HE Alumna wins National Therapy Student of the Year Award

Lottie Morphew-Hedges, HE Alumna who studied at East Sussex College last year, has won the FHT’s (Federation of Holistic Therapists) Student of the Year 2023 award.

The prestigious FHT Student of the Year award is highly regarded in the industry; Lottie was recognised as the winner on 8th November! Lottie completed three courses while studying at East Sussex College; Level 3 Complementary Therapy, FdSc Complementary Healthcare and BSc (Hons) Integrated Healthcare Management.

She has since developed an impressive career portfolio in the industry, and is currently volunteering at St Wilfrid’s Hospice alongside working as a therapist in Hastings.

Speaking to the College about winning FHT Student of the Year, Lottie said, “I had seen the excellence awards, as I do each year, in the FHT magazine - after some discussion and my outstanding academic success - I decided to send a short explanation about what I have achieved and the academic journey I have been on. To become a finalist felt incredibly overwhelming. The FHT is the UK and Ireland's largest professional association for complementary, sports, and holistic beauty therapists.

“Then to become an award winner in such a huge and competitive industry was a shock. It was the perfect ending to my four-year academic journey.”

Speaking about studying at ESC, Lottie said, “I found Level 3 Complementary Therapy to be a comprehensive and well thought out course which set me up for a well-grounded knowledge base when moving onto the FdSc. FdSc Complementary Healthcare was a challenging course with an intense subject matter. However, it has given me an advantage in my industry due to the in-depth knowledge I now have. The BSc (Hons) Integrated Healthcare Management degree was completely new territory for me and I had little experience of the subject matter. However, the course content was interesting and I really immersed myself into the topic. It has helped me more than I realised. I had outstanding support from all tutors from Level 3 to BSc and am still in touch with one of my tutors - they continue to support me.”

“The most unique and special thing about ESCG is the staff and support. Unlike other universities, ESCG has the means to provide a wealth of support and the whole journey felt personable. I always felt like I was a priority and that my academic journey mattered.”

She added, “I would study with ESCG again, and again. My confidence has grown and grown and I credit ESCG for allowing me to realise my potential. I feel like continuing to explore and grow as a practitioner and person is the key to future success, and I recommend studying with ESCG and taking the leap to change careers, follow a passion, and explore new potential.”

Lottie gave the College an insight into her journey since leaving the College. “After my Level 3 I was encouraged by the FHT to practise straight away. I had set up a mobile therapy business and kept that going throughout. I now run a successful clinic in Hastings Town Centre at The Gym Group. I also specialise in residential settings for adults with disabilities and volunteer at a local hospice, and have started to offer low-cost community health clinics to the public.”

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