Greta Thunberg named Time Person of the Year for 2019

Greta Thunberg, the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement to fight climate change, has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2019.

The 16-year-old is the youngest person to be chosen by the magazine in a tradition that started in 1927.

Speaking at a UN climate change summit in Madrid before the announcement, she urged world leaders to stop using “creative PR” to avoid real action.

The next decade would define the planet’s future, she said.

Last year, the teenager started an environmental strike by missing lessons most Fridays to protest outside the Swedish parliament building. It sparked a worldwide movement that became popular with the hashtag #FridaysForFuture. More

Congratulations to Vice-Chancellor Prof Jane Harrington named Stonewall Senior Champion of the Year, South West region

Jane’s work on LGBT inclusion at her previous university, the University of the West of England (UWE), was recognised at the Stonewall South West Regional Awards on 5 February. 6 February 2020 

Jane, who was recognised for her strong support for the LGBT community and LGBT staff and students, was delighted to receive the award and said:

I am proud of the work that I did as an LGBTQ+ ally which included bystander training for staff and student union societies. I feel very strongly that it is not up to individuals to have to defend themselves but it is our collective responsibility to not be bystanders.

Congratulations Jane from everyone at Greenwich.

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – October 2019

October is Black History Month and with that in mind we have chosen Elizabeth Anionwu as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month.

Elizabeth was inspired to become a nurse at the young age of four because, whilst a ‘wonderful nursing nun’ treated her childhood eczema in an expert and sensitive manner.

Elizabeth has put in a substantial amount of her life into her work as a nurse, health visitor and tutor working with black and minority ethnic communities in London and in 1979 helped to establish the first nurse-led UK Sickle & Thalassaemia Screening and Counselling Centre. She has chaired several projects for the NHS Sickle and Thalassaemia Screening Programme and in 2004 she was presented with the Royal College of Nursing Fellowship (FRCN) for her work in the development of nurse-led sickle cell and thalassaemia counselling services and education and leadership in transcultural nursing.

In 1988 she was awarded a PhD from the Institute of Education, University College London and from 1990-1997 she worked at the Institute of Child Health, UCL as a Lecturer then Senior Lecturer in Community Genetic Counselling. She has written extensively and is a co-author of the book ‘The Politics of Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia’ published in 2001. 

In 1997 Elizabeth was appointed as Dean of the School of Adult Nursing and Professor of Nursing at the University of West London and in 1999 she established and was Head of the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice until her retirement in 2007.  The university then honoured her with the award of Emeritus Professor of Nursing. In 2001 she was awarded a CBE for services to nursing.

Elizabeth was vice-chairperson of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal from its launch in November 2003. The statue was unveiled in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital in June 2016 and Elizabeth is now a Life Patron of the new charity, the Mary Seacole Trust.

She was honoured with a Damehood in the 2017 for her services to nursing and the Mary Seacole Statue Appeal. The Queen’s Nursing Institute awarded her a Fellowship (FQNI) in October 2017.  In July 2018, as part of the celebrations for the 70th Anniversary of the National Health Service, Elizabeth was included in the list of the 70 most influential nurses and midwives in the history of the NHS.

She is a Patron of the Sickle Cell Society, the Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association (UK) and the Sickle & Thalassaemia Association of Nurses, Midwives & Associated Professionals (STANMAP).

To find out more about Elizabeth see here http://www.elizabethanionwu.co.uk/about-me/ To find out more about Black History Month see here https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

Gabby Logan: ‘Involve men in menopause discussion’

TV presenter Gabby Logan has encouraged men to be included in the discussion around menopause so they have more of an “understanding” towards women.

The BBC Sport host, 47, told the Women’s Health Going For Goal podcast she had been unprepared for the impact the menopause had on her.

She said: “Men work alongside women, men are married to women, and I think men also need to know what’s going on because we need to have that empathy and understanding of what’s happening to our partners, our friends.”

Logan said “more people are talking about” the effects and stages of the menopause now. More

Rachael Blackmore: Jockey reflects on historic Cheltenham win with Honeysuckle

Jockey Rachael Blackmore said she hoped her historic triumph might inspire others after winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Honeysuckle.

She is the first woman to ride the winner of Tuesday’s championship race.

“There is no deal about being a female jockey anymore. If you want to be a jockey you can be a jockey, drive on,” said Irish rider Blackmore, 31.

“To young people, if you want to do something go and do it. For me standing here right now, anything can happen.”

Honeysuckle’s trainer Henry de Bromhead hailed the combination of rider and horse – the unbeaten mare was clocking up her 11th successive victory.

“Rachael is a brilliant rider on any horse and Honeysuckle is just a brilliant horse. The combination is deadly – it’s the perfect storm,” he said. More

Hollie Davidson and Joy Neville to undertake referee and TMO roles at Munster-Benetton game

Scotland’s Hollie Davidson will referee her first top-tier men’s game on Friday as Munster host Benetton, with Joy Neville the television match official.

Davidson, 28, was scheduled to referee European Challenge Cup and Pro14 games in January in February, only for both matches to be postponed.

Neville’s presence will make it the first time a top-tier men’s game has had both a female referee and TMO.

Irishwoman Neville refereed her first Pro14 game in February 2018.

Davidson, who became Scotland’s first female professional referee in 2017, follows in the footsteps of Neville in becoming the second woman to take charge of a Pro14 fixture. More