Past Astrea events

Astrea Book Club - Burnt Sugar (4 December, 13:00-14:00)

Join us for the December UCL Astrea Book Club on 4th December, 13:00-14:00, Room G.11, 22 Gordon Street. We will discuss Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi – a bold, sharp, and darkly intimate novel that explores the complexities of memory, motherhood, and resentment. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, this is a thought-provoking and emotionally layered read to end the year with.

The event is open to Astrea members and any women at UCL. New attendees are always welcome. Bring your lunch, enjoy a warm drink and something sweet, and help us wrap up 2025 with rich conversation and great company.

Astrea, UCL200 and Arts and Humanities Community Cloth Event

This is a special event hosted by Astrea in partnership with the UCL200 team and Art and Humanities community cloth team, on Wednesday, 19th November, 13:00-16:00, Bidborough House G01 collaboration space. 

We will be hearing from the UCL200 team about the important milestone of the bicentenary in UCL’s history, significant women who have contributed to UCL and exciting activities to get involved with. We will also be hosting an informal networking and community session to bring Astrea members together.

Astrea Book Club - I Am, I Am, I Am

Join us for the November meeting of the UCL Astrea Book Club on Wednesday, 12th November, 13:00-14:00, Room G.09, 22 Gordon Street. This month, we'll be discussing I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell, a striking memoir told through seventeen near-death experiences, each offering a reflection on life, fear and resilience. Please use this form to sign up.

This event is open to Astrea members and any women working in UCL Professional Services. Whether you’re a regular or new to the group, we’d love to see you there. Feel free to bring your lunch.

Astrea Book Club - Girl, Woman, Other

In recognition of Black History Month, our next read will be Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. We will be meeting on Wednesday, 29th October, 13:00-14:00, Room G.31, Foster Court. This award-winning novel explores the experiences of Black women in Britain, offering rich perspectives on identity, connection, and community. We’re looking forward to a thoughtful and lively discussion together! Please use this form to sign up.

This event is open to Astrea members and any women working in UCL Professional Services. Whether you’re a regular or new to the group, we’d love to see you there. Feel free to bring your lunch.

Understanding My Body: Menopause & Perimenopause

Join award-winning UCL Professor Joyce Harper online, on Wednesday, 15th October, 13:00-14:00, who is going to speak on menopause and women's health to the wider community of women in professional services at UCL. This talk is designed to help inform individuals experiencing these challenges, as well as those who wish to better understand the biological process, and support colleagues through menopause. 

World Menopause Day (18^th October), established by the International Menopause Society (IMS) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to break stigmas, provide support options, and improve understanding of menopause.

To sign up for this event, please fill in this short booking form. A joining link will be shared with those who have signed up a day before the session. 

Astrea Social Series - Origami Workshop

Come along to this free origami workshop taking place on campus on Wednesday 25 June, 12:00-13:00. The class is run by Professor Aeli Roberts (Bartlett Faculty) and takes place in the ground floor room, 169 Euston Road. Registration is open now and available at this Eventbrite page. 

Join us for a hands-on, one-hour origami workshop exploring the art and architecture of folded forms. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned folder, this session offers a creative, meditative break while uncovering the spatial and structural elegance of paper. This is also a great opportunity for you to meet other Astrea members in an informal setting and expand your UCL network.

Invest to Progress Conference

The Invest to Progress! 2024 conference hosted by UCL Astrea offered staff inspiring talks, workshops on mentorship and resilience, and networking opportunities to support career growth and professional development. Find out more and watch the full recording.

Astrea Social Series - Bracelet Making

Come along to this free bracelet making session taking place on campus on Wednesday 26 March, 13:00-14:00. The class is run by Amalia Mihailescu (Student Adviser at the Bartlett) and takes place in the ground floor room, 169 Euston Road. Registration is open now and available at this Eventbrite page. 

Open to all levels, bracelet making is a fun, mindful activity and it will help you switch off from work and take a break from your busy day. This is also a great opportunity for you to meet other Astrea members in an informal setting and expand your UCL network.

Astrea Social Series - Weaving Class

Astrea Book Club - Fierce Fairytales

Celebrate International Women’s Day with UCL Astrea’s Book Club! This month, we’ll be reading "Fierce Fairytales: & Other Stories to Stir Your Soul" by Nikita Gill – a collection of empowering poems and short stories that reimagine traditional fairytales and folklore with strong, independent female characters. The event will take place on Thursday 6 March, 13:00-14:00, in room 784, at the Institute of Education.

With themes of feminism, strength, and resilience, this book is both whimsical and inspiring. We'll have printouts of the book on the day so don't worry if you haven't read it all. The book club is just a way to sit and natter with other women at UCL. Registration is open now and available at this Eventbrite page.

Astrea Social Series - Salsa Class

Come along to this free salsa session taking place on campus on Thursday 30 January, 16:00-17:00. The class is run by Katie Bretherick and takes place on the ground floor of 169 Euston Road. Registration is open now and available at this Eventbrite page. 

Open to all levels, moving to upbeat Latin music is a brilliant way to destress and release those endorphins! This is also a great opportunity for you to meet other Astrea members in an informal setting and expand your UCL network.

International Women's Day 2024

UCL Astrea celebrates International Women's Day 2024 with a panel looking at Inspiring Inclusivity. Chaired by Adwoa Darko, Head of EDI Culture and Change, and featuring a panel of experts in disability, innovation, policy and education, this event looks at what it means to be inclusive and how we can work together to make a more inclusive world for all.

Astrea does Desert Island Discs with Aimie Chapple (December 2023)

Aimie Chapple, Vice-President (Operations) spoke to Seema Walker (UCL Astrea) about the music that has played a pivotal role in her life and career to date.

Astrea masterclass: Getting your voice heard

Achieving Growth and Success through Win-Win Negotiation – a motivational masterclass tailored to empower women and led by Professor Sunny Lee, UCL School of Management.

World Menopause Day event (October 2023)

To help mark World Menopause Day, UCL Astrea invited a number of experts in the field of reproductive health and female wellbeing to better understand the journey that affects 50% of the global population. The panel helped our audience better understand Menopause, how it affects the individual and how we can be better educated to support ourselves and one another.

Navigating the Menopause at Work (June 2023)

UCL Astrea and UCL Menopause Network hosted a workshop exploring individual experiences of peri-menopause and menopause at work. Contribute to discussions that will feed into a new menopause policy for UCL, helping to improve the staff experience.

Passcode: mBF?c3Y@

Digital Accessibility (November 2022)

Michele Farmer (Disability IT Support Analyst) and Ben Watson (Digital Accessibility) talked about we can make everything we do more digitally accessible.

Inspirational Female Line Managers (November 2022)

Some of the fantastic nominees from our Inspirational Female Line Managers campaign spoke in a round-table discussion and Q&A session.

Astrea does Desert Island Discs with Kirsty Walker (October 2022)

Kirsty Walker, Vice-President (External Engagement) spoke to Jane Bolger (Marketing & Communications Manager, UCL East) about the music that has played a pivotal role in her life and career to date.

Passcode: #JAH34mK

Confidence Snakes & Ladders with guest speaker Avril Chester (July 2022)

Featuring Avril Chester - a multi-award-winning Technology Entrepreneur, experienced CTO, author, podcast host and cancer thriver - on how to navigate the constantly changing confidence landscape and how to always believe in yourself.

Career Development at UCL: tips for success (April 2022)

We heard from Karen Barnard, Director of UCL Careers, about tips and tricks to improve your chances of success at interviews and also what to avoid in order to stand out from other candidates. Loleta Fahad, Head of Career Development in Occupational Development, showcased some of the resources you are able to access through Occupational Development to build up your skills and capabilities, and finally Angela Clark, Head of Recruitment at UCL, spoke about how to prepare yourself for career moves.

Astrea Does Desert Island Discs! (July 2021)

Our speakers discussed the books and music that have played a pivotal role in their lives and careers to date.

With Marcia Jacks, Institute Manager for the EGA Institute for Women's Health and Co-Chair of UCL's Race Equality Steering Group, and Professor Sasha Roseneil, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Social & Historical Sciences and Pro-Provost (Equity & Inclusion).

Setting Stretching Objectives (December 2020)

This session was an opportunity to slow down, focus on some meaningful goals and set stretching objectives to plan how you will achieve that goal.

We were joined by Fiona Ryland, UCL's Chief Operating Officer, who opened the event with a talk about what stretch objectives are, how she has used them to positive affect in her own career and some basic principles for setting objectives.

Getting your voice heard in online meetings (July 2020)

Spending all day in online meetings but struggling to get a word in edgeways? Wish you had the confidence to lean in and make your voice heard?

Virtual meetings present a fantastic opportunity to increase your visibility and to engage directly with people you might not otherwise meet but they can be tricky to navigate, especially for the introverts amongst us. During this session we learnt from two amazing women who have nailed this art, had a chance to try out their tips and techniques for participating in and chairing meetings, and learnt how to become an ally for others.

Impostor Syndrome - is it real? (April 2020)

Ever walked into a meeting and questioned your right to be there? Have you ever taken on a new job and then you felt you weren’t really the right person for it? For many people this is a common life experience and one which can be quite debilitating if left unchecked. This session focused on this and on a set of related behaviours that are often referred to under the title of ‘imposter syndrome’.