With ‘thanks from a grateful town’ – council marks closure of Hastings Campus

Closure of Brighton University’s Hastings Campus was marked at a recent meeting of the town’s borough council with members hearing the campus was a ‘vibrant and welcoming place to study,’ and would be greatly missed.

Lecturers from the Hastings Campus were thanked for their service to the town by councillors and were presented with a plaque by council leader Peter Chowney to formally record the thanks of a grateful town.

Councillor Andy Batsford said afterwards:  “We felt it was so important that the council showed its thanks and gratitude to the dedicated members of staff and lecturers.

“Their contribution in raising the educational aspiration of the people of Hastings has been huge. Hundreds of Hastings families have had the positive impact of their mum or dad or even grandparents studying and achieving degree level qualifications. Just imagine how inspiring that is to the young children in their families and their hopes of study when they leave school.

It was about giving local people a real opportunity

“After working as a manager for a young people’s centre for 15 years I felt there was an opportunity for me, with the university being there, to put my knowledge and passion for learning back into something academic. The support I had from the team has been incredible.

“During that time when I was studying, three members of my family graduated as well, and my son saw me studying, which brought a whole new language into the family. It was no longer about getting a basic job; it was about further education and putting that onto the dining tables of people in Hastings. It was about giving local people a real opportunity. The staff took me by the hand and led me through a process that must have been really daunting for a lot of people in Hastings. The contribution they have made has been incredible.

“It is a great tragedy that Brighton University decided to close our community university but we could not let its legacy go uncelebrated.

“Thank you to all that have contributed to making the Hastings campus a vibrant and welcoming place to study, you will be missed.”

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