MORE than £1million has been earmarked for University College Worcester for a variety of exciting initiatives.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has agreed to provide £954,000 in financial support for the St John's campus' developments in Digital Arts (Interactive Media) and Information Technology over the next two years.

The cash boost will support the conversion of some existing science laboratories to IT provision, the refurbishment costs of converting the main hall into studios and workshops plus the equipment and infrastructure for interactive media provision.

"This is excellent news and will allow us to make major strides forward on the digital art and IT side of our work," said Principal Dorma Urwin.

"These are two areas where we have developed an excellent reputation in higher education circles across the UK.

"It is excellent news for University College Worcester as a whole as it confirms the funding council's confidence in UCW as a provider of excellence in higher education."

As well as this funding, UCW has submitted plans to HEFCE for the projects it plans to support from its allocation of projectcapital funds.

The college plans to use the £350,000 it will receive under the learning and teaching element to convert an existing building into a 200-seat lecture theatre.

It also plans to create a new physiology laboratory and convert an existing laboratory for the teaching of bio-mechanics. Additional conversion work at the college will be funded by UCW.

UCW has also received £165,000 under the disability element of the funding to enhance access to and routes around campus for students and staff with disabilities.

"Having the necessary equipment and facilities to do our job properly is so vital if we are to attract students and high quality staff here," said Ms Urwin.

"Everyone wants more money, but we're delighted with our share of it.

"We will be looking to further enhance the quality of education we provide and the quality of teaching our team can offer."