Leicester alumni return ‘home’ for Centenary celebration

Leicester alumni returned ‘home’ for a special Centenary celebration in May.

The annual Alumni Celebration – and the first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic – was themed around 100 years of achievement, in marking the University of Leicester’s Centenary year.

Proudly sponsored by Mattioli Woods, the event welcomed 150 guests from the University’s first century to the newly-renovated Percy Gee Building for an immersive 1920s experience – complete with five-piece swing band.

Leicester alumnus-turned-BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Chris Warburton (Politics BA, 1998) served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening, while Alumni Association Committee Chair, Martin Cullen, and University President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, both provided welcoming remarks to the alumni community.

Guests were later treated to a keynote by guest speaker Grayson Perry CBE, who captivated the audience during an entertaining speech about his life as a celebrated visual artist and his connection to education.

The evening also paid tribute to the successes of Leicester alumni with the annual Alumni Awards. The Attenborough Family, whose long-standing links to the University are well-documented, were bestowed a special ‘Citizens of the Century’ award for their part in the University story.

Michael Attenborough CBE – son of the late Richard, Lord Attenborough and a passionate University supporter in his own right – accepted the Citizens of the Century Award on behalf of the family.

The University’s Alumni engagement team also offered guests the opportunity to join tours of the Leicester campus, including the newly-completed Brookfield campus and Space Park Leicester development, with a peek at the newest elements of the Freemen’s Common Student Village, due to open later in 2022.

See all the photos from the evening on the University of Leicester Alumni Facebook page.