Film Production students Hope Lines and Vasili Evangelou helped members of Blue Apple Theatre (artists in residence at the University) edit a special documentary to mark Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January) and to remember the 250,000 people with disabilities who met their deaths at the hands of the Nazis. The moving film was sent out to Blue Apple’s network of sister organisations across Europe, including Poland, the Czech Republic and Belgium. The collaboration between students and theatre group members (pictured top) was also featured on Meridian News.
Hatching business plansA new start-up hub at the University, The Hatchery opened for business this month. Run by Senior Lecturer in Business Management Steve Northam (the University’s first Entrepreneur in Residence) it offers a dedicated space for students and staff looking to develop their business dreams and bridge the gap between academia and the world of commerce.
Recent graduates of the University returned to share some of their secrets of business success with current students at The Undergraduate Business Management Employability Day. Among the alumni was Hebe Bamburg, Product Marketing Manager of Maserati North Europe, who brought along a gleaming £70,000 Grecale Modena which was parked outside West Downs.
Emma Goto, Senior Lecturer in Primary Education, was the expert consultant on the new CBeebies show Wonderblocks which hit our TV screens this month. The colourful animation follows the adventures of excitable Go and methodical Stop. Each episode showcases core skills like problem-solving, planning, pattern recognition and sequencing - all crucial to helping youngsters learn coding in later life.
Law pair interview wellWinchester Law students Jesse Bishop and Tom Atkin (pictured) won through to the national finals of the Client Interviewing Competition after triumphing in their heat at the University of Law in Moorgate, London, where they defeated teams from the universities of Birmingham, Kent, Southampton, Northumbria, South Wales, Sunderland and Warwick.
Dr Paul Everill academic’s work on the therapeutic potential of archaeology made an impact in Ukraine where it is now used to help soldiers and civilians traumatised by their experiences in the war with Russia. Paul - one of the co-founders of the AMPHORA Project which developed toolkits for people running or taking part in archaeological projects aiming to deliver public mental health and wellbeing benefits – has seen his work taken up by the Ukrainian initiative "Spiritual Recovery Through Culture". Paul also convened a session on 'Wellbeing Archaeology' for the World Archaeological Congress in June.
Winchester Fashion Week (17-21 March) was taken over by our students. Third Years on the Fashion Business and Marketing Course organised the event which has been embedded into their course as part of our commitment to practical, real-world learning. The highlight of the week, which had an underlying theme of sustainable fashion, was Fashion Reset which brought together industry leaders, innovators, and changemakers at West Downs to explore what sustainability really means across the sector. Other events included Mindful Fashion Monday, which challenged students to ‘Rewear, Restyle, and Reinvent’ items from their existing wardrobes.
Phoka flies the flag for LesothoSecond Year Digital Media Design student Phoka Tsosane rubbed shoulders with Royalty at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. Phoka, born in Lesotho, had the honour of carrying his homeland’s flag during the ceremony, attended by the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The 23-year-old, wearing the mokorotlo, the traditional straw hat of Lesotho, was pictured parading out of the Abbey on the BBC news website .
Journalism lecturer Brian Thornton was the 2025 winner of The Conversation Prize for his “punchy” and “emotionally gripping” article, Convicting the Innocent, a look at the systemic barriers facing people wrongly convicted of a crime. His piece focused on the convictions of Sean Hodgson and Sam Hallam as well as other high profile cases which led to: “Lives destroyed. Families and communities blighted. Killers left free.” The judges praised Brian’s storytelling and “strong use of case studies that brought colour to this subject”.
Wearing compression suits as part of a home exercise regime can aid the recovery of stroke victims, according to a study published by academics at the University. Research, conducted in association with Hobbs Rehabilitation, found that stroke sufferers who underwent home-based intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) therapy improved functional mobility, blood pressure, and physical activity levels. Participants in the trial were given GMove suits, which apply pressure to the low limbs to stimulate blood circulation and muscle activation.
Cheering newsThe University of Winchester’s cheerleaders, The Spirits, were jumping for joy after winning two national championships. The club has two teams which take part in competitions - Inferno (Level 1 all-girl) and Lightning (Level 2 non-tumble all-girl) – both lifted major trophies. Inferno took first place in their class at the Legacy- Alpha & Omega, University Nationals at the NEC in Birmingham, setting a record points score for any routine by a Spirits team. At the final contest of the year – the ICC (International Cheerleading Coalition) Championship in Nottingham – Lightning (pictured) won their category by seven points, a huge margin in a sport where teams are usually separated by fractions of a point.
A surreal film about a man who becomes trapped inside his mobile phone won a prestigious award for a young team from Winchester. The film, 25%, won the Judges Award (the top prize) at the Future BAFTA Winners Short Film Competition. Director and editor Sam Preston, cinematographer Nathan Smith, sound recordist Jim Sandhu and co-producer Sonny Cobb received the trophy from film director Dan Pringle, one of the judges.
TV’s Victoria chairs Education Question TimeBBC Newsnight presenter Victoria Derbyshire chaired of a special Education Question Time at the University’s Stripe Auditorium, in front of a live audience of 200 and many more watching online. An expert panel was quizzed on topics spanning the spectrum of education from early years to university. Students played a major part in the organisation of the successful event, taking on roles in administration, communications with panel members, registration and publicity prior to the event as well as photographing, filming and reporting on the night.
Doves from aboveA flock of 1,000 paper doves took flight at the university’s chapel in May for an art installation which remained on view until September. Origami doves, created by students, staff, and local churches, schools and community groups formed a huge fan shape above the altar. Entitled 'One Thousand Doves of Peace', the artwork symbolised solidarity with people in war zones and a hope for peace.
Finn Legendre, a second year Economics & Finance student was shortlisted for Undergraduate of the Year in a national competition organised by graduate careers hub TargetJobs UK. He was among ten finalists in the Celebrating Social Mobility in Real Estate category. He joined 150 nominees, from across all categories, at a glitzy awards ceremony in the Pelligon at London’s Canary Wharf hosted by Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing.
The streets of London and their little-known queer heritage was the subject of a new guided walk app co-created by Winchester’s Professor of 18th Century English Literature Chris Mounsey which was launched at Queer Britain in London. The app was developed with Winchester design agency We Mean This and is free to download. As Chris is partially-sighted, the app has been designed with blind and deaf users in mind with audio descriptions and directions as well as text and maps.
Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sarah Greer, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the King's Birthday Honours List for services to higher education. Since becoming VC in January 2022, Professor Greer has led the University through a challenging time for higher education, retaining a focus on high-quality education that empowers students to achieve their potential and make a meaningful contribution to society.
A win-at-all-costs attitude in grassroots football is creating a negative atmosphere which affects players’ skill development and their enjoyment of the game, according to a new study by Dr Steve Smith, Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching and Psychology, which gained national coverage in June. His research article , published online in Soccer and Society, came as result of collaboration with Hampshire FA.
Ukraine partnershipThe University of Winchester signed an agreement to forge stronger links with the Ivan Franko State University in Ukraine in an online ceremony. The two institutions have been working together since 2022 when they were paired as part of the UK-Ukraine twinning initiative run by Universities UK and the Cormack Consultancy. At present, joint projects are run virtually but it is hoped students will be able to take part in study abroad exchanges when peace returns to Ukraine.
Inspiring student Liana Wilson was one of three winners in the Academic Success category at the upReach 2025 Student Social Mobility Awards a national competition which recognise sixth formers and undergraduates who have overcome significant obstacles. Mother-of-five Liana, aged 39, was in an abusive relationship for seven years until 2020. The following year she was assaulted violently at her home by her ex-partner and became involved in a long and arduous series of legal proceedings to protect herself and her family. Criminology student Liana is now excelling in her studies and was this year’s Outstanding Student Academic Representative for the Faculty of Law, Crime and Justice.
Forces in Mind Trust awarded £249,437 to the University of Winchester in partnership with King’s College London to establish the Service Children’s Progression (SCiP) Alliance Impact Centre. The centre will seek to transform the understanding of activities that support Service children and help equip the community to take evidence-based action.
Sports Coaching student Megan Weeks was in pole position to meet some of the most important figures in motor racing when she attended a special event at 10 Downing Street to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Formula 1. Megan, who hopes to become a human performance coach for drivers, was invited to the event by Tom Hartley, Head of Competitor Development at Motorsport UK.
A ground-breaking study from the University of Winchester highlighted the extent of the maritime industry's problem with onboard sexual assault and harassment. Dr Genevieve Waterhouse and her colleagues, Dr Gary Lancaster and Dr Jordan Randell, used an anonymous online survey to gather responses from 276 participants, who were recruited with the help of maritime organisations including Nautilus International. Despite the scale of the issue, the study revealed how the majority of incidents are going unreported.
Can a chatbot truly be your friend? The answer is ‘No’ because the Bot doesn’t care about you. That’s one of the messages of a new video produced by Project Aegis which is seeking to develop guidance to ensure the responsible development of AI. Aegis member Alexander Laffer, Lecturer in Media and Communication at Winchester, gained coverage on more than 200 news websites (including the Mail Online) with an article warning of the dangers of becoming too fond of or too reliant upon AI companions.
New Law student Remi Pereszczak (pictured) had more than just A-levels to overcome before gaining a place at university. Remi was the first patient in the world to receive revolutionary gene therapy treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) to reverse the effects of the life-threatening condition p47 Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD) which affects just one in a million, impairing their immune system’s ability to fight off infections. Remi chose Winchester after attending open days and sessions run by members of the faculty of Law Crime and Justice as part of the university’s Pathways Programme.
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More than 100 new nurses and nursing associates received their much-prized training badges having completed their courses. Winchester’s class of 2025 supported by their loved ones attended a special ceremony held at the West Downs Auditorium where they received their badges from special guests Sue Hill, Honorary Fellow and Radhika Vijayakrishnan: Deputy Divisional Chief Nurse, Medical Division Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust.
Chancellor Hugh opens new-look libraryActor and comedian Hugh Dennis returned to one his favourite roles, Chancellor of the University of Winchester in October, to officially open its newly refurbished Martial Rose Library (MRL). The Outnumbered star cut the ribbon at the new-look library which has undergone a massive makeover thanks to £5.8 million of capital funding from the Office for Students (OfS).
Winchester became one of the first UK universities to join the Orange Button suicide prevention initiative in October. Participants who have completed their Suicide First Aid training earn the right to wear an orange button. While button holders are not counsellors, they are trained to listen without judgment, talk openly about suicide, and guide individuals to appropriate services. Further information can be found here: Orange Button Scheme | Winchester.
The Class of 2025 celebrated their graduation at 11 ceremonies held over four days at Winchester Cathedral. They were joined by an array of inspiring figures, receiving honorary doctorates and fellowships including best-selling author David Nicholls, Winchester-born TV presenter and author Katie Piper, who made her name after courageously overcoming a disfiguring acid attack, and adventurer and star of Channel 4’s Hunted Jordan Wylie.
The University announced an exciting new partnership with Winchester City Swimming Club, expanding the University’s successful Elite Sport Programme. Under the agreement, the University and the Club will work together to support swimmers on the elite programme competing at national and international level, providing an integrated package of academic study and high-performance training.
A Ginkgo tree grown at the University from seeds that survived the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima at the end of the Second World War was planted the courtyard at Barton Farm Primary Academy on Armistice Day (11 November) by the Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Sudhakar Achwal, accompanied by the University’s Vice Chancellor Professor Sarah Greer and the CEO of University of Winchester Academy Trust, Nicola Wells. The Ginkgo Tree Project was launched in 2021 to promote peace, anti-bullying and sustainability in schools. Barton Farm are the first school in the area to receive one of the saplings nurtured at the university by Maurice James, Estates Grounds Manager.
A new collaboration between the University and Winchester City FC aims to bridge the gap between sport and higher education. The University is endorsing the club’s new Football & Education Academy which will launch in 2026 to provide high-quality further education opportunities for 16–19-year-olds.
Jane Austen film firstThe University of Winchester recorded a film first when it premiered a new short movie, the first drama ever to be shot at the home of Jane Austen. 'Fanny Price’s Tea Party’, which received its world premiere at the West Downs Auditorium was made on location at the author’s house, now the Jane Austen’s House Museum at Chawton. The film will be accompanied by an education pack explaining the global reach of the material culture in Jane Austen’s world.
It was announced that Dr Phil Marter, Senior Lecturer in the Archaeology of the Recent Past, is leading on the fieldwork element of Hampshire’s Hidden D-Day Project – a major lottery funded project will explore the sites of 22 Marshalling Camps where thousands of troops and vehicles were assembled in the days before the Normandy landings.
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