The David Rhodes Prize for Coaching and Mentoring
Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:04:00 BST
Each year this prize is awarded to a student on the MA Leadership in Education and Public Services. It is dedicated to the memory of David Rhodes, 1958 – 2007.
Prize winners in 2011 are:
Clare Green, MA Professional Development (Education, Leadership and Management)
Stephen Hargreaves, MA Professional Development (Education, Leadership and Management)
Karen Ann Muscat-Baron, MA Professional Development (Education, Leadership and Management).
David was Head of Group Risk at the Furness Building Society and Chair of Governors of Furness College. A local lad from Bradford and Huddersfield, he actively supported the work of his best friend, Chris Blamires, of the School of Education and Professional Development. David always claimed to be a frustrated teacher and so offered his considerable skill as a coach and mentor to helping others in this University.
When the University Management Mentor Programme began in October 2002 David was the first external mentor to join the programme and mentor managers in the University. He also used his free time to work as a management coach on the new workshops which were beginning in Staff Development. In this role he coached over 30 of the University’s existing and potential managers. He was an unstinting supporter of the Management Forum and later of the MA in Professional Development. He also worked with Chris Blamires in his chosen charity, supporting the work of the Wordsworth Trust in providing development and career opportunities for unemployed graduates.
David possessed an innate love of learning and personal development. He was the most successful mentor on the management mentor programme. He demonstrated a desire to enable others to learn and develop which shone through in his personality. Added to that was a purity of motive which led him to give so much to those he helped to learn and all he sought in return was some learning for himself and that infinite joy of seeing people grow. Whenever he and Chris worked together David always ensured that his learners had the best learning experience and in turn, they loved him for it. Repeatedly his clear ideas and “can do” approach lit up people’s lives like a flare in the night sky.
Sadly, David died of cancer in November 2007.
