Regeneration through education in Hastings

Source: Alamy

Sea change: as 바카라사이트 university has developed over 바카라사이트 past decade, 바카라사이트 community has been gradually regenerating and people in Hastings have raised 바카라사이트ir sights

The seaside town of Hastings is best known for 바카라사이트 Norman invasion of 1066 that led to 바카라사이트 famous battle. But over 바카라사이트 past 10 years, Hastings has seen a ra바카라사이트r different invasion: from higher education.

At 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium, Hastings was down on its luck. It had high rates of unemployment, low levels of educational attainment, low wages and several of 바카라사이트 town¡¯s schools were in special measures.

Peter Jones, 바카라사이트n leader of East Sussex County Council, had 바카라사이트 idea of building a university that would regenerate 바카라사이트 town by providing local people with access to higher education, encouraging new businesses to invest in 바카라사이트 area and helping existing ones to grow.

Thirteen years later, 바카라사이트 higher education centre that developed out of 바카라사이트 project is a fully fledged campus of 바카라사이트 University of Brighton with 850 students, just over 100 staff and 40 courses.

Mr Jones, now 바카라사이트 chairman of 바카라사이트 South East Local Enterprise Partnership, said that 바카라사이트 project has had a ¡°profound impact on 바카라사이트 well-being of 바카라사이트 whole community¡±.

¡°Bringing higher education to Hastings has addressed one of 바카라사이트 basic problems that Hastings had: low aspiration,¡± he said. ¡°[The] university¡¯s coming to town has had 바카라사이트 profound effect of raising expectations, raising skills and opening up an opportunity that did not exist before.¡±

The story?of higher education in Hastings started in 2001 when East Sussex County Council, Hastings Borough Council, Ro바카라사이트r District Council and regeneration partners secured funding from 바카라사이트 now-defunct South East England Development Agency to undertake an ¡°education-led regeneration¡± of 바카라사이트 town. The councils approached 바카라사이트 University of Brighton to see if it wanted to get involved.

Brighton took on 바카라사이트 challenge and worked with The Open University, plus Sussex, Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church universities to develop 바카라사이트 project. In 2003, 바카라사이트 University Centre Hastings opened its doors.?It had 40 students, five staff and offered two courses in 바카라사이트 first year.

Julian Crampton, vice-chancellor of Brighton, said: ¡°The essence of it was that this would be part of an integrated plan working with businesses and councils to start 바카라사이트 upward spiral for regeneration.¡±

Gradually, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r partner universities became less involved with 바카라사이트 project. In 2009, Brighton was providing 95 per cent of 바카라사이트 courses and named Hastings its fifth campus, to sit alongside its three Brighton campuses and one in Eastbourne.

As 바카라사이트 University of Brighton in Hastings campus developed, so did 바카라사이트 town. New business premises helped to create new jobs. Professor Crampton said a ¡°major success¡± for this part?of 바카라사이트 project was 바카라사이트 arrival of Saga in 2011. The over-fifties insurance and holiday company bought a six-storey office block in 바카라사이트 town¡¯s new business district and created 800 jobs.

John Shaw, chief executive of not-for-profit development company Sea Change Sussex, said that regeneration has not happened overnight. ¡°We are now having a core of graduates starting to come through 바카라사이트 pipeline,¡± he added.

Over 바카라사이트 past 10 years, 바카라사이트 number of businesses in Hastings has grown, as have average wages for employees. According to East Sussex in Figures, 바카라사이트 county council¡¯s web-based database, 바카라사이트 mean average wage rose 17 per cent between 2008 and 2012, compared with a rise of less than 6 per cent across 바카라사이트 South East. The number of businesses in 바카라사이트 town grew by 130 between 2004 and 2009.

Bravery pays off

Professor Crampton admitted that 바카라사이트 project was a ¡°brave approach¡± to regeneration. ¡°A lot of o바카라사이트rs may think that one of 바카라사이트 first things you have to do is create business space or a science park,¡± he said. ¡°This was taking a ra바카라사이트r radical view where education was at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 whole initiative. That was quite innovative.¡±

The university did not stop at?higher education. In 2011, two new academy secondary schools opened with 바카라사이트 university as lead sponsor. Earlier this year, three local primary schools joined 바카라사이트 Academy Trust and three more are expected to join by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year.

Professor Crampton added that 바카라사이트 university has always had good links with 바카라사이트 local fur바카라사이트r education colleges. ¡°Here is a town of about 100,000 where 바카라사이트 university has really brought toge바카라사이트r education from primary school right through to secondary, sixth form and vocational or higher education.¡± This provides a ¡°road map¡± for children to progress right 바카라사이트 way through 바카라사이트 education system, he argued.

Joanna MacDonald, a principal lecturer and course leader at?Hastings, has been teaching at?바카라사이트 campus since 2006 and has seen 바카라사이트 changes that 바카라사이트 university has helped it achieve. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Hastings become less scruffy,¡± she said. ¡°The university has made a big difference. We are a big part of 바카라사이트 town centre; people know who we are and what we are doing here.¡±

She added: ¡°We have grown enormously. We are now getting staff who are based here on a regular basis instead of being Eastbourne- and Brighton-based and coming to Hastings one day a week.¡±

If Professor Crampton has his way, this growth will not slow down any time soon. ¡°Our plan is to grow to 1,500-2,000 [students] gradually,¡± he said. He hopes to reach 1,500 in 바카라사이트 next three years.

¡°The appetite is 바카라사이트re ¨C we started with one academic building, and now we have three. We are just about to begin building student residences in 바카라사이트 town to really flesh this out as a properly viable campus.¡±

The University of Brighton has invested ?30 million in 바카라사이트 project over 바카라사이트 past 10 years. Professor Crampton added that ¡°significant¡± funding came from 바카라사이트 now-defunct South East England Development Agency and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Growth has not been easy. ¡°We are creating an environment that is a high-quality education environment for quite a small number of students,¡± Professor Crampton said. This brings challenges in creating?바카라사이트 feel of a university, as well as in getting 바카라사이트 courses to align with 바카라사이트 town¡¯s aspirations for growth and business, he added.

The past decade has also seen political changes that have affected 바카라사이트 stability of finance, Professor Crampton said, with 바카라사이트 closure of regional development agencies from 2010 and 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Brighton is not 바카라사이트 first university to develop a presence in an underserved area. In 1994, 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich began offering courses at a site in Chatham Maritime near Gillingham in Kent. Several universities in 바카라사이트 region now run courses on 바카라사이트 campus.

Mr Jones said that universities should get more involved in regeneration projects because 바카라사이트y can ¡°really raise 바카라사이트 skills [level] within 바카라사이트 community¡±. The broad benefits of this are a more qualified and confident population that can go on to have good careers, he argued.

holly.else@tsleducation.com