EDUCATION
Influenced – Stockton Riverside College executive principal Lesley Graham used a poem by former Manchester University chancellor Lemn Sissay to inspire staff .
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Why one poem means so much to thriving college ’ s executive principal
PICTURES : TOM BANKS WORDS : DAVE ROBSON
At the start of the academic year , Stockton Riverside College executive principal Lesley Graham shared some special words with her staff .
They weren ’ t hers , but a poem penned and recited by the inspirational former Manchester University chancellor Lemn Sissay – and , she says , they encapsulate what colleges like Stockton Riverside College can bring to communities .
“ We are shaking and waking and breaking indifference ,” it says . “ We are quaking and taking and making a difference …”
Lesley tells Tees Business : “ I played a video of it in August to the team – it ’ s about how we , as educators , can make a difference to the lives of people who come to us .
“ It gives me goosebumps and brings a tear to my eye every time I listen to it . But I still feel that passion and I ’ ve been in education for nearly 30 years now .”
She ’ s seen many changes since arriving as college principal in 2018 , but perhaps few have been as game-changing as recent investments in the college ’ s motor vehicle , health , early years , and hair and beauty facilities .
A £ 2.6m package of T Level capital funding has produced state-of-the-art facilities – from a fully-equipped motor vehicle workshop and the Serenity hair and beauty salon , where the public can come in to get hair or nails done , to a health suite complete with mannequins programmed to act as if in a real medical emergency – these are facilities many colleges would cast envious eyes over .
But for Lesley , it ’ s all part of making that difference . She said : “ Now we can confidently say we ’ ve got industry-standard resources in those areas to support the delivery of our T Levels . And the students love them , which is the most important thing .”
A Scouser by birth – you can just about tell if you listen closely enough – Lesley ’ s been in further education since 1995 , starting as a part-time IT and business lecturer and working her way through every level .
She admits to being not exactly au fait with Stockton before arriving – “ I couldn ’ t understand why you got off the train at Thornaby ” – but by the end of day one of her two-day interview process , she knew it was where she wanted to be . For two years , she commuted each week from
Chelmsford – “ 262 miles , four hours – I know that
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