News

Hats Off To The Kids On Campus

0 138
Words by Neil Harrison, photographs by Sophie Bannister


CHILDREN FROM THREE LOCAL NURSERIES don caps and gowns to celebrate their graduation from pre-school – at a real university.
As part of a ‘fantastic day’, youngsters from Didsbury Pre-school, Macintosh and St. Mary’s Day Nurseries received their diplomas from staff and students at Manchester Metropolitan University, before throwing their mortarboards aloft in celebration.
Unanimous in praising the event, over 200 proud parents and nursery staff were in attendance to cheer on their little graduates. Manager of Macintosh Day Nursery, Sarah Wildon said,

“The children have absolutely loved it. We have been coming here for the end of term graduation for three years now and every year we get great feedback from the parents. We’ll definitely be coming back next year.”
St. Mary’s manager, Lyndsey Walkden, concurred, adding:
“All the children have been really excited all day, every five minutes they were asking ‘can we go yet?’ It’s just so great for the kids to end their experience of pre-school with an event like this. It’s nice having the links with the university and being able to put on such a special day at the end of the year.”
One of the organisers, MMU’s James Draper, explained why it is so important for the university to reach out and engage with the local community,
Kids Unlimited, the company which runs the three nurseries here today, are a sponsor of MMU’s Children’s Book Festival. Events like today show that the relationship between the university and its sponsors needn’t be simply a financial one. Integrated into that relationship is a genuine community outreach programme, one which benefits everyone, but most of all the kids here today—what a great way to make young people comfortable within a university environment at an early age.”

One of the beaming parents, Natalie Goodair, herself an MMU graduate, certainly agreed, saying,
“The ceremony is such a wonderful way to get children interested in university life. My daughter is three years old and she’s here today, running around and having a fantastic time. She has decided she wants to be an artist.”
“Days like this are something that they will remember fondly and they will always associate with university—it’s like planting a seed.”

Neil Harrison is studying Social History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is an aspiring journalist and a terrible guitar player. Read his blog LooseRiver and follow him on Twitter @LooseRiver

About the author / 

aAh!

aAh! Magazine is Manchester Metropolitan University's arts and culture magazine.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • Pendulum @ Victoria Warehouse review – Drum ‘n’ Bass in your face

    These Aussies may not have a lot of records to their name after 22 years together, but their mix of alternative and drum ‘n’ bass has made quite the impact. Seen in their collaborations with bands such as Bullet For My Valentine, remixing dance classics from The Prodigy and successfully capitalising on early 2010s dubstep in the form of their side project, Knife Party.

  • Yonaka @ Manchester Academy 2 review – Dark alt-pop trio pack a powerful punch

    Jarvis is a strong role model for younger and older women alike; she isn’t afraid to show her rage towards patriarchy and use her music to share how it negatively impacts her. She also isn’t afraid to speak on her mental health as she introduces ‘PANIC’, detailing the lived experience of having a panic disorder. ‘Welcome To My House’ is another self-admitted dive into the singer’s mind, she explains its about ‘Dealing with negative self-thoughts and then realising, no I am a good person.’. 

  • Mary in the Junkyard @ YES Basement review – rentle indie vs terrifying noisemongers

    Featured image: Steve Gullick An ominous belch marks the start of Ebbb’s set: “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.” The anonymous trio – good luck finding info about them – layer it up until the cacophony fuses into a Gregorian chant, albeit one harmonised by a chain of foghorns. It causes chunks of plaster to fall from the ceiling, dandruffing…

  • Pretty Woman @ The Palace Theatre – palm trees, leg warmers and curly perms

    Photography: The Palace Theatre Based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved rom coms, the travelling tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical has finally landed in The Palace Theatre in Manchester. Edward Lewis (Oliver Savile) enters the stage in a suit broadcasting his big-shot businessman credentials, as 1980s Hollywood comes to life with a flock of…