A Chichester-born student has been named among the winners of the Bob Norris Award after tutors at the University of Portsmouth highlighted her progress from modest school results to the verge of a first-class degree.
Recognition for perseverance and local reporting
The 23-year-old, who studied Journalism at the University of Portsmouth, was one of three students chosen by the Solent Branch of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) for the annual prize, created in memory of the late Bob Norris. Each recipient received a trophy, certificate and cash prize.
The university tutors who nominated her emphasised the extra obstacles she overcame: leaving school with just two GCSEs, completing a level 2 qualification at Havant and South Downs College and then progressing to A-level equivalence before embarking on her degree. The nomination also notes she supported family members through a period of ill health while keeping to her studies.
"Alison has proved to be an outstanding student. This is all the more impressive when you know she left school with just two GCSEs... She has been an excellent student, volunteering to represent the course in promotional materials and other areas,"
Her final major project focused on what the report described as “patchwork solutions” to homelessness and economic hardship in and around Chichester, a subject close to her upbringing and which tutors say allowed her to examine factors that may have affected her own earlier educational pathway.
What the award means locally
The recognition is both personal and civic. For the student it marks academic distinction and professional promise; for Chichester it highlights local issues that drew her investigative attention. Her project adds to ongoing local discussion about how community groups and services respond to homelessness and poverty in the district.
- Award: Bob Norris Award (Solent Branch, NUJ)
- Winner: 23-year-old University of Portsmouth journalism student from Chichester
- Prize: Trophy, certificate and cash prize
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Award organiser | Solent Branch of the NUJ |
| Commemoration | In memory of Bob Norris (former NUJ chairman) |
Local newsrooms and community organisations in Chichester may find value in the student's findings as they consider how best to coordinate services for people facing housing and economic challenges. The award also serves as a reminder of the varied routes into journalism and the contribution that local reporting can make to public understanding of community problems.
