Univ London Reception 2026

Members of the College community attended the first Univ London Reception in the Members’ Dining Room in the House of Commons on Thursday 7 May. Natalie Tsang (2020, Engineering) has kindly written the following report of the event.

For the inaugural Univ London Reception, the Baroness Amos kindly welcomed Old Members, friends and current students to the House of Commons. This was a rare opportunity for guests to step inside one of the UK’s most iconic and politically significant buildings. The reception itself was held in the intimate Members’ Dining Room with sweeping views of the riverside and a wood-panelled interior, reminiscent of the Master’s Lodgings at Univ.

Amongst this lovely setting, guests reconnected with old friends, met fellow alumni across generations, and got updates on life at Univ from the Development Office and current students. I heard how the JCR adopted a stray cat (probably much to the chagrin of Lyra) which brought back memories of how as Freshers, we adopted the (late) Clement Cattlee, who enjoyed napping inside the COVID-era marquees! The Master shared the latest news on Univ North, now home to its first occupants, and encouraged us to see its transformation by signing up for a tour.

Throughout the evening, we heard jazz from Kyle Osborne and Genevive Namazzi, both extremely talented musicians from Tomorrow’s Warriors, a music organisation championing inclusion and diversity in jazz education for which Baroness Amos is a patron. Their music provided an atmospheric and relaxing backdrop for the evening.

We are most grateful to Baroness Amos for hosting us at this wonderful venue, and to the Development Office for making this event happen. It certainly sets a high bar for future Univ London receptions!