Further to my message of May 12th, I am following up with some further information both about how we propose to end the year, and to indicate some prospects for next year.

First, a reminder of the Foundation Celebration Event on June 12th, taking place from 11.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.. We hope to have worship from 11.00, followed by a short break, followed, at noon, by a short act of recognition of what has happened through this astonishing year, as we wish leavers well. Please do put this date and time firmly in your Zoom calendar!

The final half-term of the year begins on June 7th, and we’ve already indicated the pathways/ programmes/ cohorts which will remain online.

Beyond that, we are making small steps to welcome onto campus the following groups:

•           QCC3 Residential Weekend (2nd-4th July) – with an invitation to QRC3 to join part of this event.

•           Methodist Leavers (5th-7th July) – with an invitation to Anglican leavers to become returners for part of this event.

•           Track 1 First Years for an optional placement debrief session (8th July).

Members of these groups will be contacted directly about the plans for these events.

We appreciate that this is a relatively small number of students. Others who may have come on campus, or be planning to, are those who wish to use the library, which re-opened on May 17th.

Beyond this, we shall then be looking at the possibility, prior to the Induction sessions for new students arriving in September, of having some kind of ‘Pre-Induction Induction’ for 2020 starters, bearing in mind that there will be a crop of students who have not been on campus yet, or not had opportunity to explore it much. We shall release information about this as soon as we can once we have had the chance to make plans over the Summer.

In the meantime, a reminder of what will need to happen to enable us to do our best to be as Covid-secure as possible: all returning to campus/coming to campus for the first time will be strongly encouraged to take a Covid test, so please do bear that in mind and work out where you will be able to take a test or secure some testing kits for yourself. These are available through https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests We shall be making testing kits available on site, though will not have set up a testing centre as such. Sanitization arrangements are, however, already in place.

These remain stretching times, with the ‘transition time’ that leavers are entering just now merely adding to that rich mix of experiences which make up life. Sometimes (often?) we wish it weren’t so messy, but it frequently is. Our collective hope is that whatever Queen’s programme you’ve been on, that you’ve engaged with (theological) resources that remind you of the nature of God, and the way in which God is at work to sustain us, support us, inspire us and empower us whatever the circumstances.

On that note, I wish you as restful a half-term as is possible.

With blessings and best wishes as always

Clive Marsh, Principal