Reunions

Alumni reunions are great for reconnecting with former classmates, remembering the past, and re-energising your relationship with the University of Bradford.

The Alumni Team are happy to help support volunteers who wish to organise a reunion, by offering advice and guidance based on best practice and past experiences and can provide ideas on where to start and what to consider. Contact the Alumni Team by emailing [email protected]

Upcoming reunions

Overviews of upcoming reunion events taking place at the University are listed below.

If you would like more details on any of the upcoming reunions listed above, please get in contact with the Alumni Office.

Past Reunions

Take a look at some of past reunions which have taken place at the University of Bradford.

A group of Applied Biology graduates from the class of 1972

Class of 1972 Applied Biology Reunion

What a joy to welcome members of our Applied Biology class of 1972 back to campus in July 2022 to help celebrate their 50th year since graduating. The group enjoyed a campus tour and a visit to the old labs, which contained very modern equipment! The day followed with lunch hosted by the Alumni Association and dinner in the evening at the Victoria Hotel, which was home of the yearly Biology Dinners!

"This was a wonderful opportunity for us all to reminisce about our Bradford days and to learn how each of us had progressed with our careers. Thanks to the Alumni Association for helping to make this a wonderful success."

A group of B Tech Chemistry graduates from the class of 1976 returning to the University of Bradford for a reunion. The group participated in walking football

Class of 1976 B Tech Chemistry Reunion

At the end of September 2022, B Tech Chemistry graduates from the class of 1976 reunited to celebrate 50 years since their arrival in Bradford for Freshers week in 1972. Out of the graduating class of 33, over 20 attended, coming from as far afield as New Zealand and the USA. The group took a trip down memory lane, where they celebrated with a few beers in Jacobs Well and the obligatory curry at the Kash.

The group revisited the sports hall and took part in walking football, the competitive spirit still causing some hilarity for the spectators. The group also received a tour of the University and the Chemistry building.

Group of Civil Engineering graduates attending the class of 1968 alumni reunion.

Class of 1968 Civil Engineering Reunion

On 11 October 2022, a group of Civil Engineering alumni from the class of 1968 returned to campus to reminisce about their student days in Bradford. The group of 8 alumni reconnected for the first time after 54 years. They shared their fond memories and reminisced on how it was nice to see the old Richmond Building that they were familiar with and how it has now extended.

"We all departed feeling very satisfied with the whole day. This would not have been possible without the wonderful help and organisation of Zakar and the excellent guidance from Professors Mustapha and Therese and student ambassador Awaba. A big thank you to all."

A group of Civil and Structural Engineering graduates from the Class of 1975, enjoy food and refreshments at the 47th year alumni reunion.

Class of 1975 Civil & Structural Engineering Reunion

In November 2022, a group of Civil and Structural Engineering graduates from the class of 1975 returned to campus. The classmates received a tour from Mark Wrigley, Engineering Team Leader and had the opportunity to visit the University's Richmond and Chesham buildings. Mark also showed them the original contract for the construction of the Chesham Building and the site diary.

"We are very grateful to Mark for giving us his time on a Saturday afternoon, and taking the trouble to dig out the original construction documents. We got so much more out of our visit because of this."

Graduates from the class of 1968 on various courses, returned to the University of Bradford campus for a reunion

Class of 1968 Reunion Various Courses

Celebrating 55 years since graduation, we were pleased to welcome graduates from the class of 1968 back to Bradford. The group had a fantastic time returning to campus, where they received a tour of the University and had the chance to take a trip down memory lane.

"What a splendid welcome and tour of the University, our party really enjoyed visiting our Alma Mater and we were full of both nostalgia and pride in how the University has developed."

Class of 1983 Optometry Reunion

It was a pleasure to welcome a group of Optometry graduates from the Class of 1983 back on campus to celebrate 40 years since graduating from the University. The group of 22 alumni and their partners attended the reunion, coming from as far as Guyana, Malaysia and New Mexico.

The group received a guided tour from Dr Niall Mcloughlin, Head of School-Optometry Vision Science, where they had the opportunity to see the current Optometry Clinics. They also enjoyed a general campus tour, where the group shared fond memories during their visit to the JB Priestley Library and the former communal "commie" building, which was the site of social and entertainment events during their undergraduate life.

A group of graduates from the Industrial Chemistry class of 1967 at their reunion dinner.

Class of 1967 Industrial Chemistry Reunion

We were delighted to welcome Industrial Chemistry graduates from the class of 1967 back on campus in June. The group had a fantastic day and revisited the University for a tour of the campus which included the Richmond building and the Students Union, where they had the chance to reminisce and share special memories.

In the afternoon, all attendees met for drinks and a meal at The Great Victoria Hotel, Camargue Suite, located in Bradford city centre. This was then followed b some evening entertainment and live music at the hotel, the group then met the next morning for a networking breakfast. The graduates had an amazing day and will be planning a future reunion to take place during Bradford's year as City of Culture in 2025.

"50 years of friendship was too important a milestone in our lives not to celebrate, and with the great support and assistance of the Alumni Office we celebrated in style. Our group came together for a weekend of reminiscence which was perfectly curated by team."
Tony Pensom, BA Modern Languages 1974

Organising your own reunion

Although reunions are essentially reliant on volunteer interest and ownership, the Alumni Team can help to make things easier for you. We can offer advice and guidance based on best practice and past experiences and can provide ideas on where to start and what to consider.

The Alumni Team can help by:

Offering advice and expertise to help you plan and devise a format your event
Promoting your reunion on the alumni website and via other channels of communication
Sending invitations on your behalf to old classmates and friends
Coordinating staff and faculty involvement in your event
Processing bookings, registrations and payments for your event
Sourcing archived materials such as prospectus', graduation brochures and magazines.

Getting Started

Reunion events are essentially alumni-driven and it will be helpful to establish an organising committee by asking some of your fellow alumni to get involved in the planning of your event. Once you have a few interested volunteers, contact the Alumni Office to share your ideas and discuss the planning process.

There are certain things that you will need to consider at the very beginning of the planning stage of your event.

WHEN - Choose a date for your reunion

Allow plenty of time to plan, organise and make arrangements for your event. It’s recommended that you start planning your reunion at least 6 months prior to the date. Ensure you have considered public andschool-holidays and high profile events and occasions to avoid any clashes.

WHERE - Choose a location or venue

Many alumni choose to hold their reunion events at the Bradford campus as it allows participants to revisit the University and the place(s) they spent their time together as students. However some reunions may take place off-campus at venues such as a bar, restaurant or somewhere central to where alumni are now locatedsuch as in another city or town.

WHO - Identify who you'd like to invite

Who do you wish to reunite with? Is it a specific class or year group, members of a club/society or your old house mates? How many people do you envisage attending the reunion? Do you plan to invite just alumni or their partners/families as well?

HOW & WHY - Select a format for your event

What is the purpose of your event? Do you want to celebrate something in particular such as a landmark or anniversary or do you just simply wish to organise a social get-together? There is no standard reunion format and you should plan an event you feel will be appropriate and reflective of your group. You might decide to organise a formal dinner gathering or a more casual tour and drinks and networking reception.

COST - managing budgets and collecting payments

You need to consider the overall cost of your event and how you plan to cover this (i.e. do you plan to divide the cost amongst participants?). Work out a simple budget for your event taking into account any fixed expenses you are likely to incur (i.e. accommodation, catering, room hire, travel etc).

Get in touch

If you'd like to discuss hosting a potential alumni reunion, or want to find out if your class already has a reunion planned, get in touch with the alumni team.

Discuss your reunion