The Director of Rugby at Bedford Blues was one of five people to receive an honorary degree from the University of Bedfordshire this week.

Former Welsh international Mike Rayer received the award of an Honorary Master of Science for his achievements in rugby union. He has been at the Blues since 2005 after spending two seasons at Goldington Road as a player in the 1990s.

Rayer said: “It was a little bit out of the blue to hear I’d been awarded this honour but it was a really pleasant surprise. It’s great that my parents, my wife and my children were all here to see it. Bedford is my adopted town as I’ve been here for seven years in total now.”

Rayer is hopeful the links between the rugby club and the University will be strengthened in future years.

He said: “We’ve already got healthy links with the University as we’ve used the Alexander Sports Centre and the sports science labs in the past, and some of the students play in our sides.

“It can only be right that two of the biggest organisations in Bedford try to work a lot closer together in the future.”

Others being honoured at the ceremonies which took place on Monday and Tuesday (12-13 July) at the Corn Exchange in St Paul’s Square were:

• Ballet dancer and educationalist Dame Beryl Grey for her outstanding contribution to the performing arts.
• Poet and novelist Ben Okri OBE received recognition for his outstanding contribution to literature.
• Iranian-born psychotherapist and social entrepreneur Camila Batmanghelidjh, whose work focuses on children marginalised by society, for her outstanding contribution to the welfare of children. She was on the Question Time panel recently (Thursday, 1 July).
• Veteran theatre producer Anthony Field for his outstanding contribution to theatre and the arts.

David Graveney OBE, a former chairman of the England cricket selectors and a former chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, was the guest of honour at the two ceremonies on Tuesday.

More than 500 students from the University’s Bedford campus attended the three graduation ceremonies over the two days.

Students were mainly drawn from the Faculty of Education and Sport, although all four faculties at the University were represented at the civic ceremony on Monday afternoon.

Staff and local dignitaries processed from The Swan Hotel to the Corn Exchange accompanied by the University of Bedfordshire Pipe Band.