Welcome to your Alumni Community update for March 2026. 

In this month’s update, you’ll find our Chester Made campaign, International Women’s Day event, a fascinating Alumni Archive donation, latest events happening at the University and much more.

It’s one of our favourite moments of the year, and one we are sure many of you remember very fondly. Later this month, we will be hosting six graduation ceremonies across two days in the beautiful and historic Chester Cathedral.

A huge congratulations to everyone graduating later this month. We cannot wait to welcome the Class of 2026 into our ever‑growing Alumni Community.

Do you have a favourite graduation photo from your own special day? We’d love to hear from you. Simply email the Alumni Team at alumni@chester.ac.uk or upload a picture to social and tag us! (Instagram: @chesteralumni & Facebook: University of Chester Alumni Network)

We can’t wait to see your memories!

We’re currently looking for submissions for our Chester Made campaign!

Chester Made is about celebrating where your degree takes you, from your first steps on campus to the career successes that follow.

If you have a story of how the University helped you on your employment journey that you’d like to share, please submit your story. We’d love to hear it!

Share your story and help show what it truly means to be Chester Made.

In February, the Alumni Team were delighted to welcome Nigel and Sue Goddard to campus as they donated the College blazer once worn by Nigel’s father, distinguished alumnus Donald Goddard.

This remarkable piece of history reflects Donald’s journey from his student days at the former Chester Diocesan Training College, through his service in the Second World War, to his later career as a dedicated headteacher.

Their visit also gave us a wonderful opportunity to hear family stories and explore historic areas of the campus that Donald would once have known so well, creating a meaningful connection between past and present.

Find out more about their visit

The Chester Medical School are delighted to announce that they will be hosting Discovery Day on 10^th  April at Churchill House.

This event will celebrate and showcase the research of our undergraduate, MSc, MRes, and PhD students. Throughout the day, students will present their projects through posters and short talks, with prizes awarded for the Best Poster and Best Oral Presentation.

The Medical School are also looking to feature alumni stories from those who have gone on to successful careers in research or industry. Alumni who would be happy to share their experiences in a short careers talk are warmly invited to get involved.

Your insights could inspire our students and highlight how research and study at Chester can lead to exciting opportunities.

If you would like to get involved, please contact the Alumni Team at alumni@chester.ac.uk

• Wednesday 11th March 
• 1pm-4.30pm
• Riverside Innovation Centre 

Join the University for an inspiring, enjoyable, and energising afternoon open to people of all genders as we celebrate gender equity and this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Give to Gain.

This event focuses on the 2026 International Women’s Day theme, which encourages generosity, collaboration, and shared progress.

The afternoon will open with a welcome from Professor Emma Rees, Director of the University’s Institute of Gender Studies and co‑organiser of this fantastic event.

Emma will be followed by an address from our Vice‑Chancellor, Professor Eunice Simmons. Women Vice‑Chancellors make up only a third of UK University leaders, and we are proud that our own VC champions gender equality across the University and within the regional committees and boards she serves on.

We are also delighted to welcome University alumna Pat Ransome, who will be sharing her experiences and reflections as we mark the 65th anniversary of women students being admitted to the University (then Chester College). Pat will also speak about how she has stayed connected and continued to give back to the University since graduating in 1972.

See the full agenda and reserve your spot

Chester has once again been awarded the Purple Flag accreditation which recognises the city’s safe, vibrant, and well‑managed evening and night‑time scene.  

The city has held this status since 2018 and will also host the Purple Flag Awards on 17th March this year.  

Areas which are awarded the Purple Flag status are recognised for providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and residents. 

Find out more about Chester's Purple Flag status

The University of Chester is built on the foundations of charity. We want to give every student at Chester, the opportunity to flourish and navigate their futures successfully - you can help us to achieve this.

• Share your skills and experience by speaking at events or workshops.
• Share your story by allowing us to write up a case study about your academic journey and career to inspire others on their academic or professional journey.
• Share your time to mentor and support our students or new graduates.

Regular giving and donations: Our Causes

Imagine helping a student find their voice, their passion, or their path. By contributing to one of our causes, you can do just that - whether it’s enhancing teaching spaces, cultivating peaceful outdoor areas, or empowering students to build meaningful connections that enrich their academic, personal, and professional lives.

You could even sponsor a piece of student artwork, giving it a permanent home on campus and inspiring generations to come.

Every gift, every gesture, helps create a University experience that’s not just good, but transformative.

Learn more about how you can make a lasting impact: https://www.chester.ac.uk/about/alumni/giving

In this month’s edition, we’re highlighting a selection of key events taking place throughout March at the University.

All alumni are warmly invited to attend.

Please note: some events may require a paid ticket, and this will usually be indicated within the event details.

For full information about upcoming University events, please visit:

University Events

Living with Functional Seizures – The struggle for legitimacy and the medical gaze 

• Wednesday 11th March
• 6pm – 7:30pm
• CSE016 – Cinema Room, School of Education Building, Exton Park

This lecture will be presented by Professor Paul Bissell, Pro Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of Chester, and Dr. Marian Peacock, Honorary Lecturer in Public Health, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield.

Book your ticket

Nothing About Us Without Us: Developing a Framework for Inclusive Environmental Justice, lecture by Professor Chantal Davies 

• Thursday 12th March 
• 6pm - 7.15pm
• Senate House Exhibition Space, Exton Park Campus, Parkgate Road, CH1 4BJ

Chantal is both a solicitor and Professor of Law, Equality and Diversity at the University of Chester. In her research and teaching, Chantal has spent considerable time exploring issues surrounding gender and justice. This has led to groundbreaking work into positive action as a means to address inequalities and to open the way for people from all backgrounds to enter the legal profession.

In recent years, Chantal has also started to explore the crucial subject of environmental justice, which will be the topic of the talk. With the climate crisis accelerating, this is an important moment to consider how deep global inequalities that affect communities in very different ways can be bridged.

Book your ticket

Are you looking to enhance your skills, increase your earning potential, or advance your career by returning to education?

Join us at our Postgraduate Open Event and explore the variety of postgraduate study options available at the University of Chester, including taught Master’s, postgraduate research, PGCE and conversion courses.

• Wednesday 25th March
• 5:30pm 
• Exton Park, Chester

You’ll have the opportunity to meet with academic staff and speak to experts from support areas, such as postgraduate finance and admissions.

Additionally, you may be eligible for our Graduate Loyalty Discount, offering 20% off qualifying postgraduate taught Master’s courses.

Find out more about our Postgraduate Open Event

Each month the University shares a wide range of news updates which you can follow on the website’s ‘News Page’. 

This month’s highlights include:

• Children's author Sue Graves grateful for time studying in Chester as she collects MBE honour
• Chester Business School student raises more than £3,600 for Mind through a Go Karting championship
• Student volunteers join together for community litter pick

…and plenty more stories from across our University community.

Are you struggling to get things done? Remember, our energy levels fluctuate throughout the day so, if you can, try to get the most important or the most challenging ones done when your energy levels are at their highest.

This may take a little planning - try using the Eisenhower Matrix to help you to prioritise. 

Alumni Relations Office

T: +44 (0)1244 512477
E: alumni@chester.ac.uk
W: www.chester.ac.uk/alumni

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