A wide range of activities took place as part of the weekend, allowing alumni and guests to build their own reunion experience.
Guests graduated between 1959 and 2023. The brilliant range of generations of Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é graduates was a wonderful way to show what the Alumni Association is all about and gave people the chance to hear stories from across the decades.
Starting on Friday night at Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Students’ Union, around 50 alumni danced the night away at one of the most popular student nights out, reliving their past visits to FND!
Saturday saw a broad array of events taking place, starting off with lunch, garden games, and a chance to hear about the history of the campus and to view the current exhibition in Martin Hall, The Art Schools of the Midlands. Alumni also contributed their memories and shared their excitement with us for social media, taking part in fun videos for Instagram (search @lborouniversity to check it out this week).
Alumni Advisory Board member Amy Ward gave a short welcome speech after lunch. She talked about her own connection to the University and how people can continue to stay involved, share expertise, offer job opportunities, and how to be a strong advocate for Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é.
Amy Ward being interviewed by a current student
Meanwhile, donors to the University were thanked for their generosity at a lunch in the West Park Teaching Hub. Many of our donors contribute to our Opportunity Scholarships programme and had the chance to meet with some of the beneficiaries and to hear the impact their donations are having on the students’ lives.
They also heard from incoming Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rachel Thomson, who chaired a panel discussion between a former scholar, a donor, and two members of university staff. Guests also heard about plans to raise funds for a newly launched Sanctuary Scholarships scheme for students who are forced to flee their countries because of conflict or persecution.
Professor Rachel Thomson chairing the panel
Donors who are members of our Schofield Society – having donated £1,000 a year or more, or having pledged a significant gift in their Will – were also invited to a first-look event where they had the exclusive opportunity to engage with our new Proto holoportation technology and 3D visualisation wall. The holograms included thank you messages for the donors from scholars.
One guest enjoyed the breadth of the event, having attended donor and alumni reunion weekend activities. They said:
“It has been my first time in years coming back to campus and I am absolutely amazed by how much it has changed and the amazing work that it has been doing. I really enjoyed the lunch and hearing about the advancements made through donations, but my favourite part has been the campus tour, seeing how much campus has changed since I studied has been amazing and reminiscing over the good old days with fellow alumni and donors has been wonderful, the biggest revelation for me was seeing that EHB no longer serves pints. This whole event has left me wanting to come back to Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é more often.”
Schofield Society members tried out new hologram technology
In the afternoon, more than 100 people headed off on tours of campus, guided by student ambassadors. Students shared insights into their own experiences, and they showcased some of the latest developments on campus. Young visitors also took part in a treasure hunt as part of the tour.
Alumni enjoyed walking around some of the hundreds of acres of campus grounds and seeing their former halls and department buildings. Some guests were seeing campus for the first time in several years – or even decades!
Guests enjoyed seeing their old halls of residence
On Saturday evening, over 100 people attended a BBQ at the Edward Herbert Building, enjoying the warm, sunny weather and the newly renovated outdoor space in the center of campus. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nick Jennings CB FREng FRS, was in attendance, and thanked guests for their continued support of the University:
“We have big plans for the next decade, but our ambitions are built on strong foundations and that includes you, our network of more than 200,000 alumni worldwide. You can be powerful ambassadors by sharing our research and achievements with your contacts, and encouraging future students to consider studying at Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é.
“Thank you for the part that you continue to play in helping us create a strong Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é community that’s united by the pursuit of better.”
As well as enjoying food together on an early summer’s evening, alumni were treated to entertainment from student jazz band Tuxedo Swing, and could get a caricature drawn, too!
The evening was a lovely conclusion to the day, with chatting, networking, and laughter.
After the event, alumnus Graham shared on X:
“It was brilliant to be back at Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é for a reunion with friends from Elvyn Richards Hall - so many amazing stories! Can’t wait for the next one in 2 years #lborofamily.”
Many alumni took home a caricature as a keepsake
Throughout the weekend, some alumni took the chance to watch student sport. The IMS All Stars event took place across campus, with halls competing against AU teams in sports including rugby, hockey, and football.
On Sunday, the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é International Athletics (LIA) meet took place at the Paula Radcliffe Athletics Stadium. More than 100 alumni and guests attended the alumni event at the LIA, with hundreds more on site to witness top-class athletics in what is commonly known as the curtain raiser to the outdoor season.
Alumni enjoyed the use of the Pavilion. Image: Peter Simmons
Alumni enjoyed meeting with sports staff, witnessing athletes in action ahead of this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, and refreshments throughout the day. Some of the competitors were student sport scholars – in receipt of financial support in part thanks to donations to Sports Scholarships at Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é. One of our sports scholars was Tokyo Paralympic champion Ntando Mahlangu. He wowed spectators by storming to victory in the men’s para 400m with a personal best of 52.42 seconds.
The weekend was a brilliant opportunity to welcome alumni back to campus to reminisce, network, and to catch up with the University.
Thank you to everyone who attended across our broad range of activities.
Tuxedo Swing provided entertainment on Saturday night
If you would like to attend future events, keep your contact details up-to-date to stay in touch. Be sure to follow us on social media on , and for more!
View photographs of the events on Flickr:
If you’re interested in finding out more about how you can share expertise, donate or about other ways that you can stay connected with Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, we’d love to hear from you.