Medal of Honour for Jeannette Howe OBE and Jo Richler
31 Jul 2024
Founder of Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education and outstanding volunteer and community leader in education and parental bereavement have been awarded the University’s highest non-degree award
Jeanette Howe OBE, the founder of Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education, whose work on career development for pharmacists has driven national change; and Jo Richler, outstanding volunteer and community leader in education and parental bereavement, have both been awarded the University’s highest non-degree award, the Medal of Honour.
Jeannette Howe OBE
Jeannette Howe OBE commissioned our University, in partnership with the North West Regional Health Authority, to establish the national Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) in 1991.
CPPE ensures graduates keep themselves up to date on new medicines and therapeutic approaches and government policy changes. Over 30 years after its foundation, it is now possibly the most trusted brand for the pharmacy professions across England – effectively making every pharmacy professional a Manchester alumnus; that’s around 75,000 learners every year for over 30 years getting their ongoing learning, career development, service development and leadership development through Manchester.
Its effect on our national healthcare system includes new services having an easier route through government, because there is the assurance of high-quality learning to underpin their delivery.
Jeannette has demonstrated throughout her career that shaping policy effectively can transform how a profession is seen and used to improve person centred care. Her national work in influencing quality, driving research and enabling education has underpinned the development of the professions of pharmacy both in the UK and internationally. Her impact on enabling Manchester, which CPPE responded to so well, has made an enduring difference to the health of our nation.
Such is Jeannette’s impact, both the current and former Chief Pharmaceutical Officers for NHS England supported this Medal of Honour nomination for Jeannette.
Jo Richler
Jo Richler was honoured for her sustained and outstanding record of voluntary service and community action and engagements, including the work with The Whitworth on ‘Still Parents: Life After Baby Loss’.
Jo is the Lead Consultant at Ciel Associates, an educational consultancy, focusing on the management of change with a specific focus on Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).
Following an initial career as a musician in the theatre and as Composer-in-Residence in Wigan for the Arts in Schools initiative, she earned a PGCE at The University of Manchester and an MSc in Education Management from MMU. She is also an Accredited Member of the Society of Education Consultants and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Jo has extensive experience across the education sector and a formidable reputation as a leader and innovator in inclusion, learning challenges and the management of change with a specific focus on education and independent learning skills. Her extensive range of work in education includes Senior Advisor for PALATINE, the HEA Subject Centre for Performing Arts, for whom she researched and wrote 'Looking Further: a landscape survey of the provision of HE performing arts in further education', and was commissioned by the HEA's Psychology Network to map the provision of higher education psychology courses in FE colleges, including issues of access.
In 2004, Jo was awarded the Learning Resources Manager of the Year by the prestigious World of Learning Awards, and in 2005 she was short-listed for a DfES Star Award for Outstanding Achievement in the area of Innovative Practice and Inspiration.
For over thirty years, Jo has also volunteered with Manchester Sands, a baby loss charity for bereaved parents who support other bereaved parents. Co-Chair since 2016, she co-led the award-winning STILL PARENTS: Life After Baby Loss project with The Whitworth Art Gallery in 2019 whose monthly artist-led, art-making sessions are continuing. Parents supported by Sands have said, “this has been better than a counselling session. It was so good to talk to others who understand” and, “I realised tonight that others have the same feelings as me. It made me feel less alone.”
Citations
You can read the full citations at:
You can also read the stories of other Medal of Honour recipients for 2024 at: