Hopwood Hall principal nominated for Northern Gamechangers awards

Julia Heap, Principal and CEO of Hopwood Hall College and University College, Rochdale, has been named as a finalist for the upcoming Northern Gamechangers awards

The principal and CEO of Hopwood Hall College and University College has been named a finalist in the Northern Gamechangers awards, for her dedication to improving social mobility and widening opportunities for students.

Julia Heap has led numerous initiatives at the college to improve the life chances of students from under-represented backgrounds.

Leading on initiatives such as the development of a £12m Advanced Technology Centre at the college and providing more than 1,000 free laptops and dongles to students who need them, Julia is being commended for her work to widen participation at the college.

She said: "I'm delighted to have been named a finalist in the Northern Gamechangers Awards.

“In my role as principal at Hopwood Hall, ‘changing the game' through innovation and doing things differently is exactly what we’re about.

“I work with a fantastic team and I am proud to have brought to life so many successful initiatives and look forward to all the new ways that we can continue to innovate."

“I'm also very fortunate to both live and work in the borough of Rochdale, where there are so many exciting projects in the pipeline and so much ambition for the future from both businesses and the community."

Julia is one of 50 individuals and businesses shortlisted for the awards, with the Top 10 Northern Gamechangers set to be announced at the official award ceremony on 21 September.

The Northern Gamechangers awards celebrate those making a real difference across the North. Whether it’s businesses pioneering innovation in sustainability or individuals making positive change in their local communities, successful ‘Gamechangers’ use their influence as a force for good.

The awards, which are run by north-west based business consultancy Elevate, were judged by some of the leading businesspeople and community leaders across the region, including Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital & Centric; Mike Taylor, customer engagement manager at Electricity North West and last year’s Ultimate Northern Gamechanger winner, Lauren Rosegreen, policy and influencer manager at Manchester charity, Macc.

Ilona Alcock, co-founder and director of Elevate, said: “We’ve had some excellent submissions this year, and it really goes to show the breadth of talent we have across the region. There’s a real commitment from people across the North to deliver positive change in their communities and it’s an honour to be able to recognise them with these awards.

“Julia’s story is a shining example of someone who continues to make sure the community she serves has the best possible opportunities available to them. Good luck to her and everyone else nominated in September.”