Centenary degrees

From left to right: John Wilkins, Caroline James, Sue McMullen, Batook Pandya

From left to right: John Wilkins, Caroline James, Sue McMullen, Batook Pandya

The University is a global player, but remains proud to be part of the area from which it grew. Indeed, one of the reasons we attract outstanding students and staff from all over the world is that Bristol and its environs are so lively, beautiful and interesting.

We want the University's centenary to mean something to people in and around Bristol. These special honorary degrees recognise a few of the largely unsung heroes who help create successful communities within the city-region.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eric Thomas

As part of its centenary celebrations, the University selected four local heroes to receive honorary degrees. They were Caroline James, a nurse at Frenchay; Sue McMullen, of the Vassall Centre Trust; Batook Pandya of Support Against Racist Incidents (SARI); and John Wilkins, a fundraiser for Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal.

In January, the University teamed up with the Bristol Evening Post to find up to four local people who merited an honorary degree. 

Readers were asked to nominate individuals who had made a significant contribution to their community, often without public recognition or reward. Of the 56 people nominated, four were selected to receive an honorary Master of Arts degree. The degrees were conferred at a civic degree ceremony in the Great Hall of the Wills Memorial Building at the University on Wednesday 15 July.

The University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eric Thomas, said:

'The University is a global player, but remains proud to be part of the area from which it grew. Indeed, one of the reasons we attract outstanding students and staff from all over the world is that Bristol and its environs are so lively, beautiful and interesting.

'We want the University's centenary to mean something to people in and around Bristol. These special honorary degrees recognise a few of the largely unsung heroes who help create successful communities within the city-region.

'We had an amazing response to this initiative, reflecting the fact that so many Bristol people contribute such a lot to the local community. It is also a tribute to the power of the Evening Post, which gave the project unstinting support.'

About the recipients

Caroline James is a nurse at the Barbara Russell Children's Unit at Frenchay Hospital. She is chair of the Frenchay After Burns (FAB) Children’s Club, a charity set up by nurses and run by volunteers that rehabilitates children and young people with burns by encouraging them to try confidence-building activities, such as abseiling, archery, climbing and sailing. 

Sue McMullen is founder and chair of the Vassall Centre Trust, which provides accessible accommodation to 15 charities and charitable organisations in Bristol that are run by and employ people with disabilities.

Batook Pandya is a leading figure in race relations in Bristol and he has been closely involved with SARI since it was established in 1988. SARI’s main aim is to combat racial intolerance and discrimination against any ethnic groups or individuals in Bristol. 

John Wilkins is a former paratrooper who has raised £100,000 for Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal though a variety of activities, including, at the age of 77, a 10,000-feet freefall parachute jump. Other fundraising stunts include bungy-jumping, abseiling, white-water rafting and zip-sliding. He continues to fundraise for the appeal.