The first woman to lead Cumbria Constabulary is set to be recognised at a special ceremony in November.

Carlisle-born Michelle Skeer OBE QPM, who retired from the county's police force in 2023 after more than 30 years of service, will be honoured at the University of Cumbria's graduation ceremonies.

She will receive an honorary fellowship for her 'lifelong and outstanding contribution to public service'.

Ms Skeer, who went on to a national role in His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, will be honoured alongside a Cumbrian peer, a county business chief, an Icelandic artist and academic, and a Cumbrian woman who has dedicated her life to higher education and public service.

Retired Cumbria Constabulary Chief Constable Michelle Skeer OBE QPM who will receive an honorary award from University of Cumbria in November 2024 (Image: University of Cumbria) They will receive University of Cumbria honorary awards during the graduation ceremonies taking place from November 19 to 21.

More than 1,100 successful students will have their degrees and academic awards formally conferred at the ceremonies.

Graduands will be marking their achievements gained from a range of areas and academic institutes, including education and teacher training, arts, forestry, project management, business, and health, including nursing, paramedic practice, physiotherapy, and social work.

Many who have completed their courses via distance learning, through workplace training or education, and from their bases across the UK and the world will be travelling to the ceremonies taking place at Carlisle Cathedral.

Neighbouring venues of Tullie and the Crown & Mitre Hotel will be accommodating activities and celebrations before and after formal ceremonies have taken place inside the cathedral.

The graduations take place in the city’s 900-year-old cathedral as multi-million-pound improvements continue in Carlisle city centre.

As this work continues, Institute of Education, Arts and Society staff and students from the university are working with Cumberland Council and museum and art gallery Tullie to develop a public art project that will showcase local talent over the period of the city centre improvements.

The improvements are part of a portfolio of transformational projects revitalising Carlisle and include the city’s Station Gateway project, Carlisle Southern Gateway on English Street, and University of Cumbria’s Citadels campus.

Figures receiving honorary awards from the University of Cumbria at next month’s graduations:

On Tuesday, November 19, Professor Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir (B.Ed) (MFA) (PhD) will be awarded an honorary fellowship in recognition of her lifelong and significant contribution to contemporary arts research and practice.

L-R: Professor Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir and Lord Inglewood who are to receive honorary awards from the University of Cumbria in November 2024 (Image: University of Cumbria) Lord Inglewood will also be awarded an honorary fellowship in recognition of his lifelong and outstanding contribution to public service.

On Wednesday, November 20, Barbara Stephens OBE will receive an honorary doctorate, the university’s highest honorary award, and Jo Lappin MBE will be awarded an honorary fellowship in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the economy of Cumbria.

On Thursday, November 21, Michelle Skeer OBE QPM will be awarded an honorary fellowship in recognition of her lifelong and outstanding contribution to public service.

L-R: Barbara Stephens OBE and Jo Lappin MBE who are to receive honorary awards from the University of Cumbria in November 2024 (Image: University of Cumbria) Vice Chancellor Professor Julie Mennell DL said: "Our graduation ceremonies are a culmination of all the hard work and commitment our students have to their courses and chosen field.

"They are always a highlight seeing our students return to the university community with their loved ones to celebrate with us.

"As a university of, for and from Cumbria, we’re excited to see how our latest graduates will use their new higher-level skills to strengthen the workforce in their chosen fields."