Principal Satnam Gill

Award honours college triumph

SATNAM Gill, principal of the Working Men’s College in Camden Town, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his services to education.

Mr Gill, who has been with the Crowndale Road college since 1999, said the recognition was a “fantastic achievement” for him and his staff.

He added: “It’s wonderful. I’m sure it’s for all the work the staff have put in to turn the college around.

“We are now three times bigger than we were four years ago. We had a fantastic inspection report two years ago which put us in the top 15 per cent of colleges nationally when in 2000 we were in the bottom 10 per cent.”

But Mr Gill warned that the college, which has 4,000 students and will undergo £5 million improvements next year, faces a cash squeeze.

He said: “It’s really nice to be recognised, but we’re suffering. The college still struggles for funding.

“We’ve had a 10 per cent reduction in funding for next year like all adult education colleges.

“We’re cutting back about 10 per cent of our work.”

The college will have to cut sculpture, art, dance, music and some IT classes from next term. Some staff will be laid off for a year.

Mr Gill added: “Adult education is vital. It gives people a second chance. It’s really important in Camden because we have packed-out classes.”

And the college received further recognition when Ruth Silver, recently-retired chairwoman of the College Corporation, was made a dame in the same honours list.

Others from Camden who received honours include: Professor Janet Laughland Nelson, professor of medieval history at King’s College, University of London (DBE for services to history); Professor Irene May Leigh, professor of cell and molecular medicine, Bart’s and London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London (OBE for services to medicine); Fitzroy John Batchelor (MBE for services to black and minority ethnic people in the NHS); Yvonne Hill, headteacher of the Children’s Hospital School at Great Ormond Street Hospital  and University College Hospital (MBE for services to education); Elcena Jeffers (MBE for services to the community in South Kilburn); Pamela Mary Jordan, member of the Corporation, College of North West London (MBE for services to further education); and Bernard Cornwell (OBE for services to literature and television production).