Durham Castle Society

The Castle Society plays an integral role in bringing Castle’s alumni community together, providing much needed support for the College and our current students. All Castle graduates are members of the Castle Society, with some being more actively involved than others. If you would like to subscribe to receive a print edition of Castellum please complete the this form.  

The Durham Castle Society:

  • Welcomes students as they leave Durham, providing an opportunity to keep in touch with friends, build connections with other generations of alumni. 
  • Arranges the annual Castle Society reunion in Durham as well as other events that reflect our diverse membership:
    • Unique venues, fascinating talks and social events (with and without alcohol).
    • Inclusive events that can appeal to all ages, geographic location and interests, to include those who were undergraduates or postgraduates, domestic or overseas students.
  • Supports the college and the current members of the JCR and MCR, with practical help or through financial grants.  We hope that alumni will continue to inspire the students that come after them, and help to drive and shape the future of Castle.
  • Provides opportunities and communication channels for community building amongst our alumni, helping them maintain their personal, professional or academic networks and to keep in touch with Castle no matter their global location. 
  • Has established and continues to support the University College Durham Trust, a charitable trust that raises money through regular giving, one off gifts and legacies, in a tax efficient manner, to support the college and its students through bursaries, scholarships, and grants to capital projects.
  • Oversees the production of Castellum, our alumni magazine.

 

The Castellum plays a vital role in keeping the members informed about College matters, as well as members’ news and achievements. The magazine has been produced from the inception of the Society, with the first edition appearing in 1948, under the editorship of Rev. S. F. M. Chase.

Castellum 1948 edition

Set up in 1947 by a group of Castlemen, the Castle Society was originally known as the Durham Castlemen’s Society. The name was changed to its current form forty years later, in 1987, when women were first admitted to the college.