| This must surely be the only time so many graduates from the
same school of pharmacy have been on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s
Council. Following the election this year, there are six Sunderland University
pharmacy alumni serving: David Carter, Dorothy Drury, John Jolley, Hemant
Patel (President), Douglas Simpson and myself.
So is there something special about Sunderland? According to Mr Patel,
going there was a life changing event. “I have never encountered
such a place, people or weather. Songs have been written about New York
and Chicago but that is because those writers have not visited or lived
in Sunderland,” he said.
But is there a reason why there are so many ex-Sunderland pharmacy politicians? “I
am not sure really how it happened, but it is a fact that students from
Sunderland seem to get involved in politics,” Mr Carter said. He
attributes his entering into politics to becoming involved with the Sunderland
and District branch (he spent seven years as secretary, then two as chairman),
which he described as a “spring board”. Other factors he
mentioned were the Hope Winch Society (see Panel) and the positive attitude
of the school. Mrs Drury added: “It seemed to be drummed into us
that we were an advantaged group and that we must protect the vocation
for those who follow in our footsteps.”
After leaving Sunderland, graduates are
encouraged to keep in touch and network. “We all attend each other’s
functions and the local pharmacy scene seems to thrive and encourages
people to progress further in politics. Perhaps the Hope Winch Society
acts as glue to keep university students from Sunderland together when
they are too far away to be members of the local branch,” Mr Carter
explained.
Mr Jolley, it seems, started in politics early — serving as president
of the Sunderland Pharmacists Student Association in 1967. He said that
it was the association that enthused him to take an active role in the
affairs of the profession. “The local branch provided an opportunity
to meet with key opinion leaders and Bill Darling [who served 39 years
on Council before retiring] certainly did much to support SPSA in keeping
students informed on all topics,” he commented.
For Mr Simpson, a former editor of The Pharmaceutical Journal, his interest
in politics began with the college union and its newspaper. He pointed
out that the school is part of a strong and diverse institution — at
one time a technical college, then a polytechnic, now a university — but
that the place is compact, and it is easy to get involved in student
politics. In addition, “you have to keep active and on the move
because of the weather”, he said.
My own opinion is that the high number of Sunderland graduates involved
with professional activities is down to the existence of the Hope Winch
Society which, among other activities, awards a scholarship to students.
It gives us the opportunity to bond and keep these bonds going and has
created an inter-relationship between the the local branch and the school
of pharmacy that is unique to Sunderland.
The Hope Winch Society: old and new activities
Hope Constance Monica Winch |
The Hope
Winch Society was established 22
years ago (the inspiration of Pete Goadby, a former lecturer at
Sunderland
University) to continue to celebrate the achievements of Hope Constance
Monica Winch, who was the first head of Sunderland’s pharmacy
department and was instrumental in its development.
The School
of Pharmacy was established at Sunderland Technical College in
1921
when it transferred from the Rutherford College, Newcastle, as
the result of negotiations conducted by the Pharmaceutical Society
of
Great Britain with the late principal, V. A. Mundella.
Miss Winch
was appointed the first full-time lecturer in pharmacy at the college.
Sunderland Technical College was, at the time, essentially devoted
to engineering and shipbuilding. Miss Winch was made department
head in 1928 and saw it grow into one of the most successful schools
of
pharmacy in England. Under her inspired leadership, the teaching
of pharmaceutical subjects developed and, in 1930, the department
was given its own building.
In April 1944, Miss Winch was killed in a climbing accident on
Scafell. Although she was an experienced climber (she had undertaken
successfully
most of the difficult climbs in the Lake District, and some of
the most attractive climbs in the Swiss Alps and Northern Italy),
she
lost her grip while climbing Deep Ghyll Buttress and fell about
150 feet. Before her death, Miss Winch had been chairman of the
Sunderland
branch of the Pharmaceutical Society (before that, she had been
secretary for about 20 years) and, in 1944, the Winch Memorial
Scholarship
for Sunderland students was established through the efforts of
the branch.
The first award was made in 1949, and at the annual
prize
distribution a prominent pharmacist, G. E. Trease, presented the
award and made an address. This established the annual Hope C.
M. Winch memorial lecture.
Membership of the HWS is open to present and past pharmacy students
and staff. HWS members are automatically made members of the university’s
alumni association. A dedicated newsletter appears in The Bridge,
the alumni association’s annual magazine.
Members meet regularly at the society’s annual general meeting
and reunion dinner, which are usually held in Durham in the autumn.
Alumni celebrating the 25th anniversary of their graduation are
particularly encouraged to attend, but it is for all pharmacy graduates
as well
as existing, retired and ex-members of staff.
After 22 annual dinners the HWS committee has endorsed a new initiative.
Working together with the University of Sunderland Alumni Association
and Development Trust, it is proposed that money will be raised
to bring a student from a developing country to study pharmacy
at Sunderland.
Selection of this student will involve the Hope Winch Committee
working closely with the university’s international office.
The selected student would be someone who would not otherwise be
able to come
to the UK due to the high costs involved. It is hoped that this
will provide a life changing experience for the student and he
or she
will return to his or her country able to make a contribution using
a UK pharmacy degree.
Money to support this initiative must come from donations and fund
raising activities, which will take place throughout the academic
year, involving the Hope Winch Committee, working with the Alumni
Association, Sunderland Pharmacy Students Association, students
and staff.
The Hope Winch Committee is enthusiastic about this new challenge
and anticipates the support of existing and new members of the
society and others. Readers wishing to make a donation to the HWS
initiative
should contact Paul Carter at paul.carter@sunderland.ac.uk
The HWS, in partnership with the university, is using the university’s
development trust to support the student. This trust is a charity,
so money raised by our efforts can be gift-aided. |
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal