NWRC lecturer Ivor appeared in 'The Northman' alongside Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård and William Dafoe

Ivor was the driving force behind the introduction of two new courses at Limavady Campus - the Level 3 Diploma in Outdoor Activities and Level 3 Diploma in Uniformed Services, allowing the curriculum department to continue to grow and change to meet market needs.

“The best part of my job is working with students”, said Ivor, “seeing them develop and going on to achieve more than they thought possible. Completing a Level 3 Qualification in Sport, Fitness and Uniformed Protective Services will open career pathways in these industries for all of our students.”

And it’s not just in College that Ivor enjoys sport. In his personal life, Ivor has numerous interests and is a proven role model for students due to his own personal accomplishments. This includes regular cross-channel sailing, motorcycling around Europe, and he is an active member of the local community.

“I have always been involved in water sports and fitness training and began X Fit training in 2017,” he said. “Age is no barrier to keeping fit. Fitness training is applicable to everyone young or old. Keeping fit is like putting money in the bank - we all need to invest in our fitness levels. There's a method of keeping fit to suit everyone.”

Having qualifications and being able to skipper traditional boats has opened many doors in the NI film industry. Ivor has taken part in various voyages to Iona in the Curragh Colmcille alongside David Dimbleby for BBC. And now his most recent role in the Northman, which he said was a fantastic experience.

Ivor said: “My role in the movie was to skipper the Viking ship in various locations for various scenes. These were in the River Bann, Lough Neagh, and off Tyrelle beach Co Down. I also spent a week training other cast members how to actually row a Viking longship. It was a real challenge trying to get all the big guys, who were cast as Berserkers in the movie, to row in harmony.”

Sinead O’Brien, Curriculum Manager for Sport at NWRC, who nominated Ivor for the award said: “Ivor brings his students on an adventure, a learning adventure which inspires his students to embrace challenge and to persevere in their quest for academic success.

“Our learners are drawn to Ivor because of his genuine interest in their success and development. His caring and kind nature is enchanting and aligned with his professional approach to his work.

“He delivers his BTEC content exceptionally well and, in addition to this, Ivor is often embedding extra learning opportunities for his students; for example, attaining additional qualifications such as Royal Yachting Association awards.

“Given Ivor's years of experience and wealth of knowledge, it is little surprise that he can bring his lessons to life. His lessons are steeped in real-life experiences. Ivor has a vast life and industry experience which allows him to inject reality into his lessons.