May was full of sunshine and celebrations. In addition to winning awards, we opened an unusual library, saw our students perform at Winchester Theatre Royal and celebrated the royal wedding.
Read our highlights from the month below.
Our Musical Theatre students performed at Winchester Theatre Royal
Our first graduating cohort of BA Hons Musical Theatre students performed their final project at Winchester Royal Theatre.
Amusing audiences of all ages, they put on four dazzling performances of the award-winning British musical Just So, putting all they had learnt on their course into practice. Student productions in the Theatre programme form part of a new strategic partnership between the University and Winchester Live Theatre Trust.
Musical Theatre was recently voted Programme of the Year by our students at the Winchester Student Union Student-Led Teaching Awards and is open for 2018 entry.
We opened a Human Library
We opened a library with a difference to challenge stereotypes and prejudice for special event on 15 May.
The Human Library one-day event saw volunteers act as human books, who were available ‘on loan’ to chat to visitors and share their personal experiences. Twenty four ‘titles’ were available to read, including Vegan, Gay Parent, OCD, and Immigrant.
The event – which was organised by the University for the first time last year - proved very successful, creating a safe and inviting space for dialogue and bringing people from all walks of life into the conversation.
We won another award for sustainable excellence
We were delighted to be given an Award in Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management for our reusable coffee cup initiative.
Launched by the University’s Energy and Environment and Catering teams, this initiative saw Gumdrop reusable coffee cups made from recycled chewing gum given away to students and staff, alongside the introduction of a 25 pence surcharge on drinks purchased on campus in disposable coffee cups. This has resulted in sales of drinks in reusable cups soaring from three in every 100 to 30 in every 100 drinks.
The prestigious Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management celebrate the achievements of organisations and individuals in recycling, reuse and waste reduction.
Find out more about the reusable coffee cup initiative here
Our former Chancellor honoured by HM The Queen
We congratulated our former Chancellor Dame Mary Fagan on her appointment as Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter by Her Majesty The Queen.
Lady Mary was Chancellor of the University from 2006-2014, during which time she oversaw nine graduation ceremonies in Winchester Cathedral.
Responding to the news, Professor Joy Carter, Vice-Chancellor of University of Winchester, said: "Lady Mary is a dear friend and supporter of this University. Under her leadership and continued support, the University of Winchester has cemented its place as a university of choice for thousands of students and has grown into an important pillar in the city and region. We are thrilled and incredibly proud that Lady Mary has received this immense and well-deserved honour."
A member of staff received an award from the Mayor of Basingstoke
Paula Vallance’s dedication to the community of Basingstoke and Dean was recognised with a Mayors Award.
In addition to her role of Education, Health and Social Care Faculty Employability Advisor at the University, Paula acts as the Operations and Development Manager of Basingstoke Foodbank.
Paula helped establish the Foodbank using the Trussell Trust Foodbank model 7 years ago. This year they fed 3,600 people in the Basingstoke area. As part of their work, the organisation has partnered with over 80 agency teams in the community to assess people in crisis and issue their three-day Foodbank vouchers. Last year, the Foodbank also hosted a Christmas Day meal in partnership with local churches, catering for around 50 vulnerable and potentially isolated guests.
The award was presented at the Mayor Making at the Council Civic offices in Basingstoke.
Congratulations Paula!
Blog highlight: The history and traditions of Royal Weddings
How did the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle compare to the royal weddings of the past?
Dr Elena Woodacre, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Winchester, discusses how the recent royal wedding comfortably fits into the long history of royal weddings, despite changes to tradition and protocol on our blog.
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