The Winton Society Newsletter: March 2023
Welcome to the Spring Update
How time flies… another 3 months has rolled by since our last update, and the lighter Spring evenings are starting to make an appearance.
December marked the 1-year anniversary since the launch of the ‘Winton Society’, and last month we opened nominations for the Winton Society Awards following the success of last year’s inaugural event: we continue to welcome nominations that recognise and celebrate the achievements of the amazing people who have worked and studied at Winchester. Nominations close on the 16th April and we are looking forward to the awards ceremony in June.
We have been delighted to receive interest from a diverse range of alumni artists as we look to hold the Winton Society’s first open art exhibition in the beautiful West Downs Gallery this summer. This month we have been talking to the next generation of alumni at the start of their career journey at the Business, Humanities and Creative Industries career fairs. We have also enjoyed reading your stories and memories in the comments of our discussion posts on social media – join the conversation about dissertation topics or how the campus has changed.
Updates from the University
The University of Winchester are proud to have signed a new strategic partnership agreement with Play to the Crowd. A vital charity within Winchester’s artistic landscape, responsible for the Theatre Royal Winchester, Hat Fair the outdoor international arts festival and the Playmakers Youth Theatre. The professional theatre also hosts both our Acting and Musical Theatre students each year as they perform their final show, offering them invaluable professional experience.
In December, the University hosted naturalist, TV presenter, photographer and author Chris Packham in a special partnership event with Winchester Youth Counselling. In this engaging lecture Chris revealed the connection between immersion in a natural environment and preserving or improving mental health, and presented a call to action for society to understand the true value of the natural world around us.
The University has recently been awarded funding from the Office for Students to update the Martial Rose Library. This will be a significant investment in the learning resources and spaces we are able to offer our students and is set to begin from next month.
On the topic of all things literary the University are delighted to be the lead partner for this year’s Winchester Books Festival being held at locations around the city between 21-23rd April. You can find out more by subscribing to updates on the website, where tickets will be available to buy for the author events from the end of this week.
Branded Merchandise is growing, have your say!
Over the last few weeks, we have been conducting a series of staff and student focus groups as we look to expand and develop the existing University merchandise offering. In the five sessions we have listened to student and staff feedback on our existing product range, discussed ideas about potential future products, and key considerations to take into account as we look to grow our offering.
Feed into the discussion, and share your views in this short survey.
Calling graduates from 2010-2019 – we’re recruiting Facebook Admins!
Many alumni will be aware of the initiative taken by members to set up alumni decade Facebook Groups. These Alumni-run groups are the backbone of the Winton Society’s online community and engage over 3,000 alumni. They provide a safe informal space for Alumni to share memories, reconnect, support fundraising initiatives and plan reunions.
We are currently recruiting ‘Facebook Admins’ for our 2010-2019 cohort’s decade group. Being an Admin is a voluntary role. You and the other administrators will be responsible for adding new members, setting the group rules, and ensuring the groups is a welcoming space. If you would be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please email Alumni@winchester.ac.uk with the subject: ‘2010-2019 Facebook Group Admin’.
Join your decade’s Facebook group
If you belong to another decade group, you can join your group via the links below:
King Alfred’s College, 1960 - 1969
King Alfred’s College, 1970 – 1979
King Alfred’s College, 1980 – 1989
King Alfred’s College, 1990 - 1999
King Alfred’s College/University of Winchester 2000 - 2009
In memory of
We have been notified of the death of the following members from the University of Winchester and Winton Society community and send condolences to their families.
Click here for the full list since the last publication in 2022 including written tributes about Canon Peter Seal, Robert 'Bob' Breach and Miranda Horstead.
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