We now have a list of four candidates and are required to carry out a ballot in which all parents have the opportunity to vote.
Click the button at the bottom of the page to download the letter and ballot paper and we would ask you to return the completed form to the College following the instructions listed on the ballot paper, before 3.15pm on Friday 16 November 2018.
Please see personal statements for each of the candidates:
Kevin Blakelock:
I’d like to be elected as a governor as I believe I can bring a lot to the role and help make a positive contribution to the running of the college and surrounding community. Having lived and worked in the area for over 20 years, and have a daughter currently attending, I understand the importance of college to the young people who attend and benefit from the high quality education and life skills gained through the college. I’d love to help maintain and build on the reputation and success that the college has established to date. I have worked in management roles for 15 years so have a wealth of experience that I can bring to the role. Also, having a daughter at the college and my experience gained having volunteered delivering life skills events to students at the college has given me a great insight into how it currently operates and the standards needing to be maintained and further developed. Hopefully I have given an insight into the value that I can bring to the role and would love to have the opportunity to develop the benefits that the college delivers.
John Kavanagh:
Hello everyone, I am married to Louise, father of Tom who joined Elliott Hudson in September and Sam who hopefully will also be joining in September 2020. I am 43 and work as a Technical Operator in the manufacture of cardboard. I believe I would bring a wealth of life experience to the role of parent governor. I love Football and Rugby League I also enjoy fundraising. I have fundraised for community sports teams and completed a 11 day trek through the Grand Canyon to raise over £4000 for The YAA and Macmillan. I attend parish council meetings and try to give positive feedback and constructive criticism on matters that affect our local communities. I am particularly passionate that education isn’t just for the wealthy. Students deserve the chance of a quality education regardless of background, ethnic origin or financial status. I come from an extremely modest background and feel if financial constraints hadn’t been an issue then I could have continued much further and higher in education. In the last 25 years huge advances in opportunities for disadvantaged students have been made and I would like to do more. Thank you for your consideration.
Lucy Pritchard:
Experience: I currently work for an £11m turnover Charity in the higher education sector. My job encompasses responsibility for the Finance, HR and Facilities departments, so I can bring experience in each of these areas. I regularly work with the Charity Trustees (who have a similar role to governors) so I believe I have a good understating of the expectations and responsibilities of a governor. I am also a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Family: I have 2 boys aged 22 and 17. The youngest attended The Farnley Academy and is currently a pupil at Elliott Hudson College.
Interests: I run a youth group for 10-16 year olds on a voluntary basis one night a week. My other interests include keeping fit, yoga, and watching live music.
I would like to be a parent governor because I think there are things college could improve upon, I believe I have the ability to help, and I would welcome the opportunity to positively influence its
direction. I am very interested in ensuring provision of support for the wellbeing of all students; particularly relating to mental health issues.
Chris Stevenson:
Hello. I’m Chris; my daughter Bethany has just started EHC in Year 12, I’m also a dad to Eleanor (year 9) and James (year 4).
I work for HSBC in Leeds as an IT Manager (since 1997), leading teams globally. I see relevant comparisons to the governor role in the constant need to make assessments and decisions often based on various sources of information and challenging accepted practices in order to continuously improve.
I would hope to bring some of this to EHC; the college has achieved an exceptional level of attainment in a very short period, but now needs to identify and work on improvements to avoid standing still and letting the others catch up. As a parent we should also feel able to challenge decisions and assumed capability by providing both a parent and an organisational (business) view.
Whilst it is important to set attainment standards of our children – I’ve always considered that it’s the behaviours and other activities that will have a greater influence in shaping them as individuals / citizens and being the person in which we can be most proud. I value the other opportunities available at EHC and believe they should be cherished.
I hope that this resonates with you, and what you want for your daughter / son from EHC and Parent Governors.
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Can’t see the letter? Click the button below to download a PDF.