ST EDMUND HALL COMMUNITY & GIVING WEEK

The Aularian community took Edmund Bear into their day-to-day lives to reflect their connections to the Hall. Here’s what he’s been up to!

St Edmund Hall Boat Club

We took Edmund bear with us to Torpheads (the heads race instead of torpids) where he got involved with the warm up, setting up the boat and congratulating our crew! We had 35 people involved – from the crew to coaches and friends!

📸Anusha Roy

Professor Henrike Lähnemann (Professor of Medieval German Literature and Linguistics)

The choir of St Edmund Hall took Edmund bear to Woodchester Priory for a concert of Lenten Meditation. He liked the Priory Church so much that he decided to stay there with the local organiser, making sure the link to the Hall remains vibrant.

Martina Stankovianska (Academic Assistant, St Edmund Hall)

A4 drawing of Edmund Bear by Samko (age 10) 🐻

David Harding (1977, Engineering, Economics & Management)

Found one of Edmund’s larger carved cousins here in California, enjoying the snow and waving to all his friends back in Oxford.

Gina Koutsika (Fellow by Special Election, St Edmund Hall)

I took part in the St Edmund Hall Community Teddy Bear Challenge by inviting a small teddy to share in the everyday joys of my week. From Sunday School and peaceful walks through Hyde Park to inspiring moments in Oxford, behind the scenes in the Ashmolean, conversations with colleagues and even back-to-back online meetings at home, teddy was gently woven into the rhythms of museum and college life, friendship, faith and learning. It was such a simple but heartwarming way to celebrate the spirit of our Teddy Hall community and made many of my colleagues and friends smile.

Check out Gina’s week with Edmund Bear.

Julian Hernandez (2025, Visual, Material, and Museum Anthropology)

Favorite teddy bear is back in the US, so decided to bake one instead! Tasted much better than a stuffed teddy.

Simeon Ainsworth (2023, Materials Sciences)

Taking ‘Edmund Bear’ on a day in my life, including Ice Hockey training with my team (15 people, Oxford Ice Rink, training is an hour and a half), making him a tiny jersey to be involved (~5 hours), and taking him to my classes (12 people, Materials Science Department, four hours of class) in the day! Reason I chose this: since coming to Uni my mental health has much improved and I am genuinely happy with my life; I study a subject I love, have friends all around me and was able to take up a sport I both love and have made amazing friends through! I genuinely don’t think I would have been able to do this without the Hall as the welfare & resources they have are amazing and have enabled me to get to this point 🙂 

Sophia McMinn (Deputy Accountant, St Edmund Hall)

My children helped me decide to make a friend for Edmund Bear.

I’ve been knitting at any available opportunity. On the bus to work, watching the rugby and in the brewery, to name a few. 

The project was intended to be a sweet nod to community and friendship but a few body parts in and it’s beginning to look more like Frankenstein’s next project.

Whilst in the brewery (having a coffee!), I realised I left Edmund Bear in the car and needed him for a photo opportunity.  I abandoned everything to grab him in a rush.  As I return to my table, I feel the eyes of staff and customers staring at me,  wondering why I can’t enjoy my coffee without a teddy bear by my side.

All limbs complete and the attachment begins.  I have a different audience at the rugby, curious why I’m taking a picture of a headless bear!

Finishing on Sunday, it all comes together but not as expected.  I think we might have to name our bear ‘Mouse’.

Challenge complete but Mouse won’t be leaving the house.  It’s safe to say, he’s good from far, but far from good!

Rose Hansen (2025, MSc Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment)

My beloved Red Panda Stroud joined me and some good friends for a study session, warding off the Week 8 scaries. 

To me, he embodies the spirit of the Hall, a place that encourages us to grow and be academically brave while always being there to support us through our journey. He is a loyal friend, and I immortalized the experience in a limerick!!

—

Ballad of a friend

There once was a panda named Stroud

Whose attitude wasn’t too proud. 

A panda that’s red,

From his tail to his head,

With kindness and love, he’s endowed. 

He’s loyal when time becomes tough.

when studying, he’s a real buff

On bamboo shoots and leaves,

But if that’s not what you need,

He makes you feel like you’re enough. 

My friend has been there through it all 

Want a pick-me-up? He’s there if you fall. 

While a Teddy, he’s not,

Inside he has got

The spirit of our cherished Hall. 

Alba Gonzalez Gonzalez (2025, DPhil Mathematics)

Cosy day at home (Circus Street) with my teddy bear.

Yuliia Kushnirenko (Accounts Assistant, St Edmund Hall)

Samantha Foster (2024, DPhil Clinical Neuroscience)Sebastian, the MCR Teddy bear, joined us in the weekly MCR run club on Wednesday and managed 5k! He was tired by the end we had to carry him…

Professor Henrike Lähnemann (Professor of Medieval German Literature and Linguistics) and Carlos Rodríguez Otero (Director of Music)

A profound experience! Performance of a Latin version of ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ in the crypt of St-Peter-in-the-East.

Alexa Tudose (2024, DPhil Computer Science)

Edmund Bear enjoying a delicious formal dinner in Hall

Abigail Fernandez-Arias (2024, German and Linguistics)

Edmund Bear is loving living out in his second year, and enjoying reading German literature.

St Edmund Hall Library

Our newest trainee librarian is attending cataloguing training today. Even teddy bears know that good cataloguing = better discovery for students and researchers.

He always aims to provide the beary best service 🐻

Lydia Smith (Head of Alumni Relations)

Some origami teddies in Teddy Hall colours (and a rogue grizzly 🐻)

Tim Miles (1981, Modern Languages)

Honey Bear hopes you’re all enjoying Bear Week, but would like to remind you that next week is Aardvark Week.

Riley Jones (Visiting Student, History & Politics)

Riley dropped by the Teddy Bear’s Picnic on Tuesday to meet Edmund Bear!

Eleanor Burnett, Finance Bursar

A newly recruited Finance Bear-sar, helping out with some tricky calculations!

Elsie and Rowan Vivian

Snowy bears in the wood

Martina Stankovianska (Academic Assistant, St Edmund Hall)

My children and I enjoyed creating a poem about friendship. Hope you like it ❤️

LET’S BE(ar) FRIENDS
This is my favourite time, having a tea.
When I’m having a break, I feel free.
But sometimes I feel lonely, would love to have a friend,
someone who can make this sad feeling end.
I heard Edmund Bear is very kind,
surely my friendship is something he wouldn’t mind.
So, let’s have a break, let’s talk about life,
we have so much in common, we’ll be alright.
I’ll tell you my stories, you’ll tell me yours,
we can even share our worries and become close.
So, Edmund, would you like to join me for a cup of tea,
this could be our favourite time when we both feel free. 

Liz Hardingham (Development Operations Officer, St Edmund Hall)

A little teddy proudly posing with his portrait, by 9-year-old Seth.

Dylan Sprent

Edmund Bear in balloon form!

Gerald McGrath (General Maintenance Assistant, St Edmund Hall)

St Edmund Hall apprentice painter and decorator.

1975 Aularians

A pub crawl to advertise the St Edmund Hall Ball in the 1970s, featuring our very own Edmund Bear, and Graham Midgley with his canine companion. The very same poster can be seen in the Old Library Exhibition, open Tuesday and Friday.

Bob Gaffey (1975, Jurisprudence)

Sir Edmund Bear and his guide Ted as intrepid arctic explorers in snowbound Westery Rhode Island. 

Emma Pardo (2023, PPE)

Group outing to the new Schwarzman Centre with a friendly picnic in the sun, sharing laughter and sweet treats to start the week and the month. The Hall is about spending quality time with people you value to foster a strong sense of community and cooperation. By sharing our achievements and personal struggles we, at teddy hall, create a soundboard for people to feel understood, appreciated, and held accountable. We encourage each other to work hard, but also take care of ourselves and look out for each other, as these are formative years which set us up for our (sometimes scary, sometimes lonely) journey into adulthood. I believe Edmund Bear would applaud our efforts to nurture our relationships with each other and make the most of the amazing facilities available to us at Oxford.

Tom Sprent (Deputy Director of Development, St Edmund Hall)

‘Bearable Fun’, a reimagination of the Pink Floyd classic, ‘Comfortably Numb’, featuring Sofia on vocals!

The Choir of St Edmund Hall

The Choir of St Edmund Hall, directed by Carlos Rodríguez Otero, performed an Anglican chant setting of Teddy Bear’s Picnic… an anonymous chant found under the floorboards of St Edmund Hall…

Elisha Ainsworth (Access and Outreach Coordinator, St Edmund Hall)

Today, we were delighted to welcome a school from one of our link regions to St Edmund Hall for a visit to College. During the day, students learned more about student life at Oxford, explored the costs of university, and had the opportunity to ask questions about studying here. They enjoyed lunch in the Wolfson Hall and a tour of College led by some of our fantastic Student Ambassadors, who shared their own experiences of life at Teddy Hall. Before heading to the Earth Sciences Department for a subject taster session, Edmund Bear joined the group for a quick photo to mark the occasion! It was a wonderful way to celebrate our Access & Outreach work and to share a little bit of Teddy Hall with students considering their futures.

Luke Maw (Outreach and Admissions Manager, St Edmund Hall)

Edmund Bear helped Luke out with his school visit to The Hinckley School in Leicestershire as part of the Access & Outreach programme.

Sophie Madden (Regular Giving Officer, St Edmund Hall)

Outside of her office hours, Sophie is a classical singer. During the Community & Giving Week period, she is bringing Edmund Bear with her wherever she sings.

So far, Edmund has enjoyed:

• Evensong at The Queen’s College
• Solemn Mass at the Oxford Oratory
• Ash Wednesday in Magdalen College Chapel
• Compline in the Crypt of St Peter-in-the-East, St Edmund Hall
• Special Honorary Degree Ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre, with Magdalen Choir
• Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral

Claire Parfitt (Communications Manager, St Edmund Hall)

Edmund Bear has been helping the Communications Manager co-edit the College newsletter, Ted-E-News.

He’s been paws-ing over punctuation and clawing through the copy, all to make sure every story is bear-illiantly written!

John Mabbett (1967, English Language and Literature)

“My Challenge took place back on 16 May 2024 ready for this year (bear-faced lie). Sudden holiday plans meant I could not attend the reunion lunch that five of us (matric.1967) had booked in London. Leaving my own bear to supervise my study as usual, I had fearlessly crossed the Bay of Biscay to Bilbao, then hared along the terrifying Basque motorways (country lane curves but habitually driven at M1 speeds) until we reached the familiar calm of French autoroutes and Bayonne. There I met the pictured Teddy Bear (‘nounours’ en francais) sitting outside a  shop. Thus, thanks to Mrs Mabbett, I was able to email my Aularian friends a cheery Aquitainian wave by way of apology.”

Sunday 1 March

18:30, St Edmund Hall Chapel

Open to all, free admission

Monday 2 March

19:00, St Edmund Hall Old Dining Hall

Open to members of St Edmund Hall, free admission & drinks provided

Tuesday 3 March

11:00-12:00, St Edmund Hall Churchyard (Well Bar if wet weather)

Open to members of St Edmund Hall, free admission (drop-in) & pastries provided

10:30-16:00, St Edmund Hall Old Library. Repeats Friday 6 March.

Open to all, free admission

19:00, St Edmund Hall SCR

Open to members of St Edmund Hall, free admission & refreshments provided

Wednesday 4 March

17:30, St Edmund Hall Old Dining Hall

Open to all, free admission

Thursday 5 March

21:30, St Edmund Hall Crypt beneath St Peter-in-the-East

Open to all, free admission

Friday 6 March

10:00-17:00, St Edmund Hall Old Library

Open to all, free admission

17:00-19:00, South School, Examination Schools, 75-81 High Street

Open to all, free admission. Registration required.

20:30, St Edmund Hall College Bar

Open to current students of St Edmund Hall, free admission

Sunday 8 March

18:30, St Edmund Hall Chapel

Open to all, free admission