“Let me introduce myself. My name is Rianna and I’m the founder of Dominica Dementia Foundation, we are the only Dementia Foundation in Dominica and the only foundation in the Caribbean. In 2017 I was very lucky to visit Buckingham Palace where I was awarded with the Queens Young Leaders award by Her Majesty the Queen. I also got to speak on BBC1 with Prince Harry about the work I do in Dominica.

“I have been a TEDx speaker and have previously spoken at the University of Kent. In 2017 I was was also honoured to win the Youth in Volunteerism and Professional Development award by the National Youth Council of Dominica. Now I am the membership officer of the Northern District Toastmaster Club and am also part of the Royal Commonwealth Society Network and Young Leaders of the Americas (YLAI).

“I am currently in the process of producing a documentary film on dementia. The idea of launching an organisation came as a memory of my grandfather who passed away with dementia in Dominica. My grandmother passed this year May. I want to share my story with the world in an effort to rewrite the narrative of those with dementia.”

The Queen’s Young Leaders: 

The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme was established by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, in partnership with Comic Relief, The Royal Commonwealth Society and The University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education, in honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

Over the past four years 60 awards have been given to exceptional young people aged between 18 and 29 to honour those addressing the urgent challenges facing their communities – including mental health, education, climate change, employment opportunities and gender equality.

Quantum technologies range from more efficient computers, to better and more accurate measurements and images, to faster and more secure communication.

The School of Computing is celebrating a £445,000 grant award for research into quantum physics. Professor Julio Hernandez-Castro and Lecturer Carlos Perez Delgado will research into quantum random number generators (QRNGs) as part of the EPSRC Quantum Communications Hub.

Joining the project’s Hub Leadership Executive, that will oversee the management and delivery of the project, Julio explained, “Our grant is basically to investigate QRNGs, and to analyse, improve and develop new statistical tests of randomness leading to new certification schemes that would help in guaranteeing the ‘quantumness’ and security of new QRNGs. We are hoping to flood the market with new and better extensively tested products over the next five years or so. This will enable the UK to become world market leaders in this promising new way of commercialisation for quantum technologies

“We are a small part of a much larger project, and together with Queen’s University Belfast we will investigate the security of the products the physicists will develop, including against side-channel attacks.”

Carlos’ main area of work has been to further our knowledge of the advantages and limitations that quantum theory conveys to communication, computation, metrology, and security.

He explained, “Quantum physics is a mathematical theory of the universe that is extremely successful. It however, predicts behaviour that is wildly non-intuitive. Some of this surprising behaviour has permeated into pop-culture. Most have heard of Schrödinger’s cat, which can be alive and dead simultaneously, and of photons that act as both particles and waves.

“For decades, both scientists and philosophers have tried to better understand this behaviour. In the last few decades, however, we’ve begun to try exploit this behaviour in the form of quantum technologies. These technologies range from more efficient computers, to better and more accurate measurements and images, to faster and more secure communication.”

The UK is poised to become an international leader in quantum technologies. As part of its strategy it has funded four Quantum Hubs where universities and private entities have come together to develop these technologies. The University of Kent is now part of the Quantum Communications Hub, which focuses on a more efficient and secure communication using quantum effects including random number generators.

Students from the Environmental Conservation Sustainability Society (ESC Soc) brought together students and staff from across the University to plant 50 new native trees on campus.

The UK Committee for Climate Change has called for dramatic increases in woodland creation as part of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The Woodland Trust are calling on all areas of society to participate as part of their ‘Big Climate Fightback’ campaign and ESC Soc thought what better place to plant trees than on our wonderful green campus.

Supported by the University’s Landscape and Grounds team from the Estates Department, ESC Society secured 50 free trees from The Conservation Volunteers ‘I Dig Trees’ fund, and a piece of land that borders Bluebell wood on the Canterbury campus for the trees to be situated.

On Wednesday 4 December volunteers came together to plant the trees on a beautiful winter’s afternoon. The new trees, once established, will be an extension of Bluebell wood providing more cover for the numerous bird species that feed and nest in that area, such as Great Tits, Wrens, Nut Hatches and Tree Creepers.

The new online accident/incident reporting system eSAFETY has now been launched.

The link to the system and further information and guidance can be accessed via the button called ‘eSAFETY accident/incident reporting system’ on the front page of the Safety Unit website.

Please ensure that any incidents recorded on the Interim Accident/Incident/Fire Related Report form are now entered via the eSAFETY Portal as soon as possible.

In addition, please ensure that any links to iCASS that you have saved are updated.  The new system should work in multi-browsers.

Relevant staff will be notified of new accidents/incidents by email from eSAFETY@warwickicsystems.com with a subject heading including the word ‘eSAFETY’.

Any enquiries to Julie Martin (ext 4589 or email j.e.martin@kent.ac.uk) or Angela Hewlett-Day (ext 4588 or email a.c.hewlett@kent.ac.uk).

Since implementing the furniture reuse and management system, Warp It, back in January 2016 we’ve hit a huge milestone!

Warp It is designed to make it very easy for staff at the University of Kent to loan or give surplus items to other staff. Furthermore, items that aren’t needed within the University can be passed onto partner organisations and charities. This has helped us to achieve savings in time and money and being smarter with our resources.

So far, we’ve saved:

• £744,988
• 120,157KG waste
• 366,130KG CO2

And we’ve:

• donated £49,680 to not for profits organisations
• gained 711 members

So, if you have an item that is taking up space that you don’t need, put it on Warp It. Or if you’re looking for an item check Warp It before you buy new!

What items can be reused through Warp It?

Reusable furniture, fixtures and fittings and office consumables (such as stationary and folders) and much more *, if you’re not sure if your item can be listed please contact warpit@kent.ac.uk for advice.

How do I register?

Visit our Warp It homepage. Make sure you bookmark it. Hit the big green button which says ‘register’ now. Once you register you’ll get further instructions. You can browse items on Warp It by hitting the search button.

• Learn how to add an item here.
• Learn how to claim an item here.

If you want to know more about the system in general, go to www.getwarpit.com where there are examples of how the system is working well in other organisations just like ours. You can also check out the Frequently Asked Questions here.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with warpit@kent.ac.uk

*items remain the property of the University-not for private use

Any claims made by 9 December will be delivered by 19 December. Any items claims after this date will not be delivered until the New Year.

Dr Ben Thomas, Reader in the History of Art, has just published a new book on Humphrey Ocean RA for the Royal Academy of Arts.

Over five decades, the painter Humphrey Ocean’s work has filtered into our national culture. This includes his series of portraits entitled ‘A Handbook of Modern Life’ displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in 2013; his portrait of Christopher Le Brun, President of the Royal Academy of Arts; and the cover of Sir Paul McCartney’s 2007 album Memory Almost Full, which featured one of the Chair series.

Ocean’s practice encompasses painting, printmaking, sculpture, book-making and drawing. Of the last, he has said: ‘Paper is lovely, immediate and personal. I draw as an end in itself.’

In 2019, his exhibition ‘Birds, Cars and Chairs’ is on display at the Royal Academy of Arts. Of these subjects, he says: ‘Birds, cars and chairs are, in that order, ancient, modern and intimate. Without them life would be a lot less bearable.’ These works are reproduced alongside others in the book to provide a fascinating overview of Ocean’s career.

For the volume, Ben contributes an essay that sets out to discover exactly what it is that makes Ocean’s art so appealing and universal.

The book was launched at the Royal Academy of Arts on the 27 November 2019.

For more details, please see the publisher’s page.

The Centre for Professional Practice (CPP) celebrated two professional achievements at the British Association of Dental Nurses National Conference which took place earlier in November.

MSc in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare graduate Jacqui Elsden has been elected as President of British Association of Dental Nurses and during the Conference she presented the Head of CPP Debbie Reed with her BADN Long Service Badge of 20 years.

Jacqui said: ”It was a great honour and a lovely surprise to receive a bouquet of beautiful flowers from Debbie Reed, Head of Centre for Professional Practice,  during my inauguration ceremony as President of BADN, at the Annual National Dental Nursing Conference which was held at Oxford in November 2019. It was particularly notable as Debbie was my educational supervisor for my MSc in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare at the University of Kent during my time of study, from whom I received selfless professional support and guidance”. 

Why study the MSc Professional Practice at the University of Kent?

 The programme offers:

–             Flexible, part-time studies over 3 years, on average 4 to 6 weekends a year at our Medway Campus

–             Work-based studies to enhance your professional knowledge and career progression

–             Accreditation of prior experiential and certificated learning is welcome

–             Kent’s staff may be eligible for staff fee remission

Find out more and apply: www.kent.ac.uk/cpp