Learning from an early age

The University of Surrey is in the business of developing young minds. The journey doesn’t just start at 18 when a student enrols in their first year; a sense of intrigue and passion for a subject, as well as a belief that accessing further education is possible, must be cultivated at a much earlier age. 

We work with over 16,000 local school and college students each year, both on and off campus, for a variety of fun educational events. Last year 101 University students and 135 sixth formers were involved in tutoring and mentoring in 60 schools and colleges. 

Surrey Science Circus is an annual event which is open to families and people of all ages. The event features a variety of lectures, exhibits, demonstrations and hands-on activities to inspire and engage in the wonders of science.

The Balloon Debate is an annual event run by the Department of English for Y12 students studying English Literature. The idea is this: a group of authors are in a hot air balloon which is rapidly losing height, just one author can be saved and the teams have to put forward the best defence to save their author.

Small teams from 6 schools are invited to defend an author and the best two teams go through to a Question and Answer round. The team who makes the best defence is awarded a prize for the team and for each team member.

This March, 30 students from nearby Esher High School came to the University as part of the BBC’s School Report Programme. School Report gives teenagers across the UK access to working with professionals as well as the opportunity to learn the practical skills and techniques needed to work in the news industry. At the end of their day, all schools that participate are asked to simultaneously upload their content onto the central BBC website for all to see. Teachers say that School Report helps young people to gain the knowledge and the skills they need in all sorts of subjects like English Citizenship, Geography and even Maths.

Debating life’s important questions

Every June the Politics Department hosts their own Question Time event for Yr12 and Y13 School pupils to experience live political debate and question politicians directly. Issues range from conflict overseas to the next election.

We also like to tackle the bigger questions in life. Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Professor of Public Engagement in Science, has chaired a number of public debates with eminent thinkers and speakers, on subjects such as ‘Artificial Intelligence: when will your computer think for itself?’ and ‘The God Particle: is science the new religion?’ His new series 'Jim Meets' began in March with a very popular 'in conversation' style event with the Archbishop of Canterbury. 

Volunteering

Throughout the year, the Students’ Union co-ordinates a host of different volunteering activities and fundraising events, including – and certainly not limited to – its well known RAG week. In fact, so firm is its commitment to furthering volunteering opportunities that it is working towards the achievement of an ‘Investors in Volunteers’ award.

As part of CSV Make a Difference Day, October 2009, 16 members of the rugby team plus some additional student volunteers, helped an elderly Guildford resident with her garden. The garden had become overgrown and was too much for her to look after. The team worked hard all day to remove branches and foliage, and get the area under control again, allowing Mrs Hughes to enjoy her garden again.

In December nine students volunteered for Tree O’Clock – a nation-wide tree-planting event organised by BBC Breathing Spaces – to make a world record attempt for the most number of trees planted in an hour. They joined Guildford borough council and the residents on Merrow Lane to help plant and put protective wrapping around 1,000 small trees over a 200 metre stretch of land.

On Christmas Day, a group of students volunteered at the Royal Surrey County Hospital to hand out mince pies and generally spread a bit of Christmas cheer to those patients and their families who had to spend Christmas in hospital.

In February volunteers from across the University community, along with Surrey Wildlife Trust, put on their gardening gloves and helped with the second phase of Weyfield Primary School's pond project. The project will enable the school to develop an outdoor classroom activity area. Volunteers cleared the pond ready for the new underlay and liner to be fitted, dug out the pathways, built the foundations for a new shed, and created a seating area in the outdoor classroom.

Accessing the Arts

Whether you are interested in visual arts, music, literature, dance, film, or any other field of the arts, the University’s Arts Office, performing arts departments and the GSA all have something exciting to offer, with most of our events open to members of the public.

We encourage you to take a mid-day break, relax or be invigorated by our short, free Lunchtime recitals. Normally given by undergraduate and postgraduate students specialising in performance, the repertoire at these concerts is extremely varied. It’s a great opportunity to hear some familiar and not so well known works. Feel free to pop in during your lunch break, if only for 20 minutes, as you may come and go between performers.

'Free for all' evenings are informal and fun evenings showcasing the enormous range of musical styles and the huge talents of the various bands and performers within the Department of Music and Sound Recording. Your evening might include Morris dancing and folk music, cover versions or new works, experimental jazz, electronic improvisation, solo singer/songwriters.

Activities aren’t just limited to the campus; both the Guildford International Music Festival and Guildford Book Festival take place in venues across Guildford, in collaboration with Guildford Borough Council and local businesses.

In March 2009 the Guildford International Music Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary with a month of events taking place at events around Guildford. The festival, biennial since its inception in 1991, consisted of 65 events, two art exhibitions, an artist-in-residence and a parallel programme of events, Suburban Sprawl, with events in pubs in and around the town.

The Guildford Book Festival also remains a popular event, having recently celebrated its twentieth year. Over the years the festival has played host to a diverse range of authors and poets from many different backgrounds such as Maureen Lipman, Jeremy Paxman, Clive James, Gerald Scarfe, Fay Weldon, David Starkey, Sandi Toksvig, Jacqueline Wilson, Ray Mears and Kate Mosse.

Give yourself a Sporting Chance

We’re very excited about our newest development, Surrey Sports Park, which opened in April 2010. The multi million pound facility offers a venue that will host some of the best facilities in the world, attracting its own international and national events that will bring world class athletes to Surrey. It is already one of Europe’s premiere sites for high performance sport, physical activity, well-being and leisure

But it isn't only for staff and students of the University, or high performance athletes. Members of the public are encouraged to get involved at whatever level suits them. There are a vast range of activities organised with our local community in mind.

If you’re looking to get fit and have fun with like minded people, Surrey Sports Park will allow you to choose from one of the widest variety of classes and courses in the country!

Whether it be high energy group fitness classes, gentle holistic health and well-being classes or our renowned fun and friendly dance courses, state-of-the-art fitness suite, swimming pool, climbing wall or racquet sports facilities, whatever your interest, Surrey Sports Park has something for everyone.

There’s plenty for juniors to get involved in too. Surrey Sports Park offers a comprehensive programme for under 18s. These activities are designed to introduce children to sport and develop key skills. The programme includes dance, squash, swimming, climbing, tennis, netball, basketball, trampolining and more, with sessions suited from tots to teens.

The new Sports Park facility has also been designed to provide unrivalled provision for disability sport to enable most people to access the buildings, facilities and programmes we offer. Disabled users can expect to take part in a number of activities including climbing, badminton, tennis and the regionally renowned multi-activity Saturday Sports Club.

If you’re interested in racquet sports, you’ll be able to take part in dedicated racquet mornings offering badminton, squash and tennis including exclusive sessions for coaching, over 50’s and ladies only.

Other community-based activities include corporate and social football and racquets leagues, junior vacation sports camps and team-building climbing events.