College triumphs as it's named double winner at prestigious Educate North Awards

Hopwood Hall College and University Centre is celebrating after being named a double winner at the prestigious Educate North Awards.

The college – which has campuses in Middleton and Rochdale – picked up the two gongs at the annual ceremony, held this year at the Midland Hotel in Manchester.

It was first named the winner of the Social Mobility Award following the success of its programmes to deliver strategic support to disadvantaged students.

The judges praised the college for its ‘person-centred approach’ that has allowed the team to ‘impact the lives of many young people’.

Later on, Hopwood was also named the winner of the Sustainable Green Initiative Award.

This gong recognises institutions that have shown a staunch commitment to raising awareness of conservation and sustainability.

The college’s annual EcoFest celebration, as well as the introduction of green student ambassadors, were named as just some of the outstanding initiatives that led to the judges choosing Hopwood.

The Educate North Awards are a celebration of excellence and best practice in the education sector in the North of England.

The event itself attracted over 300 education professionals from Further and Higher Education institutions from across the region.

Earlier this year, Hopwood Hall also found award success at the Association of Colleges’ Beacon Awards.

This ceremony saw the college pick up the national award for Widening Participation, in honour of its pursuit of ensuring everyone has access to life-changing education.

Julia Heap, Principal and CEO of Hopwood Hall College and University Centre, said: “We’re beyond thrilled to have won no less than two awards at the Educate North Awards!

“The Social Mobility Award reflects our unwavering commitment to giving people from all walks of life the opportunity to thrive in education.

“Meanwhile, the Sustainable Green Initiative is the result of our dedication to being the guardians of our environment – an ambition that is outlined in our college strategy.

“Our teams have put innovation at the heart of all our new student-centred initiatives and we’re delighted to see that this innovative thinking is already turning the heads of people throughout the education sector and beyond.”