A successful first year for the Leicester Weekend

The first Leicester Weekend took place from 17 - 19 June where over 500 alumni were welcomed back to the University of Leicester.

The weekend commenced with The Legacy Guild’s Annual Afternoon Tea (pictured, left) which was held at Beaumont Hall on Friday 17 June. Following the Legacy Guild’s Afternoon Tea, alumni were treated to a guided tour of the King Richard III Visitor Centre.

On Saturday, main campus became a hive of activity. Alumni, Family Programme members and friends of the University explored our brand new, state-of-the-art Centre for Medicine in the morning, guided by some of the medical students who will be making full use it. There was also a chemistry demonstration in the Chemistry Department which demonstrated some of the more explosive qualities of Dihydrogen Monoxide – great fun for all of the family! The Peter Williams Lecture Theatre hosted screenings of Sir David Attenborough’s January lecture ‘Beauty in Nature’ and guests discovered more about Sir David and Lord Richard Attenborough’s unique connection to the University of Leicester in our ‘Legends of Leicester’ exhibition.

President and Vice-Chancellor of the University Professor Paul Boyle CBE hosted the Leicester Weekend’s Keynote Lecture which explored Leicester’s past, present and future. Further talks on the day included a special sociology lecture by Professor John Goodwin which reanalysed the work of Professor Ilya Neustadt; the founder of the University’s Department of Sociology and an instrumental figure in the establishment of sociology as a field of study.

The Charles Wilson Sports Hall was converted into an exhibition space as academic and non-academic departments from across the University took part in our Departmental Showcase. Alumni and families were invited to uncover real bones in Archaeology and Ancient History’s sand pit as well as try on chainmail! Chemists handed out free ice cream created live using liquid nitrogen and the University’s Equalities Unit provided information about our involvement with the United Nations’ HeForShe campaign, of which the University has partnered with the United Nations as one of ten universities worldwide to be HeForShe Impact Champions.

Donors to the University were invited to the annual Benefactors’ Reception at the Centre for Medicine on Saturday afternoon. The Centre for Medicine was partially funded by donations to the Saving Lives Appeal and donors were given an insight into the building’s unique features and how it is going to transform medical teaching.

The Leicester Weekend concluded with a Quiz Night held at College Court, formerly College Hall, that tested alumni’s general knowledge as well as all things Leicester and University of Leicester. For those who didn’t want the evening to end there though, the O2 Academy welcomed alumni back for Red Leicester, The Re-Union which went on until the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Leicester Weekend 2016 proved to be one of the best reunions yet and we look forward to welcoming those who couldn’t make it, as well as those who did, to the Leicester Weekend 2017.