The Mature Student Society gets together for its first outing at the Granta pub. B is wearing a red scarf but is turned away from the camera, so it's hard to spot her!
The Mature Student Society was launched this year to encourage mutual support and participation among students of, ahem, a slightly more mature outlook.
The society’s aim is to bring together Cambridge’s growing band of older students who are returning to academia after career or caring responsibilities or who maybe are just a bit older (or feel older) than others on their course.
The society was founded by Rob Kelsey, a 50-something history PhD student at Churchill College.
“Globally, more and more Boomers, Gen-Xers and Millennials are returning to academia, so this is definitely on trend,” he says.
Not just for students
He notes that although it has been founded to fill a connectivity gap for older students, the society is also open to college and university staff looking for sociability and support from a more mature perspective. “Any events we organise are open to staff and mature students and their partners,” he says.
“Although we are getting on for more than 580 members, we know that’s a fraction of the mature student universe in Cambridge,” says Rob. “And there’s also all those lab technicians, postdocs, junior researchers, librarians and visiting researchers that could benefit from being plugged into a group such as this. So please spread the word.”
Research Grants Clerk Barbara ‘B’ Toninato says she joined the society because it is so friendly and inclusive. “I liked that this society is brand new (long overdue many said). They welcome staff too, so I felt right at home from the start."
A slew of events
Although still in its relative infancy, the society has already organised a slew of events, which included a lunch at St Edmund’s College, a pub night at The Pickerel Inn, a coffee and cake afternoon at Harvey’s, and a ‘Restore & Renew’ yoga class.” Rob says: “The Society is embryonic, so we are very open to suggestions regarding activities.”
In December the group held its first Christmas Formal at Churchill College, with a champagne reception, an art tour, a three-course Christmas menu and of course Christmas crackers.
The society has also started a ‘work together group’ which usually meets in the University Library, where members can work quietly while sitting together and take pre-agreed breaks.
B says she went to the first two pub nights and “had a blast”. She says: “The Mature Student Society (MSS) have expanded considerably in the last month – there are several subgroups now created for people with common interests like their subject, college affiliation or extra-curricular activities such as drawing, running or yoga - and the society now organises events nearly every day of the week!
“I recently met up with another MSS member at ADC theatre last Thursday and then we briefly joined the group at the weekly pub meet up, including Rob. I can confirm once again that this is such a lovely and friendly group of people, well worth joining!”
For further details
If you are interested in finding out more, B is happy to be contacted (bt335@ch.cam.ac.uk). She says: “I would be more than happy to talk about it. I had such a great time at the events I went to: it was great to speak with people that study or have studied different subjects, across the university and college system and beyond.”
You can also email Rob at rjk62@cam.ac.uk.
The group can also be contacted via their WhatsApp Open Forum link.