Lancaster University & SU’s student publication was awarded Highly Commended for Best Sports Section at the Student Publication Association (SPA) Conference in Glasgow last month.
In 2022, SCAN was shortlisted for Best National Publication ahead of the SPA Conference in Sheffield. Tabitha Lambie (she/they) was also shortlisted for the Billy Dowling-Reid Award. Unfortunately, SCAN didn’t come away with an award but with Roses just around the corner, the Editorial Team began preparing for its biggest print issue to date.
For the first time, SCAN produced a 32-page Roses Special, packed with match reports, sports film reviews, and news articles reporting on coach misconduct, and the Muslim students’ varsity boycott. Determined to include both mainstream and niche sports, SCAN offered coverage to underwater hockey, archery, rugby, football, snow sports, equestrian, and even the Hiker’s Roses.
Earlier this year, SCAN’s Roses Special was shortlisted for Best Sports Section as well as Best Newspaper Design. Tabitha Lambie was also shortlisted for Best News Story after their impactful article on the student experience at Lancaster Leipzig. Speaking with Ami Clement (she/her), she said that she was thrilled to see the 21/22 SCAN Editorial Team receive the recognition they deserved and for the publication to “become an even bigger national name.”
Having led the SCAN re-design for the last two years, Elizabeth Train-Brown (she/they) added that “After spending days, nights, and birthdays in the office, it is wonderful to be shortlisted for Best Newspaper Design. We’ve taken inspiration from other student publications and national papers across the country to make the most engaging, student-forward design SCAN has ever seen.”
Attending the SPA Conference in Glasgow last month, SCAN was awarded Highly Commended for Best Sports Section in the UK & NI. This was the first time SCAN had been awarded as a publication, with Adam Saraswati Rawlings’ Highly Commended for Best Feature 2019 and Tabitha Lambie’s Highly Commended for Best Journalist in the North 2022 remaining the only individual awards achieved by SCAN reporters to date.
Chris Stevenson, The Independent, said that “the breath of the sports coverage SCAN offered was truly impressive. While not the only publication to cover the more niche sports well, the dedication to offering a complete picture of sports at Lancaster was clear – backed up by some strong reporting on funding cuts. The ‘Roses’ varsity special edition was full of verve and imagination and a testament to the team’s hard work.”
Thrilled to receive national recognition, Tabitha Lambie, 21/22 Editor-in-Chief, has said:
“SCAN is incredibly proud to receive this award. Every page of that print issue was Roses-related, from the ‘Roses Are Red’ creative writing competition to lifestyle articles discussing varsity drinking bans. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to last year’s Roses coverage; we’ve made history.”
Elizabeth Train-Brown, 21/22 Associate Editor, said that:
“Special mention deserves to go to the small team who spent all weekend and the fortnight after, writing, editing and formatting this incredible issue. Maria Hill (she/her) and Ami Clement helped put together lifestyle and food stall reviews; James Wilson (he/him) edited countless sports film and TV reviews; Amy Brook (she/her) produced illustrations for the ‘Roses Are Red’ creative writing competition, and Tom Jeffreys (he/him) put together the sports spreadsheet that kept Roses coverage running smoothly. But Tabitha Lambie is the reason this all happened. She put in hundreds of hours to ensure this Roses Special would be the biggest and most memorable print issue ever produced by SCAN. Few people have their passion and now she has the national recognition they deserve.”
Ami Clement, 21/22 Social Media Manager and current Editor-in-Chief, added:
“I could not be prouder of the small team that came together last year to produce such high-quality coverage so that sports teams (no matter their size or success) could be included. As we work towards the next Roses Special issue, I would like to take a moment to wish my team the best of luck and thank all those reporting at this year’s varsity for making this coverage possible.”
