In the past fortnight I was pleased to be invited again to visit the University of Northampton. Over the years I have of course been to the University countless times and remember being shown the architectural drawings for the new Waterside campus many years ago. I last visited just three months ago for the BBC Radio Northampton election hustings and before that visited for the opening of their new Leather centre.
On this visit I enjoyed supporting the University’s sponsored rowing activity, to help raise money for Sport Relief. Read about this charity drive here: https://www.northampton.ac.uk/news/university-of-northampton-throws-down-oar-some-challenge-for-sport-relief/.
I was also impressed by the pioneering work in the University’s Health Department and its healthcare learning facilities; there is an impressive hyper-reality nursing training environment with a reconstructed ambulance for paramedic training and extremely realistic mannequin ‘patients’ which really do look life-like even up close!
The department’s practice-based learning and teaching in their purpose-built nursing and midwifery hospital wards is as close to “real life” as possible, helping to equip their students for their placements and their future demanding, yet rewarding, professions.
The University was very supportive of this Government’s announcement that, by September 2020, all nursing students in England will receive at least £5,000 per year to help with living costs in the form of a grant that will not need to be repaid.
I look forward to future visits and in continuing a close relationship with the University.