Alumni news

Club members on a private guided visit to special exhibitions at the Royal Pavilion

If you are retiring, leaving, part-retiring, or taking voluntary severance this summer you can stay connected with the University and your former colleagues by joining the Suss-Ex Club (no joining fee).

This is a informal association for former University staff, both academic and non-academic, which started in 2006.

The Club organises a range of activities, depending on what members would like and what is feasible to organise. Your partners/friends are very welcome to join you at all activities. A newsletter is circulated three or four times a year with details of forthcoming events, as well as information on other matters of potential interest.

The Club’s activities have included: visits to local attractions such as the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings; nature walks; a private tour of St. Paul’s Cathedral followed by the performance of a Bach Passion; group visits to the theatre or local music events with an optional meal together beforehand; private guided visits to special exhibitions at the Royal Pavilion; tasting visits to local wineries; and talks given by former colleagues such as Jan Thole, Nick Tucker, and Adam Tickell. Each year there is a Christmas lunch party.

The Club has an informal structure. Activities are organised by a moderately representative unelected steering group, chaired by Professor Paul Tofts (formerly at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School).

The Patron (and former Chair of the Club) is our former VC Sir Gordon Conway, and some administrative support is kindly provided by the Development and Alumni Relations Office. We always welcome fresh volunteers to join the steering group and help organise events.

More information about the Club is available on the Suss-Ex webpage. You can also stay engaged by joining our Facebook group where we post news and activities, and where you can easily find former colleagues - as well as inviting your own ex-colleagues to join.

Whether you have already left or are due to leave shortly, we hope that you will join the Club. The joining form is on the Suss-Ex Club website - and you can also join via the Facebook group page.

We look forward to seeing you at one of the Club’s forthcoming events or hearing your news via our Facebook group.

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