myself. It also improved my
communication skills and
telephone manner. I would
definitely do it again if the
opportunity came up.' Flora
Ragless-Green, UWE Stu-
dent.
We had a fantastically success-
ful telephone campaign—our
first one where 1500 alumni
were contacted and raised an
impressive £76,000 in dona-
tions and pledges! Thank
you! The telethon not only
raised funds for the University
but also helped develop the
relationship between alumni
and the institution and built
relationships between alumni
and callers. The alumni of-
fered careers advice, intern-
ships and placements, helping
students develop their employ-
ability skills. The telethon
raised money for our Better
Together Fund, which includes
hardship bursaries, student
experience, students volun-
teering in the community and
social enterprise .
Our students had a great ex-
perience working on the
phones : 'I really enjoyed
the telephone campaign, I
found it really interesting
speaking to alumni, learning
about what they studied,
their time at UWE and what
they're up to now. It was a
great opportunity to net-
work to as I came away with
many contacts and suggest-
ed places to apply for work-
Telephone campaign success
Student hardship bursaries Since our last donor
newsletter we have been
able to help 12 students
with hardship bursaries,
for students facing finan-
cial difficulties. Your do-
nations are helping these
students realise their po-
tential. Jack Gibson, a
disabled student, in his
final year studying for a
BSc (Hons) in Information
Technology Management
for Business, received a
bursary which enabled
him to gain valuable in-
dustry experience whilst
studying and putting
learnings into practice.
"UWE's Better Together
Fund supported me with a
mentoring scheme which
connects disabled students
with local business leaders
on a one to one basis. Re-
ceiving a bursary from the
scheme enabled me to ac-
cess my mentor and his
place of work at South
Gloucestershire Council by
covering telephone and trav-
el costs. This scheme has
supported me in accessing a
unique opportunity to net-
work with a senior local
businessman connected to
my field of study. University
provides a great education,
but it is only when you inter-
act with people in the real world
that you can really bring out the
full potential in you."
Donor Newsletter 2014
Thank you!
Thank you so
much for support-ing us! Your dona-
tions have meant
we are changing
lives, of students
and local and glob-
al communities.
This year, we have
a record amount
of new donors and
thousands of
pounds raised for
hardship bursaries!
Page 1
We award grants to
extra curricular activi-
ties which help our
students shine.
UWE Gilding Club
received a grant to
help more students
experience gliding at
an affordable price.
We also gave a grant
to UWE Women’s
Rowing Squad to
support a rowing
training camp which
enabled more students
to attend the camp. The
women’s squad then
went on to compete
competitively for the
season, gaining Gold and
Bronze medals at British
Universities and College
Sport (BUCS) regatta and
then racing both at
Women's Henley and at
Royal Henley.
tions in British Sign Language.
nineteen UWE students are
studying for the qualification.
Cameron Parker used his
grant to give motivational
speeches to schools and col-
leges. His speeches have
helped children and young
people believe in themselves
and realise their potential.
UnLtd awarded £15,000 in
grants to UWE students as
part of a national programme
to support social entrepre-
neurs in Higher Education.
One of the award winners,
Christopher Lewis, received a
grant to start up a sign
language centre, I Can Sign
(ICS). The centre offers na-
tionally recognized qualifica-
Student Experience
Social Enterprise
Students Volunteering in the Community
take part in creative activities.
The project was run in conjunc-
tion with the Miilestones Trust,
a charity that supports people
with learning disabilities and
mental health needs. Six stu-
dent leaders and six—eight
student volunteers took part in
the project. Activities included
tie dye activities and making a
Creative Club “Tree”. The stu-
dents are using their experienc-
es for a professional practice
module and also for practicing
their problem solving skills.
Each year we support Stu-
dents Volunteering in the
Community projects, which
are initiatives where students
make an impact in the com-
munity, whilst at the same
time enhancing their team-
work, communication and
project management skills.
Learning Disabilities Ac-
tivities Group, also called
the Creative Club, received a
grant to help run sessions
encouraging 14 participants
with learning disabilities to
Page 2
Donor Newsletter 2014
UWE Gliding Club
Tie dye activities
Women’s Rowing Squad
Christopher Lewis
Cameron Parker
Santander Universities
have very generously support-
ed UWE with £40,000 per
year, for a three year period
with an additional £15,000 for
internships, which will focus
on international exchange,
entrepreneurial activities,
mobility of students and re-
searchers within universities
that already partner with San-
tander. The funding will ena-
ble current students in re-
ceipt of a bursary to progress
to postgraduate study as well
as offering travel bursaries
for Phd students to visit
overseas universities, which
are part of the Santander
Universities Network.
We have already filled all 10
internships and have carried
out a dragon’s den type event
where students pitched their
enterprise ideas, with the
winners each receiving a finan-
cial award. We are also run-
ning some other enterprise
competitions at the mo-
ment— for anyone with an
idea for a magazine or publica-
tion, or ideas for products or
services that improve patient
healthcare. We’re currently
shortlisting applications for
the Santander Postgraduate
Scholarships for undergradu-
ates who were receiving a
bursary—we have four to give
out this year, with nineteen
applications already! Applica-
tions for international scholar-
ships are open so we hope to
award those soon.
This year the Needham Cooper
Charitable Trust have kindly
supported two students, Jose-
phine Fryman and Philippa Lov-
ell, both second year Physio-
therapy students, with the costs
of their course, each receiving a
bursary of £2,500 this year and
next. The trust will continue to
support two second year stu-
dents each year until their very
generous donation of £220,000
is used up, meaning 44 UWE
Physiotherapy students will be
supported in the next 22 years.
Trust and foundation support
Needham Cooper Charitable Trust
Bristol Commonwealth Society
crime and corruption in her home
country of Nigeria. Hellen, a sec-
ond year Journalism and and Public
Relations student, received a grant
to help her travel to her assign-
ments necessary for her course.
She wants to use the knowledge
that she gains during her degree to
help boost Kenya’s economy.
The Bristol Commonwealth Society
bursary helps students from Common-
wealth countries with the costs of their
studies. Deborah Dane Osim-Asu and
Hellen Seru, both received grants to help
them with the costs of their course .
Deborah, studying an LLB in Law and in
her first year, received a bursary which
helped her to afford transport and food
whilst studying. Deborah wants to use
her Law degree to work on areas of
Page 3
Vice Chancellor Steve West with Luis Juste, Director, Santander Universities at the Partnership agreement signing in November 2013
Santander Universities
“I was so thrilled to receive the bursary and it really has made a huge dif-
ference already. Thanks to the generous bursary, I didn't need to work over
the Christmas holidays which meant that I was really able to focus on my
revision and an assignment that was due in December”
Josephine Fryman, Needham Cooper bursary recipient
“My bursary has helped me to travel to
places to carry out my assignments
which I would not have been able to if I
hadn't been awarded this bursary”
Hellen Seru, Bristol Commonwealth
Society bursary recipient
Since the appeal opened in
December 2012, a fantastic
£2,261.55 has been raised!
This is from donations
from alumni, friends and
staff, at concerts and CPA
events. Thank you for your
generosity! The money has
helped four students to
work with local young peo-
ple. Lucas Greiwe, Tom
Sanger-Borthwick, Daniel
Wackett and James White,
who are all part of the
Princes Trust XL project,
are working with pupils
from Oasis Academy
Brightstowe and Brisling-
ton Enterprise College to
learn more about music,
which is fantastic. Your
donations are also helping
CPA Music Scholars with
the cost of instruments,
music, rehearsal and con-
cert space.
Working with charity Temwa, the Degree Tree project raises money
to plant thousands of trees in Malawi, saving paper and benefiting
communities by providing cultural education. In 2013, Temwa plant-
ed over 150,000 trees with a survival rate of over 82%. As well as
growing seedlings, Temwa is also teaching communities how to raise
trees from the seed, minimizing dependence on Temwa, thereby
improving sustainability. Over 240,500 polythene tubes and tree
seeds have been distributed this year. Your donations are having an
immediate effect on combating deforestation and regenerating
woodland areas in Northern Malawi, thank you!
Music Appeal—waiting for more feedback
Degree Tree
Page 4
Donor Newsletter 2014
Tree nursery , Malawi
UWE Staff Giving scheme
UWE Staff have been donating to a scheme called Small Change
Big Difference, which has raised a fantastic £2,700 so far! The
scheme rounds up pennies from monthly pay and goes towards
hardship bursaries. We have helped four students so far—thank
you! If we sign up every member of staff at UWE we can help be-
tween 26 and 40 students a year. We also raise money with the
payroll giving scheme. If your company or organisation would be
interested in donating to UWE via payroll giving, please get in
touch with the Development Office using the contact details at
the back of this newsletter.
“My bursary will make a huge difference and
will enable me to continue, worry free, with the
final part of my PhD Thank you so much—I
didn't have access to other funds to support
myself and this money has enabled me focus
and complete my PhD” —Gillian Cope, PhD
student and recipient of funds raised by the
Small Change Big Difference scheme
We have started a new fund,
called St Matthias Bursaries
for students facing financial
difficulties who are studying
Drama, English, Film, History,
Media and Cultural Studies,
Philosophy and Teaching. We
want to ensure the legacy of
St Matthias (St Matts) lives
on for future generations.
The fund has raised a fantas-
tic £1,375 already! We want to
raise £5,000 this year so that we
can help five students. We also had
a great time meeting St Matthias
alumni at the reunion on 10 May.
Our students will be shaking buck-
ets to raise some more money for
the bursaries during the St Matts
farewell party taking place on 30
May—1 June.
panels on the school roof.
These have been generat-
ing electricity for approx-
imately three months,
saving the school valuable
money which they are
now able to spend on
other important aspects
of the pupils’ education.
Thank you so much for
your generous donations!
In May and June 2013 the
Sithobelumthetho Primary
School, from the township
of Madadeni, South Africa,
toured the UK performing
their vibrant Zulu songs
and dances. Thanks to gen-
erous donations from sup-
porters they were able to
raise £20,000 which has
now been used to pur-
chase and install 53 solar
St Matthias Bursaries
Urine-tricity
Page 5
St Matthias campus
Solar panels at Sithobelumthetho Primary School
Project Zulu
Donations to our Robotics research have helped us to buy
pH meters and probes which will help us further investigate
the variables in the research of urine in the production of
electricity and the purification of water in the developing
world . The urine produces electricity through microbial fuel
cells, which also purifies water by killing disease –causing
pathogens in the waste—resulting in much safer sanitation
for the developing world. Your gift is making a difference to
global communities—thank you!
“I came to education
late in life , getting a degree transformed my circumstances. I donate because I
want to help others transform their circumstances”
UWE Business Studies graduate, 1996
Why I give
Thank you!
All of these projects were made possible thanks to your gener-
osity. Your donations mean we are continuing to change lives;
giving students the opportunity to realise their potential, re-
gardless of background or circumstance, helping students de-
velop skills and opportunities that last a lifetime with student
experience projects, transforming lives through student volunteering, conducting life
changing research and making an impact in local, global and national communities. I
do hope that you will continue to be able to support us. Please visit
www.uwe.ac.uk/supporters or contact the Development Office on develop-
[email protected], telephone: 0117 328 6578 if you would be interested in hearing
more about any of the projects featured in this newsletter or on our webpages.
“It is heartbreaking to hear of those students who are desperate to further their education and not
have the finances to do so. I was one of the lucky ones, who received a grant as a mature student in the
1980s and graduated with Honours from Bristol Poly and enjoyed my teaching career in a very deprived
area. My four children received grants also and are having very worthwhile careers as well. That’s why I
donated to student hardship,” Una Macmahon, B. Ed (Hons) First Class, 1988
“As a first generation university student myself and as a member of staff who hears about student
difficulties every day, I can really appreciate why it is so important to support the UWE with a donation “
UWE member of staff