Northcote's Lisa Goodwin-Allen among proud Lancastrians honoured at University of Lancashire ceremony
The Michelin starred chef was recognised for the significant contribution she has made to British cuisine and the hospitality sector.
Northcote and Michelin starred chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen was among other proud Lancastrians to be honoured with academic awards at a special ceremony at the University of Lancashire.
She joined Paul and Sharon O’Gara, who established the Mary O’Gara Foundation in honour of their late daughter, on the graduation stage in Preston to receive Honorary Fellowships.
Lisa was recognised for the significant contribution she has made to British cuisine and the hospitality sector.
The Michelin starred chef leads the culinary team at Northcote and her exceptional skill and remarkable vision has been recognised with numerous industry awards.
The proud Lancastrian has cooked for royalty, and she regularly appears on national TV cookery shows including MasterChef: The Professionals, Saturday Kitchen, and James Martin’s Saturday Morning.
She said: “It's an honour and I'm very delighted. Lancashire's such a special place so to be able to infuse and inspire the next generation and keep that growing is very, very special.
“Congratulations to the graduating students after putting in all the hard work and showing such determination.”
Paul and Sharon were honoured for their significant contribution to mental health awareness, community unity, and positive change. The couple transformed the pain of losing their daughter to suicide into purpose, by establishing the Mary O’Gara Foundation.
Through community outreach, public speaking, and collaboration with local mental health organisations, the Prestonians have worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the importance of early intervention and compassionate support.
Paul said: “It’s very humbling to be offered this Honorary Fellowship. It’s certainly something very amazing to be bestowed on us and we’re very proud to receive it.”
Sharon added: “If the students graduating today take anything away with them, it’s to be kind to themselves and to others. Kindness is never wasted and sometimes it can save a life.”
Honorary Doctorates were conferred to author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay OBE and retired biosciences’ academic Peter Lumsden, who was a staff member at the University for more than 30 years.
Lemn was recognised for the significant contribution he has made to literature and the arts. The renowned poet, playwright, and broadcaster grew up in care, and his experiences have led to him becoming a passionate advocate for social justice.
The Lancastrian has published 10 books and written several plays which challenge injustice, celebrate identity, and inspire hope. He has received an OBE for services to literature and charity and was the official poet for the London 2012 Olympics.
He said: “I was born in Lancashire. The government was my parent for the first 18 years of my life as I was in care here. I know all the towns around Lancashire, and it’s wonderful to be honoured in this way by my home county.”
Peter was honoured for the significant contribution he has made to community engagement and social justice. He has been a champion of civic engagement, interfaith collaboration and social justice throughout Lancashire for decades.
He has held senior roles including Chair of the Preston Faith Forum, Chair of the Preston chapter of Citizens UK, Treasurer of the Lancashire Forum of Faiths, and Trustee of Building Bridges Burnley.
Alumni Achievement Awards were also handed out to Edward Jolly and Mark Hardy.
Edward, who graduated with a BEng (Hons) Building Services Engineering in 2005 and an MSc Building Services in 2007, received the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths award.
He became involved in some of the world’s most complex engineering projects including the world’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, a FIFA World Cup stadium in Qatar, and 23 Marina, the world’s tallest fully residential tower.
The Lifetime Achievement award went to Mark, who graduated in 1994 from the BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion course.
He has a rich history in marketing and PR, having created and led some of the world’s most iconic brands.
He held senior leadership roles at Disney, Sony PlayStation, Sony Music and Syco Entertainment (The X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent TV shows) and now runs his own garden and landscape design practice.