4 learners from the Hope Foundation, who have also worked as volunteers  with us, were honoured for their achievements with the University of Teesside. Rita Anderson, Michelle Bilton, Dianne Thwaites and Susan Harms celebrated their award of the University Certificate in Professional Development at a presentation at the University of Teesside.

Rita Anderson said of the event:

‘It was a short ceremony but enough to give us a real sense of achievement as we collected our awards with many other University Students who had begun to achieve in their chosen subjects.

Now we are volunteers at the Hope we try to impress upon other learners that we too were in the same situation as them.  We, like them, had not fully understood what teachers at the schools we had attended had tried to teach us and we all had our reasons and excuses for not succeeding at the time.  Now we feel we have been given another chance to learn and we have succeeded where we had failed before and they too could end up going to a University.  This photograph proves that it isn’t an impossible dream. It is not just about grades either it is also about gaining confidence in ourselves and pride in our daily achievements. I thank Hope for allowing us to make this happen’

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