Born, raised and educated in Salford: Jackie Flynn is very proud to be a true Salfordian.
With a passion for improving education and health in Salford for the wider population, Jackie understands that young people, particularly those in deprived areas, have significantly improved life chances if they can access good local education.
For that reason, Jackie has spent the past 29 years undertaking voluntary roles to assist to this end.
As a largely unsung hero behind the scenes she has influenced and shaped policies and decisions that have positively impacted thousands of Salford learners.
Jackie said: “As a Salfordian who was brought up in a deprived area of the city, I did not initially have many life chances. However, through education and the experience I have gained, I realised I could have a say about how things might improve and thus help make a difference.”
Providing stability, resilience, expertise and integrity through her leadership of the Salford City College group, Jackie believes that the city is very lucky to not only have such a responsive group of colleges, but also an innovative university to provide continuing education to its learners.
Jackie has always believed that students should have a say in their college’s development, and always tried to ensure that their views were constantly heard.
She said: “It’s very gratifying to be recognised as a Salford Hero and I feel very honoured – I recognise that the award reflects significantly on the institutions I have been privileged enough to work with. The experiences I have had across the education sector in Salford has demonstrated to me that there are very many people who want the best for our young people and all of our citizens.”
She attended Ordsall Infants and Junior schools, before moving on to Broughton High School after her 11-plus exams. She left school with A Levels, but her family was unable to support her through university which led to her studying for both a bachelor’s and master’s degree while working full-time.
Following a short period of working in Manchester, Jackie began working for the University of Salford and remained there for 35 years until her official retirement from paid employment.
After being widowed in 1997 with two small children, Jackie took on the role of governor in a number of local schools where her children were enrolled. Articulating the views of local Salfordians, Jackie had the ability to make a sound contribution to school and college governance and planning.
Within Pendleton College, as Vice Chair of the Corporation, she worked on the merger of Salford College and Eccles College to become the Salford City College Group in 2009.
Jackie explained: “Merging together three corporations and three senior management teams was no mean feat but was incredibly rewarding.”
Becoming Chair of the College group in 2013, Jackie worked with four different principals to overcome various challenges including that of the Covid pandemic. Adopting new working practices – distance learning and online meetings to govern and manage the college – required the development of new skills and new ways of working.
Jackie has provided strong leadership, inspiration and expertise over the past 12 years to ensure the College Group had sound governance, healthy finances and excellent safeguarding systems to protect students whilst providing a wide range of inclusive courses.
Jackie is proud of the College Group’s dedication to its students, and its commitment to working with integrity.
She said: “I think the people of Salford deserve the best education for their children. I have been lucky to have the chance to help with this. At the College Group we always worked on the basis of Salford solutions to Salford problems as one model does not suit all.
“I believe that a good, accessible education system, and effective health services are essential if we are to ensure that our people have the life chances they deserve, and may not otherwise have.”
Jackie has also tried to make significant contributions to the development of the City’s health services, representing and articulating a Salford point of view, to ensure that local people have their views represented.
She made lay contributions as a non-executive director on Salford Primary Care Trust, in two stints as an elected governor with the Salford Royal Foundation Trust, and contributed to and reviewed a significant number of research projects concerning health.
Her interest in, and concern for local students, remains strong. She was determined that not only high achievers but those with less academic achievements should have their future prospects improved through their association with Salford City College Group.
Her passion for the improvement of health and education in Salford remains, and she is open to undertaking further work to this end.
Jackie said: “If any suitable opportunities come up, I am more than willing to carry on working. The people of Salford are very resilient, and they can cope with very difficult things, but they shouldn’t have to. I feel quite proud of anything I have been able to do to improve matters.”
