Top students honoured at awards ceremony

Naomi Rushworth from Rochdale with Principal Derek O’Toole

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Students from across the borough have been honoured at a prestigious award ceremony at the Rochdale Town Hall.

The Hopwood Hall College students had been selected from thousands of students to receive awards for their achievements.
 
Hundreds of people including friends and family of the award winners packed out the Town Hall. VIPs in attendance included: Jim Dobbin MP, Simon Danczuk MP, The Deputy Mayor Alan Godson, Peter Carey Chair of the Chamber and Andy Zuntz Executive Director of Rochdale Council.
 
The Special Guest Speaker for the evening was Alison Seagrave, a former catering student of Hopwood Hall College who runs her own patisserie, ‘Macaroon by Alison Seagrave’ in Rochdale.
 
After leaving college, Alison worked in some of the finest hotels in London where she cooked for numerous celebrities and members of the royal family. She returned to the North to become head pastry chef at the Harvey Nichols’ exclusive Manchester restaurant, and in 2006 was promoted to head chef. In both 2006 and 2007 Alison was named ‘chef of the year’ in glittering ceremonies for the annual Hi-Life Dining Awards.
 
The students were awarded for a wide variety of endeavors and achievements including:

• Performing Arts student Monique Hull from Heywood was praised for her acting ability.
• Business, Retail, Travel and ICT student Naomi Rushworth from Rochdale went back into education following redundancy and was recognised for excelling with everything she has done.
• Mature student, Karen Harris, 31, from Langley, Middleton, who is on the Uniformed Public Services course was recognised for going back to college to pursue her dream of becoming a police officer.