Student midwife Angharad Colinese and Sam Richards, who is studying nursing, have both been shortlisted in the Student Leadership Programme Awards run by the Council of Deans of Health and the Burdett Trust for Nursing.

Angharad Colinese (left) and Sam Richards (right) are pictured with Nadia Butt, Project and Events Officer and Katerina Kolyva, Executive Director of the Council of Deans.

Angharad was nominated alongside her mentor Linda Burke, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the Top #150 Leaders Mentoring Partnership category.

The Student Leadership Programme aims to promote and develop leadership skills among the future nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals workforce and it has provided opportunities Angharad has relished.

Angharad said:

“My experience of the leadership programme has been invaluable, I have met people from every area of healthcare and communicated with influential people that ordinarily I wouldn’t have the chance to speak to.

“Without this programme I don't believe I would have had the confidence to seek out new opportunities or even speak in front of other students, and for that reason I am very grateful.”

Angharad said she was particularly grateful to Linda for her guidance: “I had a fantastic experience with Linda who helped me learn about myself and my strengths and areas of improvements. The advice she has given me to further my skills and learning has been really beneficial and I will continue to use these throughout my training.” 

Sam was shortlisted for the Top #150Leaders Nurse title for demonstrating outstanding leadership skills that positively contribute to his profession.

Sam said:

“It is very humbling to think that others had thought me worthy of a nomination.”

“I can’t really sing the praises of the programme enough. It’s opened so many doors. The group of #150Leaders is a great bunch of really driven, enthusiastic, like-minded people to be around. “

As the programme includes students from nursing, midwifery and allied health professions he had already gained vital experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team which will stand him in good stead after he qualifies.

“The modern NHS is very much MDT-based but it’s not necessarily a way of working that we experience as students other than witnessing it on placement.

“To be involved in so many projects with students from across this wide range of professions has been super productive,” he added.

Both Sam and Angharad are now looking forward to sharing their experience as part of the advisory panel for the Swansea University Student Leadership Academy being developed by Beryl Mansel, senior nursing lecturer with the College of Human and Health Sciences.

Angharad and Sam will find out if they have been successful at the awards ceremony on Thursday, December 6 at Royal College of Physicians in London.