Honorary Fellowship presented to Ken Richardson

Honorary Fellowship presented to Ken Richardson
Ken Richardson (centre) receives his Honorary Fellowship from Board Chair Abhishek Agarwal (left), with Principal Kenny MacInnes (right) and Board members in attendance.

A valued former Forth Valley Board of Management member was officially bestowed with his College Fellowship award on Thursday 5 December, after being unable to attend the 2024 Graduation ceremony in October.

Board Chair Abhishek Agarwal (pictured left) was on hand to present Ken Richardson (centre) with his deserved honour before the Board’s annual seasonal lunch, as Forth Valley College Principal Kenny MacInnes (right) and fellow board members looked on.

Ken joined the Board on 20 June 2013 and stepped down in March 2023, after 10 years of continuous service. During his time he served on the Finance Committee and Strategic Development Committee and also chaired the Falkirk Campus Project Board, which oversaw the creation of the new £78 million Falkirk Campus, which was delivered on time and to budget.

Ken also led on the project to successfully relocate the simulated rig from the old Falkirk Campus to the new campus, where it continues to be a key piece of learning infrastructure.

His full history with the College goes back to when it began in 2005 when he was involved in the merger of Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Colleges, where he facilitated the creation of the Senior Management Team of the College.

Ken has been a key supporter of the College during his time on the Board, often acting as a Board representative at visits with key partners such as Scottish Ministers as well as also being a regular at College graduations. Ken is now a Trustee of the College’s arm’s length foundation: The Forth Valley College Foundation.

Ken, said: “I am absolutely delighted – but taken aback - to receive this Honorary Fellowship award, it is a really nice gesture, and I did not expect it at all.”

Principal Kenny MacInnes, said: “The Honorary Fellowship award was introduced by the Forth Valley College Board of Management to allow us to recognise outstanding contributions of individuals to College life and development. We are delighted to present this one to Ken Richardson, who has demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to the ongoing success of Forth Valley College. You have thoroughly earned this Fellowship award.”

Abhishek Agarwal, Forth Valley Board of Management Chair, said: “It was great to present Ken with his Honorary Fellowship Award today, as it allowed us to celebrate all the excellent work he has been involved in over his 10 years on the Board, which has helped Forth Valley College become one of Scotland’s leading colleges. We can’t thank him enough for his service and wish him all the best for the future.”

At the Friday 11 October graduation ceremonies former FVC Principal Professor Ken Thomson and former FVC Head of Department Jacqui McArthur were also awarded Fellowships of the College.