A massive congratulations to all those that graduated this month. We hope you all had an amazing day, we loved chatting with so many of you afterwards – thank you for sharing your stories with us. 

If you haven’t already, make sure you register/update your details with us to keep up to date with all the latest news and get access to all the incredible alumni benefits. 

Make sure you keep an eye on our graduation gallery, where your photos will be added soon!

This year the theme of ACH1EVE magazine is Community. 

We are looking for alumni who are interested in contributing an article to this year's edition. This could include; your time at the University of Chester, your current employment/past employment experience or anything else that would be suitable for the theme of Community. If you have an idea and would like to discuss further with the team, get in touch with us now. You can take a look at previous issues here. 

This year we are also introducing a feature in the magazine titled 'The Inbox'. This will feature messages and thoughts from alumni of all eras. So if you would like to share your thoughts with us to be featured in 'The Inbox' get in touch here. You can write in with a short message on your time at university, thoughts on previous issues of the magazine or even advice for your fellow alumni! 

As a recent graduate, our current students want to hear from you!...Your experience can be invaluable in helping to shape theirs!

This month we want to ask you for all your best tips regarding balancing work and study. Let us know your experiences, how you organised your time and kept a healthy balance, and anything else you wish you had known as a student! 

Email us at alumni@chester.ac.uk with your tips and tricks.

I studied Natural Hazard Management with International Development Studies (BSc) at the University of Chester from September 2017 to August 2020. I chose this course because it allowed me to bring together two areas of geography which I was really interested in; the big events like earthquakes and tsunamis, and the complex processes which intersect within international development. 

Though my final year was cut short by COVID-19, I really enjoyed my time in the Geography and International Development Department. The staff were incredibly supportive, and I loved being taught in groups which were small enough that everyone knew each other and would work together on different projects. 

After finishing my undergrad degree in 2020, I went on to study Intercultural Communication and Education (MA) at Durham University. I graduated from my Masters in December 2021, and have worked as a Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer for COCO for just over 1 year.

My role as COCO’s MEAL Officer means that I am in frequent contact with our overseas partners, helping them to monitor, evaluate, account for, and learn from the successes and challenges they are experiencing within their programmes. I then help the partners to take this information and convert it into reports for donors who have supported a project or programme, or write funding proposals for Trusts and Foundations in hopes that they will fund our partners’ future priorities. I have also given assemblies at schools which have partnered with some of our Schools for Life in Kenya, and met with some amazing organisations who have shared their knowledge with COCO to help us to best support our partners and their communities. But in July of last year, I got the opportunity to visit Kenya myself and see the programmes first hand. This was an incredible experience that I wish everyone could have as it taught me a lot about my job, but also the importance of community, and the potential for innovation through education and agriculture. 

Read more from Rebecca including her time at university, advice for current students and fellow graduates as well as her role at COCO here on our blog. 
 

The Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society (FHMS) Historical Society's Riverside Museum will be open between 1pm and 4pm, on the first Wednesday of each month, for students, staff and other visitors. Based at the University’s Wheeler Building on Castle Drive, it contains a permanent collection of curiosities from the world of medicine, nursing, midwifery and social work, in addition to an original letter written by Florence Nightingale from Balaclava.

Visitors with an interest in health and social care or local and social history are always welcome to visit the Museum and find out more from the volunteers, many of whom have a healthcare background. 

There is no need to book for the standard opening times but group bookings for six or more people can be made at other times by prior arrangement. Please contact: fhsc.histsoc@chester.ac.uk or 01244 512126.

Access is via main Wheeler Building reception (formerly County Hall) opposite the River Dee. Please use public transport or if you need to use a car, please park in the city centre car parks, the address is: University of Chester, The Wheeler Building, Castle Drive, Chester, CH1 1SL.

Find all the latest programme details here.

The Vjosa River which flows 168 miles from the Pindus mountains in Greece through Albania to the Adriatic coast is one of the last wild rivers in Europe. It is home to more than 1,000 animal and plant species and has now been declared a national park by the Albanian government – the first of it’s kind in Europe. 

Home to otters, the endangered Egyptian vulture and the critically endangered Balkan lynx as well as many other wildlife, its ecosystem has been under threat throughout the years. It will now be protected under its new national park status.

Take time for you – It is really important for your physical and mental health to build some relaxation time into your busy schedule. This could be a time where you engage in some of your hobbies, socialise with friends or simply chill out with a good film or book. Making time to do something you enjoy helps you to look after your mental wellbeing.

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