Heaton grandmother goes for doctorate at Northumbria

Oct 20 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal

GRANDMOTHER Elsie Richardson knows that you are never too old to learn. The 82-year-old has already passed a degree before gaining an MA more than 60 years after she first left the classroom.

And despite her tender years she’s back in the lecture theatre again as she begins studying for her PhD at Northumbria University.

Mrs Richardson, of Heaton, Newcastle, enrolled in the research study where she is investigating the influence of older people on policy making in the 21st Century.

The mother of three, who was widowed 25 years ago when husband Bill died, has managed to grasp the technological advances of computers and has even managed to create her own website.

Mrs Richardson was one of only two student to be awarded a bursary to continue her studies and also acts as a guest lecturer on the subject of older people in society. Passionate about the rights of older people, she admits one of the reasons behind the research is due to the lack of influence older people have when it comes to the policy making of organisations.

She added: “It’s a subject which is quite close to my heart. Who knows better than us what we all want.”

As a teenager she left Newcastle’s Central High School for Girls but like many young women at the time couldn’t continue with her education.

“I did all the normal things that most young girls did at the time, I got married and had three wonderful daughters, I don’t regret any of that.

“Later I was doing a lot of volunteer work, but not a lot of brain work.”

That all changed when her youngest daughter Nicola recommended a course, handed her the phone and before she knew it she had enrolled on a degree in Human Organisations.

Mrs Richardson, who is also a member of the students union, added: “I knew I would get on reasonably well with young people but it was quite daunting going into a class of about 30 19-year-olds fresh from school.

“Not only did I have to start learning again, I also had to get to grips with computers. But whereas the rest of them were streets ahead with that, because of my life experience I was streets ahead of them.

“Going to university changed my whole life. I would love to achieve my PhD, I still have two years to go. They called me the Queen Mother of the university which I thought was rather nice.

As well as studying for her doctorate the pensioner sits on the board of nine committees and is the vice chairman of Newcastle’s Years Ahead project.

The retired administrator added: “It’s never too late to learn. I want to encourage people to go out and meet people, it’s better than sitting inside the house just looking out if the window and watching rubbish on the TV.”

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