Princess Anne celebrates with us!

5 November 2008

Watch the video of Princess Anne's visit

“

Thank you for what you have achieved already on behalf of occupational therapy here in the UK, and which I am sure you will continue to do so with enthusiastic students.

”

HRH Princess Royal

Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne, with current and past students, including two ladies who were students during the first 2 years of teaching: 1948 and 1949

Princess Anne celebrates 60 years of occupational therapy education in Derby

Watch the video of her visit

We were delighted to welcome HRH Princess Royal to the University of Derby this week to mark our diamond anniversary celebrations for occupational therapy.

Our Faculty of Education, Health and Sciences is this year celebrating 60 years of occupational therapy education in Derby and Princess Anne met staff and students when she visited our Kedleston Road site on 5 November. Past staff and students who are now working in practice and some who are retired, attended an alumni event in the afternoon as part of the celebrations.

Celebrating the history of occupational therapy at Derby

Princess Anne, who is Patron of the College of Occupational Therapists, visited our Kedleston Road site on Wednesday 5 November. She spent an hour with us, finding out about how hundreds of Derby occupational therapy students since 1948 have been trained and gone into practice, making a valuable contribution to the health and social care sector.

Derby's course was founded in Ward Ten of the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary in 1948, with an intake of nine students. Now based at the University's Britannia Mill and Kedleston Road sites in the city, the BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy course has more than 350 students studying on it each year, both full time and part time.

Meeting staff, students and graduates

Princess Anne met a series of VIP delegates, staff, students and graduates from occupational therapy and toured our Clinical Skills Suite, where she observed a range of teaching demonstrations, before unveiling a plaque to mark her visit.

At the plaque unveiling, our Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne gave a speech and our Pro-Chancellor Liz Fothergill invited HRH to unveil a plaque commemorating the visit. Dee Christie, Chair of the College of Occupational Therapists gave a vote of thanks praising the facilities enjoyed by todays' students at Derby.

Princess Anne then took the opportunity to say a few words about her visit to Derby:

"Thank you for what you have achieved already on behalf of occupational therapy here in the UK and which I am sure you will continue to do so with enthusiastic students from everywhere."

Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne said: "It is a very real and genuine pleasure to have you visit the University and no more fitting occasion than celebrating 60 years of occupational therapy training in Derby."

Read the schedule for the day

Occupational therapy facilities - the Clinical Skills Suite

The Clinical Skills Suite is a state of the art health facility built to NHS Red Book standards and which features:

a clinical ward
radiography facilities
a kitchen area
an anatomy laboratory
counselling suites, and
a doctor's surgery for students.

It also has a domestic living suite which occupational therapy teaching staff use to help educate students in rehabilitation techniques, so that people can learn to cope again in their own homes.

Comments from staff and students

Derby's Subject Head for Occupational Therapy, Joan Kenyon, said: "As well as the importance of the Royal Visit this was a key milestone and great occasion for a number of other reasons.

"It is National Occupational Therapy Week which we marked with a display stand and other activities throughout the week, and the NHS is also 60 years old this year."

Student Lindsay Hodgson was helping to run the Occupational Therapy Week stand in the Atrium and said: "The event was enjoyable. It was exciting when the Princess Royal arrived and it has all been a great chance to raise awareness of what we do."

Elsewhere, occupational therapy staff and students were involved in managing a series of demonstrations of the subject area in practice.

Lecturer Narinder Verma said: "It was a great occasion. The Princess Royal was very warm and friendly and showed a real interest in the staff and students."

Rebecca Spray, a second year student said: "Princess Anne was very knowledgeable about the subject area and it was good because she spent quite a time talking to us about the course."

Second year student Diane Langford said: "We enjoyed meeting the Princess and we were demonstrating some walking aids. She was very personable and showed great interest in our work."

Senior lecturer Pauline Rowe said:
"The Princess saw students learning anatomy by viewing the position and action of muscles on computer generated images and then sculpting these on anatomical mannekins.

"HRH has a wonderful ability to put everyone at ease. She spoke with students for some time about how their knowledge of muscles relates to occupational therapists understanding the impact on everyday occupations if someone can't perform certain movements. I felt like a 'proud parent' as our students flew the flag for OT and Derby."

Comments from graduates who attended the afternoon event for alumni

Gillian Rattle, studied on the course from 1973-76, at our Cedars site: She now works in Jersey and said:

"It was an excellent course and it gave students an excellent grounding to go into the profession. Occupational therapy is a wonderful course and makes a difference to people's lives."

Helen Bousie, also studied on the course at our Cedars site. She said:

"It was great to meet up with friends from the course and to look at some of the old photographs on display at the event."

Chrissie Mills, another alumni who attended the afternoon celebration, said:

"It is a good milestone for the University and it shows that occupational therapy has a strong core in the city."

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