It's been another busy term at Grey, we have had our 65th birthday - and planning is already underway for our 70th!
We are delighted to be able to share some of the highlights with you...
We celebrated our 65th Birthday at the alumni weekend in March, with more than 80 alumni attending. It was great to welcome more recent and female alumni in greater numbers, especially since it is 40 years since the first intake of 13 women in 1984. We marked the occasion with cake, of course, and with an eclectic showcase of photographs, archive material and memories, contrasting Grey – Then and Now. Our next alumni reunion weekend will take place 17th – 19th April 2026. Save the date!
A fitting way to end the 40th anniversary of women at Grey was the purchase of a new women’s IV, and the naming it after ex-student and women’s boat club captain, Beth Pevsner. The Grey College Boat Club ran an impressive fundraising campaign in combination with Beth’s family and friends. The new boat was christened on what would have been Beth’s birthday, and was in the water for the Durham Regatta with 3 years’ of women’s captains in the crew!
Multi Use Games Area, that is! Successive JCR Presidents have had the refurbishment of the dilapidated tennis court as a manifesto pledge, but his year it finally happened. The MUGA will be usable all year round for a range of sports and has proved very popular with students. It is a collaborative project with the JCR, and part JCR and alumni funded, with the full support of the College Trust and the JCR Trustees. It goes to show what we can achieve by working to together!
We are continuing to build links with students at Henry Fok Pearl Jubilee College and held a joint online paper-craft session, sharing traditional motifs and talking about their significance in our respective cultures. We are excited for the future as we plan for an intercultural student exchange visit to Macau.
Some alumni will remember the old Careers Angels scheme and I am delighted to see that many have joined us in its new incarnation as a LinkedIn group. We have more than alumni and student 200 members, and are looking forward to seeing the group developing into a thriving forum where students can seek advice from and connect with alumni. If you are on LinkedIn please take a look and join up.
Work is underway to engage alumni in our next big birthday, when Grey College turns 70 in 2029. We are planning our celebrations and fundraising and have been reaching out to alumni to gain their support, advice and input to help us put Grey on a strong footing for the future. I held my first Principal’s Dinner in the Caledonian Club, London in May, with guest alumnua and polar adventurer Stephanie Solomonidies, and with kind support from alumnus Jamie McCrudden. It was a lovely evening and a great opportunity to connect with alumni and for me to share a vision for Grey College.
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