A Goldsmiths Journey shaped by Community, Access and Lifelong Learning.
When I settled in London in 1985 with my husband, I did not anticipate how profoundly Goldsmiths would shape my life. A few years later, as a young mother of two boys, I began considering returning to education. It was during an everyday afternoon in the park that a fellow parent mentioned a course connected to Goldsmiths, University of London.
The “Working with People” course, held opposite the main university building, in what is now the Goldsmiths Café, offered something that made participation to learning possible for me: access to a crèche. With my youngest son of preschool age, that provision opened a door that otherwise may have always remained closed.
I remember the crisp September morning in 1990 when I packed the car and drove to New Cross with quiet determination. The programme supported women exploring careers in community-focused professions, including youth and community work, housing, social work, probation services and childcare. I chose childcare for my placement, building on my experience volunteering at my older son’s nursery and serving on the parents’ committee. That placement confirmed where my passion lay - in early years care and education.
Goldsmiths offered more than academic development. We played women’s cricket on campus and attended creative writing weekends away, experiences that strengthened my confidence and sparked my interest in poetry. Receiving my certificate in the university hall was a proud milestone, symbolising not only achievement but personal growth.
My journey within education continued. I undertook further studies in Communication and Management, gained formal early years qualifications at Lewisham College and later a BA in Sociology and Psychology at the University of Greenwich. Alongside this, reflective practice studies with Open University deepened my understanding of professional development and lifelong learning.
Each step strengthened my commitment to early years education and community engagement.
Today, I work as an Early Years Educator within Goldsmiths SU Nursery. I have been committed and dedicated to the Nursery since September 2011. Returning to the institution that once supported me as a young parent feels like a full-circle process. The nursery, which began as a crèche in the early 1990s, has evolved into a well-established and extremely successful setting, rooted in community values and inclusive practice.
From a parent’s perspective, the nursery has consistently prioritised learning through fun and enticing play activities, cultural inclusivity and partnership with families. Programmes such as Forest School sessions, walking-to-nursery initiatives and participation in World Book Week, as well as regular parents’ forums, open mornings, plant sales and cake sales, reflect a commitment to community values, holistic development and active learning.
Having experienced Goldsmiths as a student, parent, committee member and now staff member, I have seen how access to education transforms lives across generations. The support structures that enabled me to study while raising young children were not simply practical provisions; they were catalysts for opportunity.
My journey affirms a belief I hold deeply: learning is lifelong. Supportive institutions do more than deliver qualifications - they nurture resilience, empowerment, confidence and community connection.
For me, Goldsmiths has been more than a place of study. It has been a space of renewal and return - where one chapter of life quietly prepared the foundation for another.