Honorary graduates 2021
Honorary Graduate - Institute of Education
Hannah Shead has been in the addiction field for over 20 years, after graduating in 2000 from Sussex University with a 2:1 BA(Hons) in Sociology. She has worked in both the statutory and voluntary sector. Hannah has been at the helm of Trevi since 2011. Since joining Trevi, Hannah has helped the charity to reach more women and children and has overseen the opening of the Sunflower Women’s Centre in 2016 and Daffodil Family Centre in 2020.
Hannah regularly speaks at conferences including Clinks, Family Justice Observatory, Frontline and the GP Training network. She chairs / participates on several addiction and domestic abuse forums including the Choices Consortium and Domestic Abuse Sexual Violence forum. Hannah was also a presenter for the Lord Farmer Review and the Home Office Roundtable event for the UK Drugs Strategy.
Hannah is particularly passionate about women’s rights and is a strong advocate for women only spaces. She is a proud feminist and loves to create conditions where women can connect with and empower one another.
“When women come together to support one another, it can be transformational. I have seen women achieve the most remarkable things, lifted by the encouragement of others. I am proud to be part of that here in Plymouth”
Honorary Graduate - Teacher Education Partnership
Michael Morpurgo, OBE, is the best-selling author of over 140 books for children, including Private Peaceful, The Butterfly Lion and Kensuke’s Kingdom.
The theatrical production of his award-winning novel War Horse was first performed at the National Theatre in 2007 and celebrates its 10th year in November 2018 with a return to the National Theatre. War Horse was released as a film directed by Steven Spielberg in January 2012. In 1976, Michael and his wife, Clare, started the charity Farms for City Children. The charity runs three farms around the country, in Gloucestershire, Pembrokeshire and North Devon. Each farm offers children and teachers from urban primary schools the chance to live and work in the countryside for a week, gaining hands-on experience and contact with nature. Michael was appointed Children’s Laureate in May 2003, a post he helped to set up with his friend Ted Hughes in 1999. He was awarded an OBE for services to Literature in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, 2007 and a knighthood in January 2018.
Michael Morpurgo lives in Devon with his wife Clare. He has three children and seven grandchildren. His latest novel When Fishes Flew is published by Harper Collins and the picture books The Birthday Duck (Harper Collins) and A Song of Gladness (Macmillan).
Honorary Graduate - Sport, Health & Wellbeing
Lenny Byrne was appointed as Chief Nurse and Director of Integrated Clinical Professions of University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust in April 2019. He has worked as a nurse for almost thirty years, mostly in London. His areas of clinical specialist practice are haematology, oncology & infectious diseases. He has worked as Associate Chief Nursing Officer at Barts Health and Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at The Royal Free, where amongst other responsibilities, he oversaw the High Security Infectious Diseases Isolation Services, the clinical model for which, has formed the basis of how hospitals across the country have managed their infection control response during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
In more recent years, Lenny has worked in senior nursing and operational management roles and has been a Chief Nurse Executive in both the NHS & in the private healthcare sector, here in the UK and more recently, in the Middle East. Lenny holds a number of post-graduate qualifications, including a BSc in Oncology and a Master’s degree in Medical Law and Bioethics. His current academic focus is on his PhD, where he is undertaking research into Mental Capacity Law and patient advocacy. He is passionate about equality and representation, advocating for the voice of the patient and ensuring that, in particular, those who might be unable to represent themselves are clearly heard.
Honorary Graduate: Arts Humanities Social Sciences
Sarah Gosling is a presenter and broadcaster, brimming with knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for the latest music releases, trends and breakthroughs artists.
Outside of broadcasting Sarah is a Patron of the Music Venue Trust, helping to safeguard struggling grassroots venues across the country, writes culture-based pieces for the likes of The Guardian, Clash Magazine and Little White Lies and hosts live events including stages at Glastonbury and Boardmasters Festival.
In May of 2020 Sarah teamed up with fellow broadcaster and pal Becky Hand to create Calm Down Dear, a podcast centering on, quite simply, enthusiasm.