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History of the Awards
The national Keith Fletcher Memorial Prize has long been synonymous with honouring the outstanding achievements of Access to HE students.
The prize is named in memory of Keith Fletcher, who worked for many years in the South West of England and was a great supporter and enthusiast of adult learning. His family continues to support this award which is run by all nine Access Validating Agencies (AVAs) across England and Wales. The judging panel is drawn from across all participating AVAs.
Nominations are taken from each AVA and the winners and runners up in each category are invited to a special presentation event at the House of Commons. Each of the winners and runners up receive a certificate and a monetary prize to help them with their future study.
For 2023-24 the successful students were:
Outstanding Academic Achievement Winners
Winner:
Elizabeth Histed
“Being awarded the Keith Fletcher Award has shown me all that is possible to achieve, even when coming from a background with little education since I was a young teenager. This award will allow me to purchase textbooks and books for my studies as I love being able to annotate these whilst reading to consolidate my thoughts and knowledge. Furthermore, it allows me to access further opportunities such as partly funding a summer school trip in the history of the English Language to Prague, if the English Faculty are unable to help fund it. This was recommended to me by one of my tutors who will be teaching there” - Elizabeth Histed.
Highly Commended:
Paolo Cruz
“From a college point of view, we are always incredibly proud that one of our students has been chosen for such a prestigious award. Paolo was an incredibly hard-working and committed student who achieved a Distinction profile throughout his assignments. His attendance and punctuality were exceptional, and he was also a peer that others could turn to for encouragement and support. We wish him every success in the future” - Catriona Lansdell, Head of Section - Early Years, Health & Wellbeing, South Thames Colleges Group.
Outstanding Commitment to Study
Winner:
Sheree O’Neil
“Winning the Keith Fletcher Access to HE award is an incredible honour, and it means so much to have my hard work recognised. It’s given me a huge confidence boost as I continue my journey to becoming a nurse, inspiring me to keep pushing forward and make a real difference in people’s lives” - Sheree O’Neil.
“We at USP College are immensely proud of all of our learners' achievements, particularly Sheree, the winner of the Keith Fletcher Award. She is a shining example of many Access to HE learners who show courage, commitment, and dedication to their studies, often in difficult circumstances. As a careers-focused college, we work tirelessly to support our learners in their journey to future degree courses and graduate careers. We, and they, truly make a difference – to themselves, to their families, to their local communities, and to wider society. We appreciate this opportunity to publicly recognise the resilience and achievements of one of our amazing learners”- Tracey Page, Curriculum Manager Access to HE & Teacher of Law & Social Sciences, USP College Highly Commended.
Highly Commended:
Melika Ronnie
“Receiving this award means a lot to me as I have faced many challenges throughout my student life, trying to fit into the typical education system. I’ve often felt that I wasn’t able to ‘reach my full potential,’ as many teachers had told me when I was younger. This recognition, particularly given the recent difficulties I’ve faced, has provided the validation I needed and shown me how resilient and committed I truly am. This will undoubtedly support me in my midwifery degree as I continue to strive to do and be better” - Melika Ronnie.
We are proud to celebrate the achievement of Melika Ronnie, a LASER learner from Milton Keynes College, read more here.
