Record recruitment year for University of Buckingham ‘Friends’ group

The Friends of the University of Buckingham have had a record year, recruiting more members than at any time in their 46-year history.

At their annual Christmas meal at the Old Thatched Inn in Adstock, chair Graham Barker told members and guests: "We are probably the fastest growing community group based in Buckingham, Winslow and the surrounding area."

The voluntary group, whose role is to enhance the experience of students studying at Buckingham, launched a recruitment drive this spring as Covid restrictions lifted.

Since then, more than 60 new members have joined – meaning more money is available to help lay on activities for students.

This year, students have benefited from wellbeing sessions with animals and enjoyed afternoon tea in a Buckingham cafe, to get a better understanding of British culture and traditions.

Member Marilyn Fairclough, who is in her 80s, joins cultural lectures on post-war Britain for Foundation students, using her lived experience to give students a first-hand account of life in the 1940s to help with their studies.

The Friends leadership team has organised regular ‘coffee and chat’ sessions for students and has started arranging sessions where members of the community can join in too.

Graham added: "It’s easy to forget that, at the start of the year, we were helping to fund the purchase of food parcels for students who were isolating because of Covid.

"When Covid restrictions were relaxed, we quickly got to work on the Friends' action plan. May I say ‘Congratulations’ to everyone for helping with this. By July we had a record 45 members joining the monthly lunch at the university.

"For quite a few years now, we have had just a handful of folks join us each year. The number of new members this year, is 61. This is the highest rate of growth since the Friends formed in 1976.

"Our wonderful volunteers have been working very hard. Our student engagement activities have rapidly expanded and we are reaching more and more students. Importantly, students are finding their way to us.

"Coffee and Chat sessions twice a week, small creature interaction events twice a year, walking with alpacas, one-to-one and group English language support, support to staff with respect to learning about British culture, greening initiatives for refectory and accommodation blocks and more.

"An aim from the start of the year was to increase awareness of the Friends of the University in the local community and within the university. The media presence both online and printed, has rapidly expanded. Friends now have a website, Facebook account and Instagram account. Since March, Friends and university activities have been reported almost monthly online and in the Buckingham and Winslow Advertiser.

"The Friends are also gaining something of an international footprint now as there are views from all over the world to their website. The number of views has more than doubled since last year. Many who have joined the Friends Facebook group live overseas.”

University vice-chancellor James Tooley said: "The Friends have done wonders for our students. So many have benefited from all the extra activities laid on this year. The Friends really are a wonderful and dedicated team of volunteers. We are so grateful for all their hard work."