2013 Prospect ULR winners prove it pays to learn

Congratulations to members at the Diamond Light Source branch after who won Prospect’s 2013 learning branch of the year award. Marjorie Newson, British Library, also scooped the award for individual union learning representative.

The branch won the award for the creative ways it has used the union’s learning at work initiative. In 2013, 425 people took part in a campus-wide science and general learning event.

More recently it hosted a week-long learning at work programme including talks, training sessions and workshops on subjects as diverse as technician registration to geocaching, or even jogging for beginners.

Diamond Light Source was also highly commended by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education for inspiring learning, all of which is firmly backed by the employer which acknowledges the benefits of increased morale and positive engagement on business performance.

ULR Lloyd Collier 9pictured above) presented the branch’s £200 prize to Ruskin College (Oxford) in recognition of its role as an adult learning college and its close ties with the trade union movement.

Marjorie Newson’s selection as the 2013 individual ULR acknowledged the innovative programmes she has instigated for colleagues at British Library’s Boston Spa and St Pancras, London sites.

Marjorie trained as a ULR in 2009. In 2012 she volunteered for Prospect’s digital champion programme and used the information gained to create and build the digital champions UK Pinterest site – http://pinterest.com/digitalchampsuk – an online tool to help do things on the web. The site has attracted 530 followers, with widespread positive feedback from users, since its launch at the end of January 2013,

In addition, she has also engaged with her employers on a range of initiatives from setting up a computer skills swap club at work to trying to secure an informal learning budget allowance for all staff. She has helped friends, family and colleagues with digital applications, including successfully coaching a member before a promotion interview.

Marjorie created and maintains a learning blog at the British Library, which provides information on events, courses, workshops, and training for members. She also plays an integral part in the bi-annual learning at work events, organised by all of the branch’s ULRs, which attracts hundreds of visitors.

Pictured above left, Marjorie donated her £200 prize to Yorkshire Cancer Research.