Ely Cathedral hosts annual Open University East of England graduation ceremony

The annual Open University graduation ceremony – held each year at Ely Cathedral – returned to the city on Saturday (June 2).

Students arrived at the Lady Chapel for registration and refreshments with their family and friends and prepared for the many photographs to come.

Before the ceremony a 30 minute programme of organ music filled the cathedral as the graduates got into their robes and prepared to enter through the west door.

A spokesman for Ely Cathedral said: “Each year bears witness to the extraordinary achievements of the Open University students.

“For these degrees are like no other. Every student graduating will have sacrificed leisure time, sleep and family time to be standing, robed, in the cathedral nave on this day in June.

“For most watching, it will stir memories of what they have done in support of this achievement.

“The unique ‘supported open learning’ model offered by The Open University allows students to fit studies around their other commitments.

“The success of this model is borne out by the sheer numbers of participating students, more than 170,000.”