As we come to the end of 2025, it feels like the right moment to pause, take stock and celebrate what has been a genuinely significant year for GuildHE and our members. With Dr Brooke Storer-Church at the helm as our new CEO, we’ve amplified our championing of the strengths of smaller, specialist and practice-based higher education - to make sure our members' voices are heard where it matters. And it’s fair to say: their voices have been heard.

Speaking up - and being listened to

This year, our policy and public affairs work has been busier than ever. From the ongoing debates around free speech, to the complexities of REF2029, to the rapidly shifting skills agenda, GuildHE has been at the table, making sure the specific needs and strengths of our members are reflected in national discussions.

We’ve strengthened relationships across government and the wider sector, and we’re fielding more incoming enquiries, meeting requests and opportunities to shape thinking than ever before. That doesn’t happen by accident - it comes from persistence, expertise, and a sector community willing to share insight and evidence at pace.

A standout moment: securing protection from the International Student Levy

One of the clearest examples of that impact this year was our work on the International Student Levy. Many of our members told us early on that the levy, applied flatly, would hit smaller-scale institutions or those with small international cohorts particularly hard. So we gathered evidence, highlighted the risks, and set out what an equitable approach could look like.

We’re delighted that this work helped secure a meaningful change: an exemption for the first 220 international students.

For many GuildHE members, this isn’t just a technical tweak - it’s a crucial safeguard that gives institutions breathing space and certainty in a challenging policy environment. It’s exactly the kind of practical, real-world impact we strive to achieve on our members' behalf.

A thriving, supportive community

But policy wins are only one part of the story. A huge amount of the value of GuildHE lies in the community it brings together.

This year we saw record levels of engagement across our networks, roundtables and briefings. These are spaces where members share ideas, test emerging challenges, and collaborate on solutions - and they’ve become even more important as the policy landscape continues to shift.

Our Doctoral Festival in June was another highlight, bringing almost 40 postgraduate researchers together for two days of inspiration, connection and skills development. Seeing the vibrancy and breadth of research happening across GuildHE institutions is always energising and we look ahead with enthusiasm at next year’s #DocFest which is already being planned.

Telling your stories, widening our reach

We’ve also made big strides in how we communicate the value and diversity of the GuildHE community.

  • Our refreshed website and brand are helping us tell your stories more clearly and confidently.
  • The new Member Spotlight series has been a great way to showcase the distinctiveness of the institutions we represent.
  • And across social media - especially LinkedIn - our audience is growing rapidly, meaning our members' work is reaching a wider sector community.

A heartfelt thank you

Before we look ahead, we want to say something important: Thank you.

GuildHE is only able to do the work we do -  the research, the policy engagement, the rapid analysis, the convening, the advocacy - because of the continued support of our members. Their membership fees make this work possible. They enable us to deliver the impacts that benefit the whole community, from major policy shifts to the everyday advice and intelligence that institutions rely on.

We don’t take that support for granted, and we remain deeply committed to ensuring that our members' investment in GuildHE delivers tangible value.

Looking towards 2026

As we move into the new year, we’re excited to build on this momentum. There is more work ahead - on regulation, on skills, on research, on the future of specialist and practice-based provision - and we intend to continue championing the diverse and distinctive contributions of our member institutions.

Most importantly, we’ll keep doing what GuildHE does best: bringing people together, amplifying our members' voices, and turning shared expertise into sector-wide impact. Here’s to another year of working together.

Sending warmest wishes for the holiday season.

From all the team at GuildHE