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Chris Derbyshire, Widening Participation Partnerships Manager

Chris Derbyshire, Partnership Manager within the Widening Participation team, works to support learners who are underrepresented in higher education. Recently, in tandem with Emily Danvers in the School of Education and Social Work, he led the University’s signature of the Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman and Boater Pledge which aims to improve support and access to higher education, creating an open and welcoming institutional environment for members of the traveller community. We caught up with Chris to find out a little more him and what he loves about his role at Sussex.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Happy! I had a messy childhood, school and home were insecure spaces. I sought belonging, inclusion, identity, place, and value. As will be the case for many of the young people whom we support in Widening Participation, there were no foundations or scaffolding for notions of school outcomes, aspiration, career, future or progression. Everything was about coping with 'now'.

What’s one activity or hobby that makes you lose all track of time?

My children. I am totally absorbed by their pursuits, needs, and development. I take absolute joy in watching their incremental gains and successes, and in supporting their access to opportunities. I relish the opportunity to be their 'taxi and wallet'.

Who inspires you and why?

I am not inspired by a single individual, more by tropes of personality. Those that through personal adversity still find the resilience and strength to support others in similar or poorer circumstance. Those who find the love and time to embrace others in dissimilar circumstance by virtue of their humanity. And those who enable others to be a 'gatekeeper' to someone else; to offer opportunity, ease a transition, or help, not for personal recognition or gain, but because they can and they should.

What’s your favourite aspect of your role?

Enabling others to be their best, and working with others of significant talent to drive a greater outcome. I am lucky enough to work with some amazing people and seek to bring them together, where I can, through projects or interactions. I aim to create outcomes that not only impact the beneficiary - and my work is predominantly focused on young people - but also empower those within the team or community that generate the opportunity. 

What’s your favourite place on campus and why?

All of it! We work in a very rich environment. I worked for many years in a sector located in industrial, urban and suburban spaces where there had been little, or ill-informed, consideration of design, environment, wellbeing, nurture or intellectual stimulation for the user. I love the green of our space, the expanse, the impact of the seasons, the community and the buildings. I love the access to cafés, markets, basic shopping and healthcare and being close to the hills and woods.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone’s given you?

I think there are two things. One was from a DPhil student here at Sussex when I was struggling as a mature student. They advised me to 'read, read, read!' because that is how you will understand, and I have shared that so often. The other is more of a mantra; failure is absolutely fine, but even in success it is essential to recognise that we can improve through small incremental gains in all that we do. Practice the elements that have brought those gains and embed those qualities.

Find out more about our signature of the Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman and Boater Pledge, and events coming up in June at Sussex in support of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month.

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