The Voices of Worcester is a unique oral history project capturing the voices, memories and experiences of the people who have shaped the University of Worcester since 1946.
Through interviews with students, staff, governors and fellows, discover the stories behind 80 years of transformation, opportunity and community.
The story so far
In 1946, the City of Worcester Teacher Training College opened its doors for the first time. The war effort had left behind a weary and chaotic nation that, nevertheless, was looking to the future, and to regeneration. And so, the then Worcester College was founded, with a mission to win the peace through education.
When the first lecturers arrived in 1946, they found the site largely unprepared and still guarded by military watchmen. Early staff meetings were often interrupted so that lecturers could lend a hand making the beds or moving furniture into place, as they scrambled to prepare the college for the arrival of the first intake.
When the first students did arrive, there was still a great deal of work left to do, so Staff and students worked together to bring the new college to life. Out of this time of chaos, comradery and cooperation, the fabled ‘Worcester spirit’ was born.
From an initial cohort of just 240 demobilised servicemen and women, Worcester has enjoyed phenomenal success, with over 10,000 students now studying across a broad range of high quality courses, a growing portfolio of internationally recognised research, and an array of outstanding world-class facilities.
As the University marks its 80th anniversary and embarks upon a new chapter in its long and fascinating history, the occasion offers an opportunity to revisit the past and remember the many steps along the road that have brought the University of Worcester from emergency teacher training college to number one in the UK for graduate jobs.
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