Notable Alumni

Amanda Roocroft

World-famous international Opera Singer

Amanda Roocroft has secured an international reputation as one of Britain's most exciting singers in opera, concert, and in recital. She graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music and studies with Paul Farrington.

In concert she has appeared with leading orchestras throughout Europe and North America with conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Mariss Jansons, Ivor Bolton, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Daniele Gatti, Sir Neville Marriner, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Charles Mackerras, Valery Gergiev and Bernard Haitink.

She has performed at many of the world's leading opera houses and festivals including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Glyndebourne Festival, the English National Opera, the Welsh National Opera, the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, the Netherlands Opera and the Salzburg Festival where her roles have included Fiordiligi/'Cosi fan Tutte', Countess/'Le Nozze di Figaro', Donna Elvira/'Don Giovanni', Desdemona/'Otello', Amelia/'Simon Boccanegra', Mimi/'La Boheme', Eva/'Die Meistersinger', Elisabetta/'Don Carlos', Cleopatra/'Giulio Cesare', Jenifer/'The Midsummer Marriage', Tatiana/'Eugene Onegin', Ellen Orford/'Peter Grimes' and the title roles in 'Madama Butterfly', 'Katya Kabanova' and 'Jenufa'. She won the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for her performance as Jenufa with the English National Opera.

John Thompson

Actor and Comedian

John attended All Hallows Catholic High School before Runshaw College between 1985 and 1987, studying for four A-levels, including theatre studies. He was described as "clearly [having] a talent for comedy".

Following this, he turned down a scholarship in America to study drama at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester Metropolitan University).

While at university, Thomson met Steve Coogan, who secured him a job on Spitting Image. They would continue to collaborate on such programmes as Coogan's Run, the Paul and Pauline Calf video diaries (where he played 'Fat Bob') and Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge, which he also contributed to writing. He also appeared in Coogan's live shows as compere Bernard Righton and the two would be reunited in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People. The two won the Perrier Comedy Award in 1992 for their act at the Edinburgh Fringe.

John has appeared in the BBC sketch series The Fast Show, Ted & Ralph, Soldier Soldier, Men Behaving Badly, Cold Feet, The Perfect Match, New Street Law, Coronation Street and will be in the new series of Waterloo Road.

Jessica Taylor and Kevin Simm

Members of pop group Liberty X

Liberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars.

The group went on to achieve ten consecutive UK Top 20 singles, and various charting singles worldwide, meaning that these runners-up of Popstars were commercially more successful than the winners, Hear'Say.

They disbanded in early 2007.

Jessica Taylor took part in BBC's one-off Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 and came in second place. Taylor also participated in the fourth series of Dancing on Ice, partnered with Pavel Aubrecht in 2009. They made it to the final, finishing in third place. She subsequently toured with Torvill and Dean on their 25th Anniversary Bolero Tour, performing in arenas across the UK. Jessica was signed in 2009 as the face and body of company Ultimo. She is married England cricketer, Kevin Pietersen.

Kevin Simm has since signed to JamDown Music. Kevin's debut album, titled "Brand New", is available for purchase on iTunes.

Lloyd Cole

Musician

Lloyd is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, and for his subsequent solo work.

Samantha Robinson

Actress

After Runshaw Samantha gained a place at Rose Bruford College and has appeared in Casualty, Doctors, Five Days, Holby City, The Girls Who Came to Stay, Shameless, Jamaica Me Crazy and Island at War amongst many others.

Samantha was a Laurence Olivier Bursary award winner 2001.

Steve Pemberton

Actor and Comedian

Steve is an English actor, comedian, writer and performer, but is most famous as a member of The League of Gentlemen.

Steve attended St. Michael's CE High School before Runshaw and then graduated from Bretton Hall College with a BA (hons) in Theatre Arts.

The League of Gentlemen initially began as a stage act in 1995, transferred to BBC Radio 4 as On the Town with the League of Gentlemen in 1997 and then arrived on television on BBC Two in 1999. The latter has seen Pemberton awarded a British Academy Television Award, a Royal Television Society Award and the prestigious Golden Rose of Montreux.

Pemberton's other TV credits include: Whitechapel, Doctor Who, Benidorm, Under the Greenwood Tree, Hotel Babylon, The Last Detective, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), Shameless and Poirot.

He also played the role of Rufus Drumknott in the 2010 movie Terry Pratchett's Going Postal.

Psychoville aired June 2009 and marked his return to BBC2. It was co-written by Pemberton and his League of Gentlemen cohort Reece Shearsmith. Both Shearsmith and Pemberton star in the series and play numerous characters, similarly to the League of Gentlemen.

Tom Bidwell

Oscar-nominated Writer

Tom's first play, Risky & Fluke, won the Sunday Times NSDF Award and recently finished a tour of Europe. His radio play Things To Do Before You Die was aired on BBC Radio 4 to great acclaim.

Tom was nominated for an Oscar for the short film category for Wish 143, the story of a 15-year-old cancer patient who is granted one wish before he dies.

The film is based on his personal experiences when he suffered from non-Hodgkins lymphoma as a teenager. Mr Bidwell, who was celebrating his birthday at the ceremony, lost out to Luke Matheny's God of Love.

Mr Bidwell was originally commissioned to write Wish 143 for a play on BBC Radio 4 when he was at the BBC Writers' Academy in 2008-9.

He has also written for Doctors, EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City.

Tim Farron MP

MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale since 2005

Tim gained a place at Newcastle University to read politics in 1988, Tim went on to become the first Liberal Democrat President of Newcastle University Union in 1991-92. During this time Tim gained a national profile for standing up against extremism and intolerance in the, hard-left and Labour dominated, NUS.

After the completion of his degree, Tim followed a career in the Higher Education sector. Before winning the Westmorland and Lonsdale seat in May 2005, he worked as a senior manager at St Martin's College at Ambleside, Lancaster and Carlisle.

Tim is deeply committed to high quality education for all. In May 2005, Tim secured the Westmorland and Lonsdale seat in Westminster for the Liberal Democrats. He defeated the Conservative candidate and ended a 95 year rule of the seat by the Tories.

Following this win, Tim has been extremely busy both in Parliament and especially, within his constituency. In 2005 he was appointed the Liberal Democrat Youth spokesman, and in March 2006 became Parliamentary Private Secretary to Party leader Ming Campbell. Following the election of Nick Clegg as Party Leader in December 2007, Tim was promoted to the Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet and now serves as the Shadow Minister for the Countryside and Rural Affairs.

Lorraine Norris

Chief Executive, Preston Council

Lorraine stepped into the role after her predecessor retired and her biggest challenge will be to steer the £700m Tithebarn development plans in Preston. Lorraine oversees 1600 staff in her role. She says: "Overall what we are trying to do is raise the profile of Preston."

"The two big challenges for Preston and the council are the economic regeneration – made even more of a challenge in the light of recession – and that we continue to have too many wards in Preston that are in the country's worst 20% for deprivation."

Out of work, Lorraine enjoys walking her dog and is planning to join the Leyland Methodist Church choir but says: "I'm not one of those people who's an expert at anything – I do it because I enjoy it."

Kit Burdin

Graduated with First Class Honours in Law from Oxford and Cambridge Universities and is at the Middle Temple in London as his Inn of Court.

Joe Woodworth

Graduated with First Class Honours in Law from Oxford and Cambridge Universities and is at the Middle Temple in London as his Inn of Court.

Joe is now a Trainee Solicitor at Clifford Chance LLP, one of the world's leading law firms. Clifford Chance lawyers advise internationally and domestically; under common law and civil law systems; in local and cross-border transactions; on day-to-day operations and the most challenging deals.

Joe is on LinkedIn.

Chris Kenny

Christopher left Runshaw in 2007 and has since progressed to Junior Sous Chef at Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saison.

In 2011 he won Young Chef of the Year, adding to his City and Guilds Gold Lion award for Outstanding Achievement.

He started his career as a kitchen porter at the age of 13yrs and worked hard at Heathcotes during his College years, taking time to complete two successful placements at The Ivy and the 1 Michelin star Mason Arms in Devon.

Becky Eastham

Becky Eastham went on to study at Mountview, the premier college in the country for musical theatre. You can see Becky on the college's new video.

Sam Major

Sam has won a scholarship worth £33,000+ in total to the prestigious Northern Ballet.

Dani Gibbons

Footballer

Danielle was the PNE Women’s and British College’s goalkeeper before taking up her current position as Liverpool Ladies FC Goalkeeper.

Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/danigibbo

Jennifer Salisbury

Badminton player

British College’s Badminton Champion.

Betti Worth

Footballer

Plays for Manchester City 1st Women’s football team and is the Manager’s Player of the Year.

Nicola Rawlinson

Golf player

British College's Open Golf Champion. Nicola is currently studying at Loughborough University.

See more here.