agricultural practices, making them less intense so that there are fewer pesticides and less fertiliser being used, resulting in less pollution in rivers."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mission to boost cyber skills as number of jobs rise
Students are being matched up with cyber experts to boost skills in the industry amid more jobs. The University of Gloucestershire is running a programme to build a "talent pipeline", aimed at ensuring the county has the skilled workforce it needs to meet future job demands. The scheme pairs students from schools and colleges with local cyber businesses, which offers them apprenticeship opportunities. Clare Marchant, the university's vice-chancellor, said while there is a lot of cyber opportunities, there is "a lack of skills at the moment". "We know a lot of talent leaves Gloucestershire year-on-year, so we need to be keeping that talent in Gloucestershire. "That's what businesses want and we can facilitate that," Ms Marchant said. "We know there's so much going on in Gloucestershire. We've got GCHQ just down the road, we have the Golden Valley development coming. We need to be primed and have that talent pipeline coming through," she said. The Golden Valley development aims to confirm Cheltenham as the UK's cyber capital. The first phase of construction is the cyber park itself, which includes 1 million sq ft (93,000 sq metres) of commercial space, a car park and bus stops for services to Cheltenham Spa railway station. Ms Marchant said it was vital cyber learning starts at an early age. "One of the things we are focused on is really ensuring we develop their skills and that needs development from late primary and early secondary, rather than just when individuals hit 16 or 17," she added. Cyberis, a cyber security consultancy, is among the businesses participating in Gloucestershire's Launch Pad Programme, which was launched last year. Will Gould, from Cyberis, said it is something the company has been looking at for a while. "We're at the size now where we can take on an apprentice and give them the attention that they require. "It's fantastic for our business to grow and also bring up the next generation of security experts," he said. Students will learn a range of skills, including traditional infrastructure, cloud and general cyber security. Adam joined the programme in 2024 and has been working as an apprentice for a local cyber security business. "It allows me to get all the work experience I need from going straight into employment, as well as obtaining a good quality degree at the same time," he added. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Nobody safe from cyber attacks, says council boss Plan for phase two of cyber park near GCHQ revealed
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Gloucestershire in pics: Water, water everywhere
It's been another sunny week across Gloucestershire, but some homes in Matson got an accidental soaking after a water main burst. They've been celebrating the long-awaited reopening of a road in Nailsworth and planting thousands of trees in Stroud. Plus we have the usual stunning sunsets and floral displays to keep us entertained. Water bursts: This photo shows the scale of the water burst in Matson this week. This white house was damaged throughout Wednesday whilst thousands of gallons of water covered it. And there was also a second water burst on Thursday in a different area of Gloucester. It never rains - but it pours. Just pretend: University of Gloucestershire students were involved in a simulated clash between demonstrators and counter-protesters this week which has challenged the skills of students working under pressure. Peaceful settings: This orange sky was gorgeous as the sun set in Dursley this week. This stunning image was taken by weather watcher AndrewB. Stately: The Badminton Horse trials came to an end on Sunday, closing off days of equestrian challenges in the sunshine in front of tens of thousands of spectators. Community celebrations: There were cheers in Nailsworth this week to mark George Street being accessible once again - after it was unexpectedly closed for four weeks due to a gas main line being hit. Tree-mendous: The team at Stroud Valleys Project have been looking back with pride at their work, which has seen nearly 20,000 trees planted in the area over the past five months. Funky flowers: Thanks to weather watcher Beaky for taking this picture of these gorgeous pink flowers in the sunshine in Woodmancote. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Gloucestershire in pics: Jazz fever in Cheltenham Gloucestershire in Pictures: Keeping it cool Gloucestershire in Pictures: A tryfest at Kingsholm Gloucestershire in pics: Narrowboats and bluebells Gloucestershire in Pictures: Pelicans and dancing Gloucestershire in pics: Blossom and community Gloucestershire in pics: Derby delight and sunsets Gloucestershire in pics: EMF, penguins and rugby Gloucestershire in pics: Loud outfits and stunning sunsets Gloucestershire in pics: Pancakes and rugby wins Gloucestershire in Pictures: Spring sunshine and stadium renaming Gloucestershire in pictures: Wildlife and history Gloucestershire in pictures: Celebs and canines Gloucestershire in pictures: Candlemas and frosts Gloucestershire in pics: Wolf moon and pine martens Gloucestershire in pics: Snow and sunrises Gloucestershire in pictures: Pink skies and frosty mornings Gloucestershire in pics: Festive spirit spreading Gloucestershire in pics: Decorations fit for a King Gloucestershire in pictures: Snow and winter walks Gloucestershire in pics: Winter walks and sunrises Gloucestershire in pictures: Sunsets and fireworks Gloucestershire in pics: Pink skies and autumn trees Gloucestershire in pictures: Floods and rugby Gloucestershire in pictures: Super moons and epic challenges Gloucestershire in pictures: Medals and rainbow clouds Gloucestershire in pictures: Stars and soap boxes Gloucestershire in pictures: Rowing records and fantasy characters Gloucestershire in pictures: Farm fun and public art
