Edinburgh Napier University – The NEN

First students complete pioneering football coaching degree

The first group of students from a trailblazing football coaching degree – delivered by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) and the Scottish Football Association – have celebrated their graduation. The first group of Football Coaching, Performance and Development graduates posing outside the Usher Hall

The first degree of its kind in Scotland, the Football Coaching, Performance and Development BSc Honours programme launched in 2020.

Following four years of study, which included teaching for UEFA and Scottish FA qualifications alongside skills such as performance analysis, sport science, and leadership, fifteen students have completed the course.

They joined fellow students from ENU’s School of Applied Sciences in collecting their degrees during a graduation ceremony at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall today.

New graduates from the course have spoken with pride on difference the course has made to their fledgling careers in the game.

Ewan McLevy, who is now working as an academy coach at Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock, is among them.

The 24-year-old from Troon said: “I look at back at the course with fond memories, it was excellent.

“We came in in September 2020 and we were a brand new group. There was a bit of trial and error as we got used it.

“After a couple of months, I caught the bug and never looked back. Football Coaching, Performance and Development graduates outside the Usher Hall

“The beauty of the course is that it touched on the things you might not consider, like psychology, analysis and sports science. I think I speak for all the group when I say it was a real eye-opener.

“The lecturers were amazing and really helped us understand it all. They took examples from other sports, which helped it all come together.

“I couldn’t recommend the programme any higher. For someone starting on the pathway, given the links with the Scottish FA, it couldn’t give you a better opportunity.

“If football is your passion, it will open doors.”

Fellow graduate Aidan Spalding, who’s also 24 years old and from Glasgow, has recently started working as a first team analyst at Hamilton Academical. He said: “I’m gutted to leave to be honest! The four years have been unreal – I’ve loved it.

“Having that one interest of working in football all the time has made us really close as a group.

“It was very well rounded and gave us a chance to learn about other sides of the game.

“Without this I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to get a full-time analysis job – or have had experiences like going away with Scotland Women’s development teams.

“If you enjoy football, the course is for you. It will take your coaching to the next level.”

Dr Cedric English speaking to students in a gym hall at Edinburgh Napier University

Dr Cedric English, Programme Leader and Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “We were pretty excited to see the Scottish FA put out a tender for developing a degree programme that linked in a lot of their licences, so we put in an application and we were successful.

“That was the beginning of the process, six years ago, and it took us time to work out how we would incorporate the licences in because that’s the uniqueness of the collaboration.

“It’s a great feeling to now see the hard work coming to fruition and I would echo the congratulations to the students who have worked incredibly hard to get to this point.”

Prospective students can find out more about the BSc (Hons) Football Coaching, Performance and Development, which offers a holistic view of coaching within a football setting, here.

Pictured top: Football Coaching graduates outside the Usher Hall with their degrees

Middle: The group with Ewan McLevy (left) and Aidan Spalding (right) in front

Bottom: Dr Cedric English speaking at the introduction to the programme in 2020

Edinburgh Napier University celebrates its biggest graduation

One of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs, Shakespeare’s on Lothian Road, has been transformed in to The Napier Graduate once again to celebrate the University’s class of ’24.

More than 2,700 students and 9,000 guests will descend on the Usher Hall in Edinburgh to attend seven graduation ceremonies over the course of three days. The unique public house, The Napier Graduate, will play host to celebrating graduates before and after each ceremony where they will have the chance to toast their success with a pint of Edinburgh Napier’s very own ale, ‘Must Be Napier’.

The ‘Must Be Napier’ ale is a nod to Edinburgh Napier University’s award-winning brand campaign that is shining a spotlight on the achievements and major contributions to society of the University’s students, staff, and alumni.

For three days, from Wednesday 3 July to Friday 5July, Shakespeare’s will be known as The Napier Graduate. Unmissable from Lothian Road, the pub has been completely reimagined in Napier’s distinctive red and white colour palatte, changing everything from the outdoor signs to the beermats, the artwork and even the beer taps in celebration of the new alumni and providing a welcoming space to enjoy with families and loved ones.

Edinburgh Napier University was recently awarded Higher Educational Institution of the Year at the 2024 Herald Higher Education Awards and is known for celebrating its graduates in unique ways.

From first launching the pub last year to when the University held a city takeover in 2021, displaying the names of graduates across 18 billboards, 100 bus stops, an Edinburgh Tram and a taxi.

Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice Chancellor at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Celebrating our graduates is one of the highlights of the academic year and we had such a positive response to The Napier Graduate pub last year that we just simply had to bring it back again for the class of ’24.

“The now iconic Napier Graduate pub is a wonderful space for our new alumni and their guests to celebrate their success and contemplate the next chapter after university. I look forward to raising a glass to toast their future.”

Flo McMahon, General Manager of Shakespeare’s, said: “We’re really excited to transform into The Napier Graduate again this year.

“It is such a special time for both the staff and the wider community. Everyone gets caught up in the celebratory nature of the graduation days and we love being a part of that special moment.

“A record number of people visited us during last year’s graduations so we’ve made sure the bar is fully stocked!”

The Napier Graduate is open from Wednesday 3 – Friday 5 July at 65 Lothian Road.

Typography Trails aims to show Edinburgh through a new lens

Degree Show project encourages rediscovery of city’s history

From the Castle and cobbles of the Royal Mile to its secret underground streets, Edinburgh’s heritage and history is known worldwide. But what could be learnt from looking a little closer?

An Edinburgh Napier graphic design student is encouraging people to explore Edinburgh through a new lens by taking a closer look at what has been a mainstay of its streets for generations – its typography.

Fourth year graphic design student Rosa Marshall has unveiled her final year project – Type Revival Edinburgh – this week at the University’s annual Degree Show at Merchiston campus.

With an aim of encouraging tourists and design enthusiasts to visit lesser-known parts of the city, Rosa has created two type trail publications, one each for the New Town and Old Town areas, that contain a map and guided tour of historic and traditionally crafted lettering which adorn streets and buildings in both areas.

The trails take in numerous stone inscriptions and ghost signs as well as present-day examples of signwriting. The publications delve into Edinburgh’s past and allows the user to learn more about wayfinding, street signs, shop signs, graveyard inscriptions and more from years gone by.

Users are also encouraged to take typographic rubbings as they move around the trail to truly appreciate the variety of letting styles and sizes that appear.

Rosa’s fascination with typography and lettering has grown throughout her time at University after initially being peaked during a work trip to Malawi last year.

She explains: “I work for a charity in Edinburgh and I was lucky enough to be able to visit Malawi in June last year. While I was there, I was struck by the prevalence of signwriting and hand lettering.

“I saw loads of examples of, at times, really intricate hand-made signage, each of which had an individual charm, and the idea for my major project was born.

“When I was back in Edinburgh, I started noticing examples throughout the Old Town and New Town and found that both areas are distinctively different from each other. I developed the idea of a zine that helps people who are interested in typography to firstly explore the area, and also to learn more about the history behind the streets, buildings and locations that these signs appear on and in.

“One of my favourite discoveries is a ghost sign on Lynedoch Place in the New Town that has been almost revealed behind layers of concrete as well as some of the medieval inscriptions from the 1590s in the Old Town – there really is so much variety and history to be told just from noticing things as you walk through both areas.

“It’s been a really fun project to work on. It’s got me outside and it’s got me really interested in typography. I’ve done some signwriting workshops as a result and I would really love to bring some sort of typography festival to Edinburgh in the future too.

“There’s so much more left to discover in Edinburgh and so many more stories to learn and share. I feel like I’m just getting started.”

You can learn more about Rosa’s project and others at Edinburgh Napier’s Degree Show which takes place at Merchiston campus from 24-30 May.

Ancestry event gives opportunity to research family links within nursing and midwifery

Attendees can learn more about family history research from a range of experts

A unique event that will give participants the chance to research family ancestry within nursing and midwifery is to take place in Edinburgh next month.

Hosted by Edinburgh Napier University, The Royal College of Nursing and the National Library of Scotland, the event will give attendees the chance to research a nurse or midwife of any era who worked in any setting – hospital, community, asylums, industry, prisons, military – under the watchful eye of a range of experts.

The event will feature a number of short presentations, including introductions to family history research from researchers and archivists as well as opportunities to learn about online searching.

There will be a chance for attendees to ask questions and get guidance on how find to find out more about their nursing or midwifery ancestors.

Those attending are invited to bring along a photo, or other small memento, of the person(s) they are interested in finding out more about and would be happy to show on the day.

The event – which will take place at the National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge Edinburgh from 10am-4pm on 5 June – will welcome a number of guest speakers and contributors:

Teresa Doherty: Joint Head of Library & Archives and RCN Professional Lead for History of Nursing who will talk about nurse registration and how to access nurse registers.
Nicola Ring: Professor of Nursing and Nessa McHugh Midwifery Lecturer at ENU will talk about their experiences of finding 19th century nurses and midwives and searching for early nurses and midwives accused of Witchcraft in 16-17th Century Scotland.
Sana Bilgrani: Film Lecturer at ENU who has researched nurses in her family history and produced a film about her search.
Lucy Church, Dora Petherbridge and Patrick Hart: Will talk about how the National Library of Scotland and its collections and resources can help people find their family histories.
Rosie Al-Mulla: NHS Forth Valley Archivist, University of Stirling who will talk about using NHS archives to find nurses and midwives.

Chair of the RCN History of Nursing Forum Dianne Yarwood said: “It’s not unusual to hear people say: ‘Oh yes, my great gran was a hospital nurse, or my uncle worked as a mental health nurse.’ Often, they would like to know more about this person’s nursing career but have no idea where, or how, to start searching.

“Do join us for this exciting, informative one day event and learn how to find that elusive ancestor. You will meet experts, gain advice and guidance and leave with the knowledge and confidence to find that nurse or midwife of yesterday.”

Those attending will be given notebooks, pens, and lunch free of charge.

To sign up to this in-person event, please follow the link:

https://tinyurl.com/NMFamilyHistory

People interested in attending who require disability adjustments on the day, should contact CMHPPLR@napier.ac.uk

Those on low income and not entitled to free bus travel, may be eligible for some travel compensation. Please contact: CMHPPLR@napier.ac.uk

Clean heating and energy efficiency grants to get to Net Zero

£11 million grant funding confirmed for public sector bodies

Leisure centres, schools and university campuses will be transformed by a government fund designed to accelerate the decarbonisation of public sector properties, the Scottish Government announced yesterday.

The University of Edinburgh, Fife Council and Edinburgh Napier University are among the first seven projects to share grants for clean heating and energy efficiency improvements totalling £11 million from the £20 million Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund.

The funding, to support the ambition to reach net zero by 2045, is the first time direct grant awards have been made to public sector bodies instead of loans.

A recent Scottish Government consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill asked for views on a possible requirement for all buildings owned by a Scottish public authority to move to clean heating systems by the end of 2038. There are currently around 23,000 buildings in public ownership.

Zero Carbon Buildings Minister Patrick Harvie (well, he was until this morning, anyway – Ed.) said: “Heat from our homes and buildings is responsible for around a fifth of Scotland’s overall emissions so there is no route to delivering Net Zero by 2045 without tackling this.

“Not just our homes but our schools, universities, offices, hospitals and libraries also need to improve their energy efficiency and make the move to clean heating.

“We are absolutely committed to addressing Scotland’s reliance on direct emission heating systems that produce greenhouse gas emissions when we use them, which is why we have consulted on ambitious proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill which we intend to bring forward during the current Parliament.

“We have made clear that we want all public sector buildings to have moved to clean heat by the end of 2038. We expect the public sector to demonstrate leadership in this area and I am therefore very pleased to be able to confirm these first awards from the Fund. Further awards will be confirmed shortly.”

The funding is part of £200 million already committed to the public sector for energy efficiency and renewable heating over the next five years – part of the wider plan to spend £1.8 billion during the current parliamentary session on decarbonising Scotland’s buildings.

The University of Edinburgh will receive £2.08m to support the reduction of heat demand at its King’s Buildings campus, home to the College of Science and Engineering, including through fabric insulation and pipework insulation upgrades.

The project will also take steps towards the decarbonisation of heat supply. A heat recovery pump will recycle waste heat from one of the University’s data centres and upgrade it for use within a local district heating network.

Catherine Martin, Vice Principal Corporate Services, University of Edinburgh said: “The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges we are facing.

“The University of Edinburgh has a clear commitment to take positive action to address our impact on the climate and ultimately reach our institutional goal of being net zero by 2040.

“We need a coordinated approach to these activities and the funding from the Scottish Government will support our efforts to generate solutions and sustainably adapt the way we operate.”

Grants have been confirmed for the following projects:

Recipient	Grant awarded	Project
University of Edinburgh	£2,079,459	King’s Buildings campus – to support the reduction of heat demand and take steps towards decarbonisation of heat
Fife Council	£2,404,911	St Andrew’s RC High School and Beacon Leisure Centre – installation of a combination of air-to-water heat pumps and water source heat pumps as the primary heat source for both, plus heat demand reductions at St Andrew’s RC High School
Scotland’s Rural College	£387,130	Barony Campus, Dumfries – retrofitting insulation including on the grade II listed Kirkmichael House
Perth & Kinross Council	£324,546	Auchtergaven Primary School, Bankfoot – upgrading the existing heating supply via the installation of two air source heat pumps and the installation of a building management system
North Lanarkshire Council	£2,345,176.00	Strathclyde Park Watersports Centre – whole building retrofit, redesign and extension as part of revelopment into Net Zero Health Hub
Edinburgh Napier University	£1,241,966.00	BE-ST A Lab – Removal of gas-based fossil fuel heating system as part of retrofit including Mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, a sustainable innovative curtain wall system, a solar PV integrated roof system and a sustainable LED ready lighting control system
Dumfries and Galloway Council	£2,500,000	Dumfries Ice Bowl – replacement of the mains gas system with a low emission water source heat pump with heat recapture technology to allow heat generated from the refrigeration system to be recovered, plus energy efficiency measures

A Eureka Moment: Researchers take biodegradable ‘forever chemicals’ alternative to market

Mercel becomes the latest company to spin out from Edinburgh Napier University

Two scientists who discovered they could use seaweed waste to produce a bio-degradable alternative to chemical plastics are taking their technology to the next level – after spinning out from Edinburgh Napier University (ENU).

Mark Dorris and Dominic O’Rourke founded Mercel after realising they could make high-value nanomaterial from brown seaweed extract, with zero waste.

They made the discovery during their research with the Advanced Materials group in ENU’s School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment.

Having appointed Alastair Kennedy as Chief Commercial Officer, the three-strong firm are now planning to set up a new base for the company in Fife, to develop the product’s uses and license the technology for wider production.

They have already started testing it as a replacement for synthetic plastics in a range of practical uses, including as a binder for laundry products, a waterproof coating, and a delivery system for medical ingredients.

The material could offer a sustainable substitute to some widely used synthetic chemicals, such as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – known as ‘forever chemicals’ because of the difficulty and cost in disposing of them.

Mercel is now working with nine companies on 13 different projects to explore real-world applications.

The technology has been tested on sargassum seaweed – which has drawn worldwide headlines for washing ashore in huge quantities from the Atlantic Ocean.

By spinning out, Mercel joins an impressive list of companies that began life as projects at the University, including the likes of Cyacomb, ZoneFox, and Celtic Renewables.

Last year ENU was named among the UK’s top ten universities for generating spin-out firms by one of Europe’s largest venture capital teams.

Mark Dorris, Mercel Founder and Chief Technical Officer, said: “There are very few ‘eureka’ moments in science – but this was one of them.

“Coming from industry previously, we had no connections, no money, and no experience of seaweed.

“At many points we were hanging on by our fingertips. We drunk the last chance saloon dry. We had job offers but decided ‘we can’t let this go’.

“We immediately saw the potential of using brown seaweed cellulose from existing seaweed processing to produce nanocellulose.

“The seaweed is typically harvested for alginate, which is used mostly as a food thickener, and the cellulose left behind was historically viewed as a waste product.

“We’re aiming this at hidden plastics, binders, thickeners: many of the chemical ingredients you read on the back of a bottle and wonder what they are. They’re hard to replace, but that’s what this can do.

“Regulation on synthetic chemicals is increasingly being tightened, so we are hoping to create something future-proof – as it is completely natural, sustainable, and non-animal in its origin.

“We want it to be the best choice rather than just being the green option.”

Fiona Mason, Head of Business Engagement and IP Commercialisation at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “The climate crisis demands urgent action, and Edinburgh Napier University is committed to playing a role in finding solutions.

“The creation of Mercel demonstrates our dedication to translating cutting-edge research into real-world applications that can make a tangible difference.

“Mercel’s success is a source of great pride for us, and we commend the devoted research team behind it.

“Their expertise, passion, and commitment, supported by our skilled Business Engagement and IP team from the Research Innovation and Enterprise Office, have been instrumental in making this happen.”

Success for young entrepreneurs from George Watson’s at Young Enterprise Scotland Regional Finals

A team of pioneering young entrepreneurs from George Watson’s will be heading to Hampden Park to take part in the Young Enterprise Scotland National Finals.

Teams from Stewart’s Melville, Mary Erskine, Preston Lodge, St Georges, George Watson’s, Boroughmuir and George Heriot’s took part in the Lothian Regional Final for the Company Programme at Edinburgh Napier University, which saw George Watson’s take the crown with their business ‘Snappets.’

Snappets sells croc charms in a range of shapes and sizes, with the goal of producing a product that is suitable for everyone and promotes creativity.

The winners were presented their award by Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern.

The Young Enterprise Scotland Company Programme is an immersive programme which provides a real-life learning opportunity that introduces young people from S5 and S6 to the realities of the world of work.

Participants are required to start their own company, running through the key milestones of developing an idea, conducting market research, creating the product or service, promoting that product and ultimately trading it.

Over 2,000 young people take part in the Company Programme every year in Scotland.

Young Enterprise Scotland, Chief Executive, Emma Soanes said: “The George Watson’s team is an inspiration and I wish them every success in the Scottish finals later this year.

Setting up and running their own successful company is a wonderful experience and will have given them new skills to take forward into their learning and future careers. So, whatever happens at Hampden Park, they are already winners.”

The Lothian Company Finals were sponsored by Edinburgh Napier.

The winning team will now go on to represent the Lothian region at The Young Enterprise Scotland Company Programme Finals, which are part of the three-day Festival of Youth Enterprise, running from 28th to 29th May at Hampden park.

For more details visit https://yes.org.uk/news/regional-finals-2024-07-03-2024

Craiglockhart’s history to inspire sustainability at Regeneration conference

The event is being held at Edinburgh Napier University next month

Helping brands to become more conscientious amid a complex ethical landscape will be the focus of a forum being held by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) – which will coincide with a major business event coming to the city for the first time.

Several leading figures from the business, public and third sectors will take part in Regeneration: Leading with Conscienceat ENU’s Craiglockhart campus on 25 April.

The series of discussions are being held in collaboration with international think tank the Medinge Group, which organises the 17^th Global Brand Conference being in the capital during the same week.

The title of the event was inspired by Pat Barker’s 1991 historical novel Regeneration, which tells the experience of British army officers being treated for shell shock during World War I at Craiglockhart War Hospital, which is now ENU’s Craiglockhart Campus.

Speakers at the forum will include representatives from Medinge, drinks firm Edrington, finance giant Rabobank and environmental organisation Zero Waste Scotland – as well as leader of Dundee City Council John Alexander. Discussions will range from ethical brand leadership, to developing sustainable, long-term returns.

Researchers from ENU will be among the academics bringing research expertise to the event.

Nathalia Tjandra, Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University’s Business School said: “We are very excited to host this interactive forum, at our Craiglockhart Campus.

“We hope it will facilitate meaningful debates and discussions with successful figures about the challenges and opportunities of leading with conscience.

“Conscientious leadership is needed to build a successful organisation and at the same time contribute to society and the planet.

“Every action taken by an organisation will have an impact on its stakeholders and society – the important question is how we balance competing stakeholder demands and deal with moral dilemmas.

“We hope that our event will inspire leaders across Scotland to lead with conscience, act responsibly and build a sustainable future for all.”

Next generation of innovators inspired by support from collaborative health and social care initiative

Formal NHS Scotland partner InnoScot Health is proud to be part of a collaborative programme aiming to develop fresh health and social care innovations that can help solve clinical problems.

Led by Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh Napier Universities with InnoScot Health support, the initiative – labelled a “first of its kind research collaboration” – has seen engineering and nursing students pooling capabilities and know-how to hone breakthrough ideas.

It is hoped that the programme could help to progress innovations into products, leading to better patient outcomes while aiding healthcare staff in integrating innovative approaches into their daily activities.

InnoScot Health signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Heriot-Watt’s Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) in 2022, leveraging significant expertise to accelerate medical and healthcare opportunities.

The organisation has now helped to encourage what it calls “the next generation of health and social care innovators” by providing real world project briefs to teams of Heriot-Watt engineering students while helping them build consulting and client engagement skills.

The promising ideas from NHS Scotland innovators were first submitted to InnoScot Health, which has since acted as their client and liaison point.

The learnings of the student engineering project teams – enhanced by clinical insights from Edinburgh Napier University’s nursing students and access to its specialised clinical simulation facilities – are now expected to lead to improved co-designed projects.

There are currently three ideas being developed, each of which have originated from different health boards across the country – a catheter redesign from NHS Fife; cannula cuff from NHS Forth Valley; and wobble stool from NHS Grampian.

InnoScot Health Innovation Manager Fiona Schaefer said: “Collaborating on this Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh Napier University link-up offers an excellent and important opportunity for engineering students to learn more about the demands of health and social care, to understand how products are used, and see a simulated NHS environment in action.

“Likewise, nursing students and healthcare professionals can offer feedback on prototypes with the opportunity to test them more easily and safely than would have been possible by going into hospitals and healthcare settings. 

“At the same time, they have also been encouraged to think about innovation, to realise that they have a lot to offer, and recognise the value of their know-how for future career progression. We hope this inspires them to see opportunities to develop new ideas when they soon start working in health and social care as registered healthcare professionals.”

She added: “Developing NHS ideas with student teams offers a great way to take forward early ideas to get closer to practical solutions. It’s clear that all three teams are really engaged, and we’re excited by the possibilities.

“I have also recently spoken to Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Masters students who have innovation modules as part of their course so hope there may be new avenues of innovation to explore with them too.”

Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas a Professor in Microfluidic Engineering at Heriot-Watt University and the lead academic for its new global research institute in Health and Care Technologies, has been described by InnoScot Health as “instrumental” in realising the link-up with Edinburgh Napier University through its Professor of Simulation and Clinical Skills, Cathal Breen.

Maïwenn said: “This collaboration will ensure an excellent student experience and we are very enthusiastic about the interface between nursing and engineering.

“Nurses are the closest to patient needs on a daily basis. By championing this first-hand knowledge and expertise, we enable nurses to co-create and help deliver innovation. Alongside this, our engineering students benefit from detailed real-world feedback on their health and care engineering concepts.”

Cathal Breen, Professor of Simulation and Clinical Skills at Edinburgh Napier, said: “Nurses are an untapped reservoir of innovative solutions for the health and care sector.

“In this new agreement, our students will identify potentially suitable clinical problems and work with engineering students at Heriot-Watt to design solutions to real-life clinical problems. It is hugely exciting.”

Hundreds of care experienced learners supported as Hub celebrates five years of Success

The Hub for Success aims to help more people from care into further and higher education

The team behind an innovative service, which supports care experienced people along their journey in education, is marking its fifth anniversary – having already transformed hundreds of lives.

Since it was set up in February 2018, The Hub for Success (Support for University and College for Care Experienced in South-East Scotland) has provided one-to-one support to 628 care experienced learners and responded to 1,241 enquiries.

The project was established to address low rates of higher education admission and retention for people who have spent time in care, which were initially highlighted by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) research.

It offers individual and impartial advice on topics such as courses, accommodation, and finance to help them get in, stay in, or return to education.

Among the students it has supported in the last five years, 43% got into further or higher education – significantly higher than the national average for care experienced learners.

The Hub has since evolved from being solely a one-stop support service, taking on a more strategic role of amplifying the voices of care experienced learners and tackling the barriers they face.

ENU hosts its team of staff members – which has grown to five – while working alongside fellow core partners Heriot-Watt University, the University of Edinburgh, Queen Margaret University, the Open University in Scotland, Edinburgh College, West Lothian College, Newbattle Abbey College, and City of Edinburgh Council.

A recent independent evaluation of the Hub for Success found it has already “implemented the vast majority of its intended work,” adding that it could act as a model to be replicated in other parts of Scotland. It was also praised by First Minister Humza Yousaf as “vital” to improving the lives of care experienced people during a visit earlier this month.

Staff, partners, and some of the learners who have benefited from the service were among those who marked the Hub’s first five years of work during an anniversary event yesterday (Tuesday 20 February).

Alistair Stewart is one of the Hub’s student ambassadors – and is now completing a degree at Edinburgh Napier University. He said: “Our colleges and universities are stronger if each and every learner has what they need to thrive and succeed.

“This applies even more so to those with care experience, who often don’t have the familial supports or scaffolding of support around them.

“The Hub helped with course planning, financial planning and giving me encouragement and courage to believe that I could do this. They then helped me with the ‘staying in’ part, with a range of practical, emotional and relationship-based support.

“Three years later I am about to graduate and have been offered a masters. I have also been promoted to senior student ambassador with the Hub for Success and now take a role in designing and delivering our work.”

Lorraine Moore, Hub for Success manager said: “What a journey the last five years have been. The time has been packed full of learning from the care experienced people we serve, and the student ambassadors I am privileged to have as colleagues.

“No journey is ever straightforward, no path even, but this is a journey I would gladly take again, as I know I would continue to learn.

“From one care experienced character to all you others, thank you.”

Advisory board member, and Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, Professor Andrea Nolan, said: “I’m in awe of the talent, tenacity, and motivation our care experienced students show.

“We are delighted to have them join the Edinburgh Napier community, and I take particular joy in hearing about their achievements.

“I hope the impact of the Hub will mean many more care experienced learners can join and continue their educational journey with us as a platform for building successful and fulfilling careers.”

Are you care experienced? Interested in getting back into learning? The Hub can be contacted here.