The beginning of the countdown to the opening of Pears Cumbria School of Medicine next year has been marked with a celebration event.
The event brought together guests from across healthcare, education and local government, all of whom have played a role in supporting the school become a reality.
A notable highlight of the evening was the attendance of Sir Trevor Pears, executive chair of the Pears Foundation.
Sir Trevor, who has been instrumental in bringing this ambitious project to life, gave an inspiring address that emphasised the importance of collaboration and innovation in healthcare education. The Pears Foundation donated £5 million to the school last November.
The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine will offer its students unique learning opportunities across the region, as the school works closely with local health trusts and employers.
The bespoke programme blends expertise from the highly rated Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery programme at Imperial College London, with the University of Cumbria’s longstanding reputation in training allied healthcare professionals.
Sir Trevor said: “The most important element that I have witnessed and that I was ultimately persuaded by, was the depth of understanding, respect and appreciation that all the individuals representing the two universities showed for each other and a genuine partnership that existed between Cumbria and Imperial College London.
“There are clearly so many potential wins from this fabulous project for the students who are lucky enough to come here to study, for both universities, Cumbria itself, for its residents and for the huge number of visitors. My family and I are just so proud to be involved in this initiative.”
The event also featured addresses from Professor Julie Mennell DL, Vice Chancellor, University of Cumbria; Professor Hugh Brady, President, Imperial College London; Professor Brian Webster-Henderson OBE, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Cumbria and Martin Lupton, Vice Dean (Education), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London.
Head of School, Professor Mary Morrell said: “We’re looking to attract students who, will want to be in the Cumbria area and know about the Cumbria area, even if they’re not from Cumbria.
“We want to attract students who, first and foremost, want to work within the NHS in Cumbria, either in primary, secondary, or mental health. It has been a delight to welcome everyone to this event and to see the vision become a reality.”
