11 June 2025 | 11:40am - 1:30pm | Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay
In partnership with The Open University in Wales, Learning and Work Institute is pleased to bring you this year’s Annual Raymond Williams Memorial Lecture which will be delivered by Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, KFSM, Chief Fire Officer, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.
One of the most senior women in the fire service across the whole of the UK, Sabrina holds a PhD in Psychology and a number of honorary doctorates, including from The Open University. Her personal story – growing up in Newport, becoming homeless at 15, a firefighter at 18 and combining her frontline service with a passion for lifelong learning – is a clear demonstration of the power of adult learning in the face of life’s many challenges.
The Raymond Williams lecture is a prestigious opportunity to reflect on the life and work of Raymond Williams, particularly in the context of adult learning and its transformative potential. The lecture draws a large and well-informed audience of professionals from across civic society in Wales and beyond.
Raymond Williams was one of Wales’ and Europe’s greatest social thinkers, but his work presents as many paradoxes as possible solutions.
Agenda
11:40 | Arrival and Refreshments |
12:05 | Welcome – Joshua Miles, Director for Wales, Learning and Work Institute |
12:10 | Lecture – delivered by Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, KFSM, Chief Fire Officer, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service |
12:35 | Q&A – Sabrina Cohen-Hatton and Vikki Howells, Minister for Further and Higher Education |
12:55 | Closing remarks – The Open University in Wales |
13:00 | Buffet |