aAh! Magazine
You are here: Home / News / Hats Off To The Kids On Campus
News

Hats Off To The Kids On Campus

26th June 2013 By 0 216
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:

  • 14th April 2026

    The Slates @ Gorilla review – packed rooms and big ambitions for the Yorkshire Lads

    Featured image and gallery: Sam Holmes From Mirfield to Manchester, this Yorkshire-born four-piece bring their funk-interwoven indie rock to a sold-out Gorilla for their biggest headline show to date. Fresh off the back of their new single ‘Watch Life Burn’ and signing their first record deal with This Feeling/ LAB Records, there is already a…

  • 10th April 2026

    Manchester Film Festival 2026: Northern talent shines in record-breaking edition

    Feature image: Press The Manchester Film Festival has wrapped its 12th edition, running over 11 days and showcasing a strong line-up of local and international talent from across the independent film industry. Festival director Neil Jeram-Croft reflected on this year’s programme, filled with a mix of features, shorts and documentaries spanning the cities’ cinema hotspots:…

  • 10th April 2026

    Toots and the Maytals bring ‘Reggae Got Soul’ 50th anniversary tour to Manchester

    Featured image: Press Toots and the Maytals return to Manchester for their ‘Reggae Got Soul’ 50th anniversary tour. Following their hugely successful 2025 tour, Toots and the Maytals return to Manchester to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their landmark album, Reggae Got Soul. Fronted for decades by Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert – named by Rolling Stone…

Latest Articles