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Provost hailed as inspirational role model for pioneering young carers research
By: Neil Vowles
Last updated: Thursday, 11 June 2020
The pioneering work by our very own Provost has been highlighted in a new campaign celebrating the influence of role models.
Professor Saul Becker was profiled as an inspirational role model in a social media campaign by AccessHE.
The pan-London organisation, which helps underrepresented groups access, succeed in and progress out of higher education, praised Prof Becker’s pioneering research into young carers which stretches back to the early 1990s.
The organisation detailed how young carers were hidden from society and unrepresented in public policy before the publication of Prof Becker's work adding his research has informed successive government policy initiatives, and put young carers at the heart of many universities' widening participation plans.
The social media campaign also celebrated the University’s Role Models project run by our own Widening Participation and Outreach team which trains students to lead creative workshops to their younger peers that discuss topics falling outside of mainstream education, such as social media and body image.
Prof Becker has continued to raise the profile of young carers in national Care Week this week, appearing on BBC News to discuss the pressures on young carers created by Coronavirus and lockdown.
The Professor of Social Work and Social Policy also appeared live on BBC Radio London with Vanessa Feltz to discuss the issue and appeared in a video for Brighton and Hove Carers Centre outlining his appreciation of the work young carers have done in the extremely challenging climate of the Covid-19 pandemic.