Honorary roles recognise outstanding support provided to London South East Colleges and its students

London South East Colleges has recognised the valued contribution of two outstanding supporters, conferring them both with prestigious fellowships.  

Former leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Cllr Denise Hyland and education policy commentator, Steve Besley, were conferred with the honorary roles at a special event, which took place at the College’s Orpington Campus last week.  

The College launched its Fellowship programme earlier this year, to reflect the robust, strategic and meaningful connection that individuals have to the organisation – and the support they provide to the college and its students. To date, ten fellows have been conferred, representing a range of industries and skills specialisms.  

Presenting the certificates to the College’s latest Fellows, Dr Sam Parrett CBE, Group Principal and CEO of London South East Colleges, said:  

“We are delighted to recognise and thank both Steve and Denise for the continued support they give to both the college and our students. As genuine advocates of the work we do, they make a huge difference to the positive impact we are able to have in our communities.  

“We have worked with Denise since 2015, when she was a governor for the then Greenwich Community College. She was integral to the merger with Bromley College in 2016 and the formation of London South East Colleges – and has continued to provide us with support. Passionate about education and our organisation, we are delighted to recognise Denise’s contribution with an Honorary Fellowship.” 

Receiving her Fellowship, Cllr Denise Hyland, said: 

“I was thrilled to receive this award and am honoured to accept it but in doing so share it with a team of dedicated officers at the Council who do all they can to extend opportunities for lifelong learning.   

“Back in 2015 I knew that Sam and her team at LSEC would provide a quality Further Education and Adult Education offer to our residents and so it has proved. Now we look forward to the new college being built in Woolwich.”  

Conferring Steve Besley as an Honorary Fellow for Policy and Reseach, Sam said:   

“Having dedicated his life to education, Steve has been a huge supporter of the college and our education group. He has contributed a significant amount of expertise and experience to the development of our Group Strategy.   

“We are delighted that Steve has now agreed to continue supporting the next stage of our journey as we develop our new strategy and our charitable foundation. ”

For more information about the College’s fellowships programme visit: www.lsec.ac.uk/news/3583-college-recognises-exemplary-employer-support