A host of well-known faces joined the University of Bedfordshire’s Class of 2024 celebrating their graduation, as a number of honorary awards were presented to guests who have made a valuable impact in the arts and community cohesion.
Matthew Fisher, Lead Station Sound Producer at the BBC for radio stations including Radio 1, 6 Music, and Asian Network, was awarded an Honorary Master of Arts in recognition of his success in the radio industry. His work involves producing many of the familiar sounds including recognisable jingles and the music leading into news bulletins.
Matthew is also a graduate of the University of Bedfordshire, gaining his degree in Media Performance with Radio in 2003, where he honed his craft working as a student presenter for the University’s community radio station Luton FM – now known as Radio LaB.
He said: “The arts is a really honest career, and you can have a really rewarding career. It’s about entertaining people and hopefully my work brings a smile to people’s faces and that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day. If you can do something you love then do it and ignore the noise – don’t think about what other people think of your career, it’s about what you want to do for the rest of your life.”
The second honorary award of the graduations was presented to Mik Scarlet, a Luton-born broadcaster, journalist, actor and musician, who uses his media platforms to be a leading advocate for access and inclusion for those with disabilities.
Amongst his achievements, Mik has presented shows for the BBC’s Disability Programme Unit on shows such as From the Edge and One in Four, alongside performing in the 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony and presenting in-game coverage for wheelchair rugby.
Reflecting upon receiving his award, Mik said: “Luton was the most wonderful place to grow up for me. It’s a very accessible and welcoming town, and that taught me for later in life that if we build an inclusive world that works for disabled people then it works for everyone.”
The final recipient of the summer ceremonies was Peter West, who was awarded an honorary Fellowship in recognition of his services to the University Chaplaincy and community cohesion.
As Chair of the Chaplaincy Committee, Peter has guided Bedfordshire’s Community and Faith provision to being an inclusive, interfaith Chaplaincy which sits at the heart of the university community. Alongside this, he has worked with Christian Aid to educate and help churches to think about and engage in issues of global justice.
Addressing graduates, Peter said: “I simply want to say thank you to all the people who I have been able to meet and work with in this University in the years that I have been privileged to serve as the Chair of the Chaplaincy Committee and Trust.
“Above all I want to thank the University itself because I recognise that the University sees very clearly how important it is to maintain safe spaces within this community where all of us can take the opportunity, if we choose to make use of it, to reflect on the values that we hold in our lives, the things that we believe in and the things that we are going to commit ourselves to.”
