• Universities

The University of Worcester, which began life as an emergency teacher training college for the University of Birmingham in 1946, is now the only higher education institution in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.Established on the site of a former RAF base used in World War Two, it is the UK’s fastest growing university, with a 10.6 per cent increase on applications in 2009 and a 100 per cent increase since 2004.Since 2005, the university has been working towards the acquisition of many new sites across the city and its long- term strategy aims to build a joint community and more university facilities, with expansion to a third campus. With over a quarter of a million books and 12 miles of archive collections, The Hive is a library and study facility which was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 2012. It boasts a busy events programme, with regular public lectures, exhibitions and performances for the community and the students (it is a joint venture with the Worcestershire County Council).The university is home to the Worcester Wolves basketball team, the league-winning Worcester Allstars Football team and the Worcester Royals, an American Football team.Notable alumni include the politician Jacqui Smith, Bollywood actress and former Miss India Swaroop Sampat and Jo Yapp, former captain of England Women’s Rugby.All UK pollen forecasts originate from university’s National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit. It boasts the Carbon Trust Standard award and was the first English university to receive a Gold EcoCampus Award, shortly after gaining the Silver Eco-Campus Status in 2008.