The Festival of Wellbeing comes to Wolfson

Across the University, there are a wide-range of stimulating talks and activities promoting wellbeing and good mental and physical health. At Wolfson, you’ll be able to join mindful garden tours, our extremely popular tree trail, and check out the Reading for Pleasure books at the library.

Here’s a rundown of the key events:

Mindful Garden Tours

Join our head gardener Oscar Holgate for a mindful wander through the College’s tranquil gardens.

Summer is a great time to explore our garden ‘rooms’ which are full of seasonal colour. Take some time out of your day to engage your senses with the sights and sounds of our plants and wildlife, and enjoy the gentle fragrance of the roses which are in currently in bloom throughout the gardens. During the tour, you can listen to Oscar’s insights into the science of why gardens are healthy for us.

Book onto one of the tours:

Tuesday 28 June, 14.00-15.00

Wednesday 6 July, 14.00-15.00

Meeting Place: Porters Lodge

Wolfson College Tree Trail

Wolfson is well known for its glorious Judas Tree, but there are many other wonderful trees onsite, many of which are part of our Tree Trail.

The Wolfson Tree Trail was launched this spring as part of the Cambridge Festival and Wolfson Explores GROWTH event series, and we’re delighted to offer this unique self-guided tour through our grounds again as part of the Festival of Wellbeing. Discover the history behind our fascinating trees whilst taking advantage of the health and wellbeing benefits that being outside and experiencing nature provides.

The Tree Trail is open from 10.00 to 16.00 every day, from Monday 27 June until Friday 8 July 2022.

No booking required. Children are most certainly welcome and will have plenty of space to explore - but please ensure they are accompanied at all times. Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed on the tree tour.

You can use our online tree trail or pick up a brochure from the Porters' Lodge.

Reading for Pleasure

Visit the Reading Room in the Library to browse and borrow from a display of popular fiction and travel guides.

Summer is the perfect time to pick up a title to read for pleasure. Wolfson Library has works of fiction, biographies and general interest integrated into the main collection. These relate in some way to courses taught in Cambridge. But it also has a set of shelves for popular fiction titles, which you might be surprised to see in a university library! There is crime and thriller writing, historical novels as well as few classic texts. We also have a comprehensive selection of travel guides for the UK.

There are lots of positive links between reading and wellbeing. Reading for less than 10 minutes a day can significantly reduce stress and lower our heart rate. Not only that, but it can also improve our memory and concentration. So, you can even improve your work, whilst taking a break!

Grab a title and escape into another world for a short time; we’re sure you’ll feel better for it.