Former Chief Exec & Principal receives Honorary Fellowship from UCLan

Alison Robinson has been acknowledged for her significant contribution to the further education sector in Lancashire, following her retirement from Myerscough in August.

Watch Alison being awarded her Fellowship here:

Alison Robinson became only the second woman to hold the role of leading Myerscough, being appointed Chief Executive and Principal in April 2018, having previously held the position of Vice Principal and Deputy Chief Executive since 2014.

Alison first joined Myerscough College in January 2014, after an 18-year spell firstly in teaching and then as an integral part of the management team of Runshaw College. Alison’s early teaching career goes back to 1991, where she taught a variety of humanities and social science subjects across a range of post-16 providers across Lancashire from Levels 1 to 5, before moving on to teaching postgraduate students on the Diploma in Management Studies.

During Alison’s tenure, Alison has taken the College on a significant upward trajectory, improving the quality of teaching and learning, the financial stability of the College and, overseeing the challenges faced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, she has led a £35m development scheme across all of Myerscough’s campuses, as well as overseeing expansion of the Myerscough footprint, with the opening of two brand new centres, at Walton Hall in Warrington, and at Ullswater Community College in Penrith, Myerscough’s first in Cumbria. In addition, Myerscough’s Liverpool centre at Croxteth Park underwent a major refurbishment programme, as well as significant developments at the college’s main Bilsborrow campus, as part of an ongoing Strategic Plan.

Other notable achievements include a partnership with with UCLan for a new veterinary medicine school for Lancashire, higher education provision being awarded Gold by the Teaching Excellence Framework, lobbying parliament for fairer funding for the sector, the College receiving numerous regional and national awards, launching a drive to make Myerscough carbon neutral, Chairing the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership Skills and Employment Board, and Myerscough gaining an Outstanding classification by OFSTED for how well it helps and protects young people.

Also during Alison’s time in charge, Myerscough successfully negotiated the global Covid-19 pandemic, and had to face becoming victim of and recover from a significant cyber attack, all while fighting against national austerity cuts to education plus a cost of living crisis in the UK.

We congratulate Alison on her recognition.