Sas Amoah

Sas was born in Asakraka in Ghana in 1982. His family moved to a high rise flat in Camberwell in London and then to Milton Keynes, when Sas was four or five. He thinks his parents moved to MK for a better quality of life – he remembers the space and the green, in contrast to London. He moved to Walnut Tree when it was still a building site, before the school had been built there. He remembers playing out with other children, exploring as far as Bow Brickhill Woods or watching the building sites. His parents easily made friends with other Ghanaian families, but Sas remembers having a very diverse group of friends growing up. As a teenager Sas had lots of creative pursuits. He studied at the University of Central Lancashire, which he initially found strange after the structure and space he was used to in MK. Sas returned to MK after a stint working at the BBC in London, and he has worked at the Open University since 2006. He has noticed the changing demographic of the city and its greater diversity. As he doesn’t drive Sas uses the green spaces of the city a great deal, cycling or on public transport; he enjoys the fact that it rarely feels crowded and there is easy access to nature, for reflection and relaxation.

Within the Open University Sas works in the Open Learn department makes OU materials accessible to the general public. He reflects on ways that connections between the OU and the wider city could be strengthened; as a university it is unusual that there are very few students on campus. He feels a face-to- face University would really help support the City, bringing more young people in with new ideas. He talks about the ways the campus has changed since the pandemic, with more people working remotely. He talks about the need, in MK, for more independent shops and restaurants. He thinks MK should be recognised as a good example of how people of different cultures and backgrounds can come together successfully.