Evelina Ferrar

Trustees have appointed Evelina Ferrar as new Chairwoman of the British-Slovene Society. She succeeds David Lloyd, Chairman since 2013, who has resigned for health reasons.

At their last meeting, Trustees expressed heartfelt thanks to David for his wonderful services to the Society, and sent him warmest wishes on his departure.

As a former British Ambassador in Slovenia, David has retained close links with that country. In particular he cultivated relations with Barka, the Slovenian charity for people with special needs which the Society supports.

In a tribute to the retiring Chairman, Evelina said: “Under David’s leadership, the Society has expanded and flourished, forging strong bonds of friendship between Britons and Slovenians. I shall do my best to foster the same spirit. Above all, I want members to feel that we are a supportive community.”

Evelina is Slovenian by origin and also holds British citizenship. Having worked in Corporate Relations at Lek Pharmaceuticals, she is now a freelance translator and court interpreter.

As a Trustee since 2012, she has been managing membership and the web site, and together with other Trustees organises our Prešeren Evening, Summer Picnic and Christmas Carol Service. In 2022, she brought Slovene craftsmen over to Henley to erect a traditional Slovene hayrack (kozolec), where we can gather for our summer celebrations.

VTIS  (Slovenians Educated Abroad) are organising a spring gathering in London. It will be held on Thursday 25 April 2024 from 6:30 pm at Vinegar Yard, 72-82 St Thomas St, London SE1 3QX.

They are inviting members of the British-Slovene Society to join in. Do come for a bite/drink and stimulating company!

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The Slovenian House in London is inviting:

On 27th April an exhibition of 70 years of Andrej Šifrer will be opened and followed by a musical gathering. The exhibition will take place in the Slovenian House at 62 Offley Road and the concert in Wheatsheaf community hall near Vauxhall.  Dave Cooke, a musician from London is going to play with Andrej. Also, the Slovene Choir led by Kaja Pečnik will sing at the start and together with Andrej. It should be fun for non-Slovene speaking folks as well.

There is no entrance fee, but registration on Eventbrite online is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nic-proti-vecnosti-andrej-sifrer-70-let-tickets-828977141947

On Sunday 7^th July, the British-Slovene Society will hold its Annual Picnic at Gillotts Field, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 1PT. This is the third time we will meet by the traditional Slovene hayrack (kozolec) built by Slovene artisans in 2021.

Save the date now. Bring family, friends, food, drink and good cheer to share with everybody. We expect friends in Henley to join us in our celebration.

The video above shows a traditional folklore group from Bled in Slovenia performing at last year’s Picnic. Bled is twinned with Henley.

VTIS  (Slovenians Educated Abroad) are organising a spring gathering in London. It will be held on Thursday 25 April 2024 from 6:30 pm at Vinegar Yard, 72-82 St Thomas St, London SE1 3QX.

They are inviting members of the British-Slovene Society to join in. Do come for a bite/drink and stimulating company!

The Slovenian Embassy n London advises:

An ordinance on election of Slovenian Members of the European Parliament was published in the Official Gazette RS no. 15/2024.

All information in the Slovenian language is available on:

https://www.gov.si/novice/2024-03-21-volitve-poslancev-iz-republike-slovenije-v-evropski-parlament/

The Slovenian House in London is inviting:

On 27th April an exhibition of 70 years of Andrej Šifrer will be opened and followed by a musical gathering. The exhibition will take place in the Slovenian House at 62 Offley Road and the concert in Wheatsheaf community hall near Vauxhall.  Dave Cooke, a musician from London is going to play with Andrej. Also, the Slovene Choir led by Kaja Pečnik will sing at the start and together with Andrej. It should be fun for non-Slovene speaking folks as well.

There is no entrance fee, but registration on Eventbrite online is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nic-proti-vecnosti-andrej-sifrer-70-let-tickets-828977141947

114 people took part in the British-Slovene Society’s annual Prešeren Evening with singer-songwriter Vlado Kreslin at the Ambassadors Hotel in London on 2nd March. This was more than ever before in the three decades of our existence.

After a Drinks Reception, we sang the Slovenian national anthem Zdravljica and dinner was served with Slovenian wines. BSS Chairman David Lloyd spoke words of greeting, followed by Slovenian Ambassador Simona Leskovar. Then Kaja Pečnik and John Dawton recited a poem, the Slovenian Choir in the UK directed by Kaja sang, and Slovenian violinist Nikola Pajanović  gave a short recital. Finally Vlado Kreslin  brought the evening to a climax in his inimitable way.

Meanwhile a tombola organised by Andrej Ogorevc and Mateja Šömen raised a record £1,062 for Barka, the charity for people with special needs which we support in Slovenia. This is more than twice as much as ever before. For the tombola, Elan donated a pair of skis, Trimo gave a voucher for travel worth €500, and Riko donated a weekend stay at Škrabčeva domačija in Slovenia.

We acknowledge with thanks a grant from the Slovenian Government’s Office for Slovenians Abroad to help us stage events.

Photographs kindly taken by Anthony Dawton.

Here is a message from Office for Slovenians Abroad:

Univerza v Ljubljani vabi na spletno predstavitev možnosti magistrskega in doktorskega študija na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Predstavitev bo potekala 10. aprila 2024 ob 14. uri v angleškem jeziku.

Na dogodku vam bodo predstavili koristne informacije o magistrskem in doktorskem študiju na Univerzi v Ljubljani, življenju v Sloveniji ter možnostih akademskega, kariernega in osebnega razvoja tako za sedanje študente Univerze v Ljubljani kot za tiste, ki nameravate študirati na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Predstavitev bo potekala v angleškem jeziku.

Za udeležbo na dogodku je obvezna prijava. Registrirate se lahko preko obrazca na spodnji povezavi. Pred dogodkom vam bodo poslali Zoom povezavo.

Vljudno vabljeni.

Več informacij najdete na naslednjih povezavah:

• v slovenščini: https://slovenci.si/predstavitev-moznosti-magistrskega-in-doktorskega-studija-na-univerzi-v-ljubljani/
• v angleščini: https://slovenci.si/en/possibilities-for-masters-and-phd-studies-at-the-university-of-ljubljana/

We have received a note informing us that after a number of interviews Alexander Mohar Csaky has been accepted onto the ASEF Fellowship Program for this summer.

He is extremely excited to be given this opportunity. He is in his final year at Oxford reading Archeology & Anthropology. For him and his family this is very poignant as his grandfather (Valentin Mohar) would have been extremely proud.

He wishes this to be mentioned on our website to encourage others to apply. Therefore we publish the information about the programme again should anybody else wish to apply:

The ASEF Visit Slovenia scholarship program is a one-year initiative offering young individuals the opportunity for a 10-week working or research visit at a Slovenian university, company, or research institute within their field of study or expertise. Scholarship recipients will collaborate with Slovenian professors, project mentors, and fellow members of the professor’s research team. The program’s primary objective is to provide talented young individuals with Slovenian heritage a chance for professional growth while immersing themselves in the culture, language, and research environment of Slovenia. Additionally, scholarship recipients will engage with Slovenes and Slovenian communities and participate in events organized by ASEF.

Applications for the scholarship program are open to students enrolled in accredited higher education institutions, regardless of their field of study, as well as other young individuals with Slovenian roots residing abroad. Knowledge of the Slovenian language and familiarity with Slovenia is recommended but not mandatory. Typical applicants may include undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral students from the United States, Canada, Argentina, or any other country.

The call for applications for the 2024 ASEF Visit Slovenia scholarship program can be found at the following link:

https://asef.net/event/applications-are-now-open-for-the-2024-asef-fellowship-program-visit-slovenia/

This is to remind you that booking will close at midday on Friday 23rd February for the British-Slovene Society’s Annual Prešeren celebration with Vlado Kreslin.

• Saturday 2nd March 2024. Drinks from 6 pm, dinner at 6:50 pm.

• Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel, 12 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0HX (undergrounds Euston, Euston Square, King’s Cross, Russell Square)

The capacity of  the hotel is limited, and it’s first come first served.

Despite inflation, we are keeping rates unchanged from last year:

– Paid up BSS Members £62, non-Members £77, students and under-18s £39

For that you will enjoy a drinks reception, a three-course dinner with wine, Vlado Kreslin’s concert and a tombola with all sorts of attractive prizes.

Note: if you become a Member now, you benefit from the Member’s lower rate. Membership costs £15 per year, and £25 for families.

Reserve your places now using the online Application Form. 

If you wish to make up your own party, you can indicate this in the Application Form. You can also advise any special dietary requirements.

The tombola will benefit Barka, the charity for people with special needs that we support in Slovenia.

We look forward to welcoming you!

We are grateful to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for supporting this event with a grant.

Trustees of the British-Slovene Society