IPSWICH'S new university campus is celebrating its first year in existence and staff held a celebration to mark the occasion.

IPSWICH'S new university campus is celebrating its first year in existence and staff held a celebration to mark the occasion.

One year to the day since its official launch, the team at University Campus Suffolk cut a cake to mark the auspicious occasion.

And yesterday's birthday, was made all the more significant as the final 21 members of staff from the Estates and IT department at Suffolk New College moved over to UCS.

This time last year, staff and students at University Campus Suffolk were celebrating an historical moment as they marked the opening of Suffolk's first university and the transferral of 300 members of staff from Suffolk College to UCS.

In the last 12 months UCS has accepted its first intake of students and seen the development of the new Waterfront building, which is due to open in September.

As well as providing a dedicated higher education institution through its main campus in Ipswich and at its centres in Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and Otley, UCS is working on a multi-agency project to open smaller learning centres across Suffolk.

The Learning and Enterprise Access Points (LEAPS) offer those in more remote areas of Suffolk the chance to access learning closer to home. This year LEAP centres have already been opened in Stowmarket, Halesworth, Mildenhall and Haverhill.

Places are still available to start on both full and part-time courses this September. For further information and to apply visit www.ucs.ac.uk or call the Clearing Hotline on 01473 234740.

UCS will also be holding a Clearing Open Day for any late applicants on Saturday, August 16 from 10am to 1pm and also an Advice and Enrolment Drop In Session on Wednesday, August 20 from 4pm to 8pm.