Lord Puttnam to give public lecture at York St John

Lord Puttnam is to give a public lecture on inequality in child well-being, as part of York St John University’s Go York lecture series on Wednesday 28 March.

In a lecture entitled ‘The children left behind - a response’, Lord Puttnam, formerly President of UNICEF UK, will comment on a landmark report by UNICEF which claims that rich countries are letting the poorest children fall behind. The UNICEF Innocenti report looks at inequalities in child well-being in the world's rich countries, examining the dimensions of material wellbeing, education and health. Lord Puttnam will focus on the importance of education for young people regardless of their background.

Speaking in advance of the lecture, Lord Puttnam said:

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak at York St John on a topic of such importance and of such great relevance in today’s society. Universities have a role to play in engaging and informing young people of their choices and their potential to progress towards higher education. They create learning environments that are aspiring, informing and give fair access education in order to create a confident generation who are able to respond to all the challenges of the 20^thcentury.”

Lord David Puttnam CBE spent thirty years as an independent film producer. His many award winning films include The Mission, the Killing Fields, Local Hero, Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone, and the Memphis Belle. His films have won ten Oscar's, 25 Bafta's and the Palme D'Or at Cannes.  

Retiring from film production in 1998, Lord Puttnam now focuses his work in education and the environment. In 1998 he founded that National Teaching Awards which he chaired until October 2008, serving as the first Chair of the General Teaching Council from 2000 to 2002. From July 2002 to July 2009, he was president of UNICEF UK, playing a key role in promoting UNICEF’s advocacy, awareness and fundraising objectives. Lord Puttnam was awarded a CBE in 1982, a knighthood in 1995 and was appointed to the House of Lords in 1997.

Lord Puttnam is Chancellor of the Open University, President of the Film Distributors’ Association, Chairman of North Music Trust, Deputy Chairman of Profero and a trustee of the Eden Project. He was founding Chair of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and chaired the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television.

The Go York lecture takes place on Wednesday 28 March at 6.30pm in Fountains Lecture Theatre at York St John University. Admission is free but tickets must be booked in advance via http://www.goyorklordputtnam.eventbrite.com/. Go York lectures bring together York St John University’s eminent academics, high profile speakers and the local community for a series of events to be enjoyed by all. For further information please contact the conference and events office at York St John on T: 01904 876654.