News Archive
July 2008
University Principal is new Civil Service Commissioner
Football team set for debut in East of Scotland League
University campus is buzzing
University Principal is new Civil Service Commissioner
Date released: Monday 14 July 2008
Professor Christine Hallett, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Stirling, has been appointed one of two new Civil Service Commissioners, following open competition. The other appointee is Sir Neil McIntosh.
Independent of Ministers and the Civil Service, there are currently 16 part-time Civil Service Commissioners appointed by the Crown under the Royal Prerogative.
It is their responsibility to ensure that appointments to the Civil Service are made on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition. They also advise departments on the promotion of the core values of the Civil Service, as set out in the Civil Service Code and hear appeals from civil servants under it.
Professor Hallett began her career as a civil servant in the Department of Health and Social Security and has spent most of her career in social policy research. She has authored and edited a number of books dealing with child protection and other social policy areas and has published extensively in academic journals. She has been Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University since 2004.
Of Professor Hallett’s prestigious appointment, Janet Paraskeva, the First Civil Service Commissioner said: “I am delighted to welcome Christine and Neil to the team. They both bring new experience and insight as well as understanding and engagement with public life in Scotland.”
Football team set for debut in East of Scotland League
Date released: Tuesday 22 July 2008
The University of Stirling's football team's fixtures in the East of Scotland League have been published, and the team starts its competitive season with an away cup tie at Ormiston on 9 August.
The first home match is on Saturday 23 August against Vale of Leithen, when a big crowd of staff and students is anticipated. Admission to all matches is free.
Having been elected to the competitive world of East of Scotland football, the team's preparations got off to a great start with a 1-1 draw against Spartans last week. The players are now training hard with high expectations for a successful season at the higher level.
Image Printers EOS Qualifying Cup, First round
Saturday 9 August - Ormiston (a), 2.30 pm
East of Scotland League, First Division
Wed 13 August - Civil Service Strollers (a), 6.45 pm
Sat 23 August - Vale of Leithen (h), 2.30 pm
Sat 30 August - Hawick RA (a), 2.30 pm
Sat 20 September - Eyemouth United (h), 2.30 pm
Sat 4 October - Kelso United (a), 2.30 pm
Sat 1 November - Craigroyston (a), 2.00 pm
Sat 8 November - Leith Athletic (h), 2.00 pm
Sat 22 November - Gretna 2008 (a), 2.00 pm
Sat 6 December - Ormiston (h), 2.00 pm
Sat 13 December - Gala Fairydean (a), 1.30 pm
Sat 20 December - Tynecastle (h), 1.30 pm
Sat 10 January - Civil Service Strollers (h), 2.00 pm
Sat 27 January - Vale of Leithen (a), 2.00 pm
Sat 31 January - Hawick RA (h), 2.00 pm
Sat 7 February - Eyemouth United (a), 2.30 pm
Sat 21 February - Kelso United (h), 2.30 pm
Sat 28 February - Craigroyston (h), 2.30 pm
Sat 7 March - Leith Athletic (a), 2.30 pm
Sat 21 March - Gretna 2008 (h), 2.30 pm
Sat 28 March - Ormiston (a), 2.30 pm
Sat 4 April - Gala Fairydean (h), 2.30 pm
Sat 11 April - Tynecastle (a), 2.30 pm
University campus is buzzing
Date released: Friday 25 July 2008
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust has opened a new wildlife garden on the University of Stirling campus to show gardeners how easy – and how colourful - it is to help bees.
Staff and volunteers have planted an attractive array of bumblebee-friendly wild flowers, and Lucie Southern, a Conservation Officer with the Trust, said: “We want to encourage gardeners to consider more ‘cottage garden’ plants and wildflowers, such as flowering heather and flowering currants in the spring, honeysuckle, foxgloves, lupins, teasel and herbs such as mint, thyme and sage in the summer, then lavender, buddleia, cornflowers and hollyhocks for the autumn.
She explained that commercial bedding plants are damaging to bees: “Lots of bedding plants have been bred to increase colour, bloom size, shape and ‘showiness’ at the expense of the nectar which plants produce. And often these blooms have such complex petal configurations, that bees can’t enter the flower to reach whatever nectar might exist.
“There are over a million hectares of gardens in the UK and if every gardener planted just a couple of bumblebee-friendly plants, it would make a world of difference. Incidentally, these plants are much easier to grow and maintain than the more highly bred varieties, since they are hardier and more slug resistant.”
Dr Ben Darvill, Director of the Trust, added: “Bee populations are in decline nationally, due to a lack of suitable plants both in towns and the wider countryside. Bees pollinate the vast majority of our flowering crops and wild flowers, and without pollination, flowering crops like beans, peas, strawberries and raspberries won’t produce anything to harvest, and wildflowers won’t produce any seeds. We can all do our bit to act now and help bees in our gardens and in the countryside.”
The garden is on the north side of the campus by Hermitage Wood, accessed from the road above Airthrey Castle. It will be permanently open to the public to show visitors how beautiful bumblebee-friendly plants can be. There is always a need for more volunteers to help the garden grow and develop, whether with planting or general garden work, and the Trust would be delighted to hear from you.
The creation of the garden is supported by CSV Action Earth, which is backed by Morrison Supermarkets and Scottish Natural Heritage. Their funded projects aim to support and encourage Scottish biodiversity through practical environmental projects.
Further information:
Dr Ben Darvill, Director, Bumblebee Conservation Trust – 01786 467819.
email: enquiries@bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk