Award-winning student
beats eating disorder
A
STUDENT FROM QMU has won an academic excellence award, the
Sandie Randall Award, after overcoming an eating disorder.
Caitlin Canavan, a fourth year International Hospitality and Tourism
Management student, has now become a Scottish Young Ambassador for national
eating disorder charity, Beat, to help support other young people in Scotland affected
by eating disorders.
Caitlin has donated half of her Sandie Randall Award money to Beat, to help
fund the charity’s work. Sandie Randall, former Head of Hospitality, Tourism and
Leisure Management at QMU, has continued her association with the University
after her retirement in 2008 by gifting the generous annual award to support student
development.
Caitlin’s advice to anybody studying at university whilst in recovery from an eating
disorder is to engage with all student services available, including the University’s
counselling services and support via the Students’ Union.
The Beat charity has also played a huge part in Caitlin’s recovery. The consistent
message from Beat is that “eating disorders can be beaten”. This message has
provided continual hope for Caitlin and her family during her recovery. ❒
Physiotherapy students
set the standard for
annual conference
A
GROUP OF FINAL YEAR physiotherapy
students staged Scotland’s first Student
Physiotherapy Conference. The event, held
at QMU in October, attracted over two hundred
physiotherapy students, practicing clinicians,
educators and academics, as well as health and
social care professionals from across Scotland and
the rest of the UK.
James McCallum, Scottish racing cyclist (centre), photographed with QMU
physiotherapy students - (L-R): Andrea Christoforou, Katie McGregor,
Florence Cook and Jason Chang.
The Moffat Charitable Trust
Scholarship Fund
New scholarship announced for 2015
O
UR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS in International
Hospitality and Tourism will soon benefit from a
£50k donation from The Moffat Charitable Trust.
The scholarship will support participation in a nine month
placement in industry that forms part of the curriculum for
second year students. The aims is to help students broaden
their horizons, industry knowledge and employability.
The fund will run for ten years, offering five students per year a
grant of £1000 to cover expenses related to placements overseas
(for example travel costs, visa costs and immediate expenses on
arrival). This will help ensure that all students, irrespective of their
financial background, have equal access to achieving an overseas
placement should they wish to pursue this option.
Organised for students by students and financially
supported by QMU’s Student Development Fund, the
event brought together those interested in enhancing
knowledge, encouraging collaboration and inspiring
innovation in the world of physiotherapy. The event
also provided an excellent networking opportunity
and supportive environment for students and newly-
qualified physiotherapist to present their work.
Highlights of the day included a keynote speech by
Dr Elizabeth Dean, Professor of Physical Therapy at the
University of British Columbia, Canada, and a talk by
Scottish racing cyclist, James McCallum.
Commenting on the success of the conference, final
year physiotherapy student, Florence Cook, said:
“We’re overwhelmed by the positive response to the
conference from students, lecturers, physiotherapists
and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. We’re
really grateful to all our sponsors, including the QMU
Student Development Fund, which was the first financial
support we received. It not only helped to fund the
conference and make it a huge success, it also gave
us confidence that our event was worth the investment.”
The success of the conference has already helped
secure the second event of its kind in Scotland to be
held at Robert Gordon University (RGU) in 2015. ❒
The first scholarships were awarded in March 2015. ❒
QMYOU / Development News
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