Reflections on 2007

2007 is almost over and it’s been quite a year for the Corporate Development team!

We’ve worked on massive urban regeneration projects, organised an arts festival, helped launch an Academy for Health and Well-being and generally rolled with all the changes that the establishment of the new RED Office has brought about. So what were our 2007 highlights? I’m including a top ten here (in no particular order):

1. Helping to win a £1.2 million Beacons for Public Engagement bid in partnership with University of Manchester, Salford, Manchester: Knowledge Capital and the Museum of Science and Industry

2. Meeting all the new Business Development Managers – fantastic professionals who are going to make a huge difference to MMU.

3. The Manchester Monologues – a superb event that really captured the imagination of the people of Manchester.

4. Chris Dixon - a valued member of the team who went from strength to strength. He joined us as a modern apprentice and left to take up a new post as a Children’s Service Advisor in Bury – a big transformation and an all round great guy who will be missed.

5. The RED Office – we’ve worked on a new website, had some interesting staff development sessions and are all looking forward to coming together as one team – as Sen in the office says ‘Will it be a soup pot or a salad bowl?’  

6. Seeing Innospace develop from a humble business plan written with some heavy support from this office to a fully fledged incubation unit with desks, people and everything. We’re looking forward to supporting new Capital Developments like the amazing-looking Business School in 2008.

7. Robert Putnam – what a pleasure seeing a globally renowned academic on top of his game – and a real coup for MMU to sweep him in here to talk about his famous Social Capital theories. Reminded us of what great jobs we have here in academia! 

8. Lynn Setterington’s Garden at the Manchester International Festival – a GIGANTIC installation at Manchester Central that showed all 1200 visitors that recycling can be fun – and it caught the eye of none other than the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport James Purnell – who was visiting the Festival and had time for a chat with Lynn.

9. The Arts for Health conference “Critical Friends”. Proof positive that MMU can influence and inspire and deliver where it counts. What a fantasic opening address from Maureen Wayman.

10. And how can we possibly write about 2007 without mentioning the HUGE EFFORT that has gone into the Urban Regeneration: Making a Difference project? It’s been brilliant working on a truly cross-institutional project that is changing the perceptions of Universities across the North. The project has involved…49 academic members of staff, 34 individual MMU projects, 12 Associate Lecturers, 8 central Financial Staff, 6 Faculty Finance Officers, 4 MMU Theme Leads, 1 Academic Lead, 1 Insitutional Lead and a Patridge in a Pear Tree! 

A big thank you to everybody that we have worked with in 2007. Here’s to a successful and interesting 2008.