Residents in Gloucester have the opportunity to attend two free public lectures this May, hosted by the University of Gloucestershire featuring distinguished speakers from the charitable and aerospace sectors.
The first event, The Michael Perham University and Cathedral Lecture 2026, will take place on Wednesday, 6 May at 7pm. Reverend Canon Steve Chalke MBE will speak at the chapel on the Francis Close Hall campus. His talk, titled “Education, Justice and Spirituality: Is spirituality the missing ingredient to our underperforming education and justice systems?”, explores his extensive work in social activism. Mr Chalke founded the Oasis Charitable Trust in 1985, which now operates in 11 countries and provides a range of social services. Attendees will have the opportunity to offer donations for the charity following the lecture.
The second event features Jacqueline Sutton MBE, who will deliver The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire Lecture on Thursday, 14 May at 6pm. Held at the university’s Park campus, the talk is titled “Women in Industry – specifically aerospace – Her Own Story” and will be followed by a question and answer session. Ms Sutton brings over 30 years of experience in the aerospace industry, as the former Chief Customer Officer at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace. The event is organised by The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire, a civic organisation that works to support the local community.
Both lectures are free to attend, though members of the public are required to book their places in advance through Eventbrite. These annual events are part of the university’s ongoing commitment to community engagement and provide residents with direct access to figures of national recognition.
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