ADVANCE The Benefits of Giving: Our Donor Report
2012
Excellence with a Purpose
A very big thank you! would like to issue a big thank you to our alumni, donors, benefactors and friends for their generous support over the past year which has enhanced the student experience in so many important areas.
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Giving to higher education is an investment in future generations and my colleagues recognise the importance of the many ‘conversations’ we have had with our donors over the years which is helping us to understand what you want to achieve through your gifts. This in turn allows the Development team to articulate how your philanthropic aspirations can be fulfilled by investment in our educational programmes. The vision and strategic direction of Newcastle University as a world-class civic university has provided a clear framework for the development of institutional priorities of potential interest to our donors, whilst allowing sufficient flexibility to discuss particular objectives you might wish to meet within your philanthropic giving.
Many of those wonderful and varied areas of support are captured within the pages of this issue of ADVANCE and I hope that you are as inspired as we are by the achievements that donors like yourself have helped make a reality at Newcastle University. Also, thank you for the many engagement opportunities that have been made possible through mentoring, internships, and other areas of work experience that many of you have been able to provide for our students. The importance of this support for our students’ future employability cannot be underestimated. We look forward to our continued engagement with you over the coming months and years, and hope that you will be able to attend our various events and follow our news in the Alumni Association communications; Arches magazine, electronic newsletter AlumNews, and where appropriate our social networks. The Development and Alumni Relations Office and the wider University thank you once again for all your generosity and support. Jane Clubley, Director of Development
Generation, a group of three large sculptural human heads by Newcastle University Fine Art graduate, Joe Hillier, are an impressive feature of the Student Forum.
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Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 16 17 18 19 21 22 22 23 24 25
Foreword Welcome Supporting the brightest and best medical students Going the extra mile for medical students Bill supports bright sparks Legal eagles benefit from new scholarship prize Kids on cloud nine Fiona lives on in Foundation gift Great art on campus Export Academy raises the bar for business Business School honours generous donor Santander lends its support to the entrepreneurial revolution Charles Letts committee float our boat Celebrating excellence in engineering Auf Wiedersehen, Pet! Banding together to give Robert first-class help New corporate support for Marine School Women’s Circle on a mission Playtime helps to plan the future of our cities Leading the health revolution against mitochondrial diseases Best year ever for the Annual Fund Callers acknowledge your help Phonathon veteran says thank you Your help can make the difference Legacy giving Steps to giving to Newcastle
Acknowledgements
A World-class Civic University
Dear Donors and Friends ooking back at an extraordinary year for the university sector, I am pleased to report that at Newcastle our hard work, prudent planning and commitment to providing an excellent student experience has prepared us well to deal with the government’s higher education reforms.
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In the face of the challenges of the new fees regime, we have reinforced our position as a high-quality university, maintaining our student numbers and increasing the percentage of students achieving excellent grades. This is a significant achievement and demonstrates the impact of the many improvements we have made throughout the year. Investment in our campus continued throughout 2012 with major upgrades to teaching facilities and student accommodation. We also opened the doors of our impressive new INTO building, which will be home to 800 international students. Improvements to our buildings and campus are matched by our investment in the digital environment. The installation of new computer clusters across campus and in the Robinson Library is providing greater access to technology and resources than ever before. Thanks to our benefactors we have had an excellent response to our ‘Promise Scholarships’, which will help 20 young people who show the most academic potential but are least likely to attend a top UK university to benefit from a full scholarship. An example of how your gifts can make a huge difference. In the year we also received a Times Higher Award for our leading the 12 universities in the ‘Realising Opportunities’ programme, where we work with schools to help raise aspirations. We continue to play a role in supporting Newcastle and the wider region to deal with the economic downturn. During the year, I was privileged to chair the Newcastle Fairness Commission, which aims to guide the Council in its decision-making at a time of budget cuts. Work to extract near-surface coal on the Science Central site has also started and will pave the way for a mixed-use development on which the University will site its sustainability teaching and research.
Contributors: Michael Baker, Charlotte Ball, Hannah Barstow, Professor Chris Brink, Anne Burton, Jane Clubley, Richard Dale, Suzanne Davies, Katie Harland, Karen Hendrix (editor), Luke Holian, James Johnston, Joanna Mason Designed by GDA, Northumberland Printed by Statex Colour Print Newcastle upon Tyne
How cities like Newcastle survive and thrive in such turbulent times is the focus of the University’s Newcastle Institute for Social Renewal, which was launched in 2012 to provide leadership on our final Societal Challenge Theme. Alongside our research into Ageing and Sustainability, Social Renewal aims to tackle the profound challenges that impact on people, not just in our city, but nationally and internationally. It takes many people to make a successful university and not least the continued support of our alumni, donors and friends, for which we offer our grateful thanks.
Illustrative material has been provided by: David Bell, John Donoghue, Andrew Taylor, Alexander Wilson
Professor Chris Brink Vice-Chancellor
Cover photo: Alexander Wilson
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Supporting the brightest and the best medical students athan Campbell is the inaugural Carson Dick Intercalated Scholar. This new scholarship was made possible through the generous support of the FARNE Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.
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FARNE (Fight Arthritis and Rheumatism in the North East) was a local arthritis charity supporting research at Newcastle University. The charity was founded by the late Dr W Carson Dick, who was the first academic appointment in Rheumatology at Newcastle University. The charity brought together clinical academics with rheumatologists at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, and thanks to the generosity of patients, their families and friends, over ÂŁ500k was raised to support arthritis research at Newcastle University.
Nathan Campbell.
Now administered by the Community Foundation, the FARNE Fund supports research into the causes of arthritis with the aim of finding new and effective treatments. It provides funding for PhD studentships and clinical fellowships. In 2012, the FARNE committee established a new intercalated scholarship in memory of the late Dr W Carson Dick. The scholarship provides an opportunity for medical students to develop skills and gain experience in a world-class arthritis research environment. We are grateful for the Community Foundation’s support for scholarships at Newcastle University, and for particularly supporting medical students to gain the research skills required for a career in academic medicine.
If you would like to support other medical students so that they have the same opportunity as Nathan, please contact James Johnston on 0191 222 6072 or james.johnston@ncl.ac.uk
Dr W Carson Dick pioneered arthritis research at Newcastle University, and we are delighted to celebrate his memory through an intercalated scholarship from the FARNE Fund. We hope that this opportunity will encourage medical students to follow in his footsteps, and help improve the lives of people with arthritis. Gill Lowing, Community Foundation Tyne and Wear and Northumberland
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Going the extra mile for medical students s the first cohort of 1834 Scholars finish their research projects, we are pleased to announce the second round of scholars who will be commencing their studies in the autumn.
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This year’s scholars are: Georgina Smalley, Elisabeth Pestell Award Ashleigh Ivy Kathryn Powell Wirginia Bada, Rothschild Bursary Alison Pitts, Year of ’59 Award Leigh Wilson Kirsty Hall, Year of ’69 Award James Muggleton, Rothsbury Bursary Mathew Tuck Abigail Soul, Angus Hedley Whyte Award Professor Chris Day, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Medical Sciences, says, ‘The 1834 Fund has enabled us to go the extra mile and offer scholarships to support students who are looking to develop a career in research. We know that these early research ideas need to be nurtured and offering financial support is
a tremendous way of achieving our goal of translating research ideas into clinical benefits. We have a successful track record of nurturing medical students who can go on to develop groundbreaking medical research and some of our senior professors have come through this route. Philanthropy from alumni and friends of the Medical School is a wonderful way for us to make this happen. I am pleased to be supporting the 1834 Fund myself and am encouraged greatly by the students whom we have already supported.’ We would like to thank our donors who continue to support the 1834 Fund each year and who may have also had the opportunity to talk to a student in the recent Phonathon. We are pleased to be working with a number of MB BS year groups who, whilst gathered together at their reunion, have chosen to donate together to support medical students. ‘The Class of 1976’ is just about to hit its £20,000 target, which will support bursaries for students coming to study medicine from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Medical student, Hayley Coleman with 1834 supporter, Dr. Ann Brown.
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Bill supports bright sparks S-based graduate F William ‘Bill’ Stephenson has increased his gift to Electrical Engineering to allow the School to offer a scholarship of £2,000 each year to the top student entering the University to begin their Stage 1 studies.
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A native of North Tyneside, Bill Stephenson graduated in 1963 and emigrated to the US in 1978 on taking up a teaching appointment at Virginia Tech University, where he rose to become Dean of the College of Engineering and a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Bill comments on his upbringing, ‘I was an only child from a very supportive, but relatively poor family living in a home with gas lighting and outdoor facilities. It is strange that I should study Electrical Engineering without ever having encountered its benefits in everyday domestic life.’ Bill takes a keen interest in Newcastle matters, especially relating to his beloved Newcastle United. ‘Unfortunately, following Newcastle often leads to very stressful Saturdays,’ he says. ‘King’s College and Newcastle University transformed my life and gave me opportunities I never dreamed
Bill Stephenson today and graduation in 1963.
possible. The University has had a very special place in my heart for over 50 years. Without scholarships, I could not have afforded a university education without extreme financial sacrifice. By creating this scholarship, I hope to help foster excellence by contributing in some small way to the future success of a talented individual.’ Head of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Professor Bayan Sharif, commented, ‘We are extremely proud that Professor Stephenson has such strong links to the School where he obtained his undergraduate degree and his PhD and we are delighted that he continues to support the new generation of engineers in such a positive manner.’
I am the first in my family to obtain a degree and I hope my success encourages my own children to follow in my footsteps. I want to thank the Newcastle University Women’s Club for their generosity and kindness in funding this award, which has provided support and encouragement for both my family and me. Their generous gift will help fund my future Master’s studies. Sharron O’Reilly, Newcastle University Women’s Club Scholar
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Legal eagles benefit from new scholarship prize tar students in Newcastle Law School have been rewarded with a generous scholarship prize donated by international law firm Squire Sanders. The purpose of the prize is to reward undergraduate students who have demonstrated both excellent academic results in their first-year examinations, along with evidence of making a positive contribution to their community. The successful students are awarded a scholarship and a place on the firm’s summer vacation scheme.
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The winner of the inaugural prize was Thea Bainbridge, a second-year student who does a variety of extracurricular activities. Thea took a gap year in 2010 and worked for the NGO Projects Abroad Human Rights Organisation (PAHR), based in Accra in Ghana, and was a finalist for the second year running in the senior group of the University’s internal mooting competition. She also sails competitively in the Newcastle University Sailing and Yachting Club and holds the position of the club’s communications officer. Thea will be doing her placement in the firm’s London office.
The awards were made at the Squire Sanders offices in London. Richard Morton, graduate recruitment partner at Squire Sanders, said, ‘Giving something back to local communities is important to us, so we are delighted to work closely with Newcastle University in looking for people who not only aspire to academic excellence but who also have an equal commitment to helping their local communities and charities.’ The Law School has been working with Squire Sanders on graduate employability and recruitment for several years, and Professor Rodgers, head of Newcastle Law School, is proud to be working with the firm on this initiative, ‘I am pleased to be building further links with Squire Sanders, and that this relationship is benefitting our students in such a tangible way. I am very grateful to the firm for supporting our students, and I hope to continue to work with them for many years to come.’
The runner up was Shauna McNulty, also a secondyear student, who has previously held the position of Vice President of the Student Trainee Exchange Programme within the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA). She is due to start training this summer to become a Citizens Advice Bureau advisor, and has also volunteered on the ‘Success4 All’ outreach programme, offering support and assistance to children in Newcastle. She continues to raise money for various charities by taking part in 10k runs. Shauna will be carrying out her placement in Squire Sanders’ Leeds office. Thea Bainbridge, this year’s winner of the Squire Sanders Scholarship Prize.
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Kids on cloud nine foundation set up by Newcastle University alumnus John Atkin and his wife Beverley has supported an innovative project led by Professor Sugata Mitra of the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences. The project, called the Granny Cloud, sees a group of mostly retired teachers from the UK and beyond ‘e-mediating’ with children aged between 6 and 13 in disadvantaged areas of India over Skype. Types of interaction include reading stories, conversing and singing, amongst other activities. The Cloud is managed out of India and this involves enrolling volunteers, evaluating their skills, testing their technology, conducting trial sessions and scheduling actual sessions with schools.
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This project follows on from Professor Mitra’s wellrespected Hole-in-the-Wall project, in which he made computers accessible to children in the slums of India and found that, with no training or coaching, children learnt to use the computers by constructing their own learning environments. Since then, Professor Mitra has been exploring the importance of technology in education and working around the hypothesis that children can acquire skills and knowledge even in very deprived areas if they are given access to the right kinds of technology. The John and Beverley Atkin Foundation is based in Switzerland and focuses on the education and social integration of poor and needy children, a cause that came to the couple’s attention as a result of Beverley’s upbringing in Zimbabwe and the couple’s numerous trips back to Southern Africa. John Atkin graduated with a first degree in Zoology in 1974 and a PhD in 1979, and the Atkins’ daughter also studied at the University, so Newcastle is important to the family as an institution. Beverley explains that she and her husband chose to support the Granny Cloud
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‘Skype granny’ Val Almond leads a craft activity with a group of children from a rural school in Hyderabad.
specifically because ‘we were intrigued by the innovative nature of the project and felt that it was worthwhile’. She recalls that ‘watching a film showing the children’s excitement and enthusiasm when the computer was installed was rewarding and it was moving to see how they valued something we all take for granted’. The impact of gifts like this cannot be underestimated; the Granny Cloud project costs around £2,000 per month to run at the moment, and the Atkins’ gift has helped to secure this for the future. Plans are in place to extend and enhance the programme if more funding is made available. This would mean that more children would benefit from the activity, and research could be undertaken into the impact of the supervised mediating sessions on learning.
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Fiona lives on in Foundation gift he family and friends of a Chemical Engineering graduate, who sadly died last year, have set up a charitable Foundation in her memory.
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The Fiona Foundation honours Fiona Karran (nee Duncan), who studied at Newcastle 1984–87. At that time only one per cent of Chemical Engineering students were female. Fiona was one of only four female students on her course. That ratio has since improved but still remains too low and The Fiona Foundation aims to help others benefit from the same opportunity Fiona had. The Foundation is offering a scholarship of £1,500 to a first-year female undergraduate student in the School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials.
Fiona’s Newcastle friend Caroline Clark recalled, ‘Fee was always interested in science and as a real child of the seventies, she got her first chemistry set in 1975. She spent hours performing experiments in the kitchen to impress her sister Siobhan and brother James.’ ‘Fiona loved her course, her friends and her student life at Newcastle. She worked hard and took her degree seriously, as well as making plenty of time to enjoy the freedom and experiences of university life.’ While at University, Fiona also had the opportunity to star with Professor Ian Fells in the TV programme QED. Caroline commented, ‘The love and support that she engendered throughout her life led to the establishment of The Fiona Foundation. It is not only a memorial to Fiona but also an opportunity to give something back to some of the institutions from which she derived so much benefit in her life.’
Fiona Karran is pictured here with her class in the centre of the second row and Professor Fells is third from the left in the front row.
I studied theatre directing for my undergraduate degree. The love of working within the arts industry was why I wanted to apply for a business degree, so that I could learn the skills that I would need to set up my own theatre company. I am so thankful for the generosity of the Benefactor’s Fund and this opportunity to learn the skills that will help me achieve my goals. Helen Dobson, 2012 recipient of the Business School’s Benefactor’s Fund Scholarship for Enterprise and Innovation
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Great art on campus rave and original art can be found in the Hatton Gallery, in our buildings and in public spaces on campus. Great art creates a thriving, exciting environment at the heart of the city centre, to be used and enjoyed by students, staff and people just passing through. Thanks to many generous benefactors, Newcastle University is the proud custodian of art from different eras and genres. This philanthropic tradition continues today as generous donations are helping with the conservation of art on our campus.
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Standing in front of the Herschel Building is an important post-war 20th century sculpture. Spiral Nebula by Geoffrey Clarke RA is a monumental and striking example of the artist’s work and one of few examples from this period sited in a public location in Newcastle upon Tyne. Spiral Nebula was commissioned in 1962 by the architect, Sir Basil Spence, for the grounds of the Herschel Building. Spence often worked collaboratively with Clarke, and Spiral Nebula complements the building’s modernist architecture. On first view, the sculpture appears to be constructed out of wooden slats, however closer inspection reveals a steel structure with painted cast aluminium panels. Viewed in relation to the then new physics building’s use, the sculpture can be taken as a symbol of scientific advances in the 1960s. Yet, the sculpture caused a dispute between Clarke and Spence. It is understood Spence thought its waxed finish distracted attention
We are delighted to support the conservation of Spiral Nebula, and to contribute to future understanding and enjoyment of Clarke’s important sculpture. Richard Calvocoressi, Director, Henry Moore Foundation
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Geoffrey Clarke’s Spiral Nebula in its current position near the Herschel building.
from the building and a month after unveiling, the sculpture was flame blasted and painted grey. Over the past 50 years, the sculpture’s surface and structural condition has inevitably degraded. As custodian of this innovative sculpture, the University is embarking on conservation work to ensure it can be appreciated for many years to come. This will allow audiences to appreciate the original condition and concept of Clarke’s Spiral Nebula, along with relocating it to an improved position within the Herschel quadrangle. Missing aluminium panels will be re-cast using Clarke’s lost polystyrene process and cleaning will remove the grey paint from the surface, restoring the sculpture to its former glory. Thanks to the support of The Henry Moore Foundation and INTO Partnership, we will be able to ensure Spiral Nebula’s full appreciation by people who study, work and visit our campus.
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Export Academy raises the bar for business ocal businessman Dr Herbert Loebl will celebrate his 90th birthday next year, and is determined to use his years of expertise to benefit people starting up in enterprise. To this end, Herbert works with Newcastle University Business School to support the Herbert Loebl Export Academy, an annual series of workshops aimed at helping companies to export their goods.
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Herbert graduated from his first degree at Newcastle (then King’s College Durham) in 1949, obtained his PhD in 1985 and also has an honorary DSc from the University. He arrived in England from Germany at the end of 1938, and set up a scientific instruments business Joyce, Loebl & Company in 1951. The business was sold to US buyers in 1960, but Herbert remained chairman for a number of years and was awarded an OBE for his services to exports in 1973. He is, therefore, the ideal champion for SMEs wishing to build their export offer. A donation made by Herbert in 2008 has supported the Export Academy for the past three years, and during that time a number of small to medium sized companies have benefitted from the excellent free-ofcharge business advice and networking opportunities afforded by the scheme. Speaking about his commitment to supporting exports, Herbert notes that ‘while the large firms in the region have a good
record of exports, this applies only to five per cent of the firms. While this underestimates the direct contributions of SMEs to the exports of the big firms, I felt that SMEs could probably do better in direct exports and this was the reason why I decided to propose the Export Academy to the Business School of Newcastle University’. He has been delighted by the response and says that staff from the School, most notably Dr Fiona Whitehurst, Dr Joanna Berry and Engagement Support Co-ordinator Jenny Hasenfuss, have ‘made major contributions to the basic concept’. Former Herbert Loebl Export Academy mentor Darren Williams, managing director of Harland Corporation Ltd based in Seaham, Durham, explains that ‘I took part in the Academy last year as a mentor as I could see that this was a key opportunity to help pass on the skills and knowledge I have learnt to other businesses. With thousands of different things to consider when exporting, there are huge benefits to listening to people’s experiences in a group environment and you can quickly pick up and filter the most relevant aspects of exporting to your business’. He goes on to note that Herbert’s support of the Export Academy ‘has been invaluable, even to the most experienced exporters’. Newcastle University Business School Director of Engagement Dr Joanna Berry says, ‘The Herbert Loebl Export Academy provides the Business School with the opportunity to reach out to small firms promising big things and, through our partnerships, provide them with some of the most relevant and useful business skills and knowledge. As a civic university, with a global reach, our regional presence and therefore responsibility to the local community is at the heart of everything we do. Sharing world-class knowledge with the business community is a key aim of the Business School.’
Left to right: Joanna Berry, Herbert Loebl, Jenny Hasenfuss, Gordon Oliviere.
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Business School honours generous donor ne of the lecture theatres in the new Business School building has been named in honour of the School’s generous benefactor Peter Lomas. The Lomas Lecture Theatre is used for public lectures as well as student classes, and has given the University the opportunity to show its gratitude for Peter’s generosity.
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Peter, who graduated from the University with an MA degree in Economics in 1949, lives in Australia and recently celebrated his 90th birthday. He first decided to make provision for the Business School in his will after the death of his wife Norah in 2008. Since then, he has made a series of lifetime donations to support a PhD studentship in the School, the Peter and Norah Lomas Scholarship in Economics.
Three students are already benefitting from the award, which fully supports a new student each year for all three years of the PhD programme. The scholarship has been of great value to all three. One of the recipients, Muhammad Waqas, explains that ‘this award is a turning point of my career. Without this, it would not have been possible for me to continue my studies. This award will enable me to undertake the research I wanted to do in the field of labour economics. The Peter and Norah Lomas PhD Scholarship has made my future bright.’ A fourth student, Giulio Antonelli, whose research will focus on international trade and economic growth, has just been chosen as the newest recipient. Giulio said: ‘The award of studentship will strongly impact my next three years in terms of research and career prospects, allowing me to pursue my interests in this subject and to join an extraordinary research team.’
Giulio Antonelli, the new Lomas Studentship holder, with last year’s scholar, Ilona Serwicka.
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Santander lends its support to the entrepreneurial revolution
Santander’s Maureen Armstrong with some of those who have benefitted from Rise Up. First row (left to right): Rachel Taylor, Maureen Armstrong, Will Clowes, Rob Grisdale. Second row (left to right): Simon Barker, Roland Glancy, Paul Cowie, Tim Heyes, Charlie Warburg, Jack Payne. Back row: Ed Tame.
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antander Universities have been supporting Newcastle University’s Rise Up campaign since 2009, and this year their support helped the Careers Service to set up a new initiative, the Rise Up Pitch. Santander allocated £8,000 to the programme, which supports the creation of sustainable new ventures.
House for their first-ever annual dinner. The dinner was held in celebration of the student and graduate entrepreneurs who have benefitted from the support of Rise Up. Among the 90 guests were past Santander business grant recipients, business mentors and the Rise Up Investor Panel.
The Rise Up Pitch provides entrepreneurial students and graduates with access to a panel of some of the region’s most influential and experienced business professionals, entrepreneurs and investors. This panel helps these budding entrepreneurs to access start-up and growth finance. Maureen Armstrong, Business Development Director for Santander, sits on the Rise Up Pitch Investor Panel alongside representatives from the finance and investment community. It was through the Rise Up Pitch process that the University selected two entrants to put forward for the 2012 Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards, Home Scope and Uni Car Ads.
The winners of this year’s Rise Up ‘One to Watch’ Award sponsored by Santander were Ed Tame and Tim Heyes from The Fresh Shrimp Company. The award was made in recognition of their commitment to pursuing their idea alongside their study on the MSc in Aquaculture, Enterprise and Technology. Ed and Tim were pleased to have their business recognised in this way, ‘We were delighted to receive this award. Not only is it a fantastic endorsement of what we are trying to achieve, receiving the award was also a great confidence boost. We are both really excited to see where we can take our idea and the money will help us to move ahead more quickly than we otherwise would have been able to.’
In May, representatives from Santander joined the Careers Service’s Rise Up team at Jesmond Dene ADVANCE 2012
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Left to right, back: Ken Carter, John Batchelor, Henrietta Batchelor, Alex Letts, James Layton, George Greenwood, Anna MacDonald, Finan Letts, Prof Mehmet Atlar. Front: John Lloyd, Roger Earl.
Charles Letts committee float our boat embers of the Charles Letts Memorial Committee gathered in Newcastle in March to meet some of their student beneficiaries and to take a trip on the new research vessel RV The Princess Royal, which they helped to fund.
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The Charles Letts Fund was set up after the premature death in 2000 of Charles Letts, who worked in marine insurance in the City of London, and provides a valuable link between maritime research in Newcastle University and City institutions. Since 2004, 27 students from the School of Marine Science and Technology have benefitted with scholarship awards from the fund. The committee is made up of Charles Letts’ family members and his friends in the marine insurance industry. One of the group, John Lloyd, raised £100,000 towards the new research vessel from contacts in the City.
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The RV The Princess Royal was formally named by HRH The Princess Royal in a ceremony on the Newcastle Quayside last September. The £1 million vessel was designed by students and staff in the School of Marine Science and Technology, and built by North East boat builder Alnmaritec based in Blyth. It is in full use for teaching and research activities and is already in much demand for charter by commercial organisations. A first-year student Amelia Buchan wrote, ‘I was lucky enough to be part of the first group of students to go on the new research boat, RV The Princess Royal, and to get a taste of life as a marine researcher. The state-of-the-art equipment used to take the samples amazed me and during the trip we were shown how to take sediment and water samples. I look forward to spending a lot of time on the boat in the future and it will be a valuable resource during my third year research project.’
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Celebrating excellence in engineering e celebrate the very best of our undergraduate engineering students with the annual award of the William Benedict Coleman Scholarships.
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The scholarship programme was established in 1997 with a bequest from the late Mrs Sarah Ann Coleman in memory of her husband, William. He was a successful engineer, who lived and worked in the North East of England. After her death, Mrs Coleman’s executors worked with the University to establish an endowed scholarship programme. Today, the scholarships are awarded to the most promising engineering undergraduates at Newcastle University. In the past five years, 19 students have received William Benedict Coleman Scholarships and
over £80,000 has been awarded. The scholarships are awarded each year to the best students seeking entry to Stage 2 of the MEng/BEng course in any Engineering School within the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering. This year we celebrated the students’ achievements with Mr Peter May, executor of Mrs Coleman’s estate and Mr Michael Bird DL, chair of the University’s Development Trust and Dr Oli King and Dr Jim Smith from the University Exhibitions and Engineering Scholarships Committee. It was a great opportunity to hear about Mr and Mrs Coleman’s life, Mr Coleman’s career as an engineer, and to learn more about their generous gift to engineers at Newcastle University.
Left to right: Peter May, Zihao Kan, Jim Smith, Michael Bird, Robert Harding, Jonathan McDonough, Robert Moody, Chien Goh, Adam Buxton, Helen Wilcox, Dr Oliver King.
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Auf Wiedersehen, Pet! A
gift from a Modern Languages graduate has funded a bursary to support a student travelling abroad to take a language learning course. Brendan Thorpe, who graduated with a degree in French and German in 1981, wanted to support students travelling abroad to develop their language skills between the first and second years of their degree. Brendan had donated to the Annual Fund for many years and decided to make a more significant donation because ‘the timing seemed appropriate and I heard of the idea of a bursary that could be used by a language student’. He spent time in France and Germany during his own year abroad, and wanted to support students through this kind of travel bursary because ‘getting an extra bit of time in a country will improve linguistic skills, increase cultural knowledge and generally help towards a final qualification’. He adds that ‘travel is costly, so I am glad that my contribution offers extra encouragement and love of languages!’ The bursary was awarded to Genna Stainforth, a first-year student in German, French and Spanish. Genna travelled to Germany over the summer to take part in an intensive month-long language course at Humbolt Universität zu Berlin, called ‘Berlin: German Capital, European Metropolis’. Genna says, ‘the Brendan Thorpe Travel Bursary allowed me to go
Genna Stainforth, delighted bursary winner.
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to Germany to study the language there in the country where it should be spoken and gave me proper experience of how to use the language in real life’. For Genna, this was an amazing opportunity, and one that would not have been possible without the bursary. Brendan feels that the experience of supporting Genna has been extremely worthwhile. He believes that it is important for graduates to consider giving back in this way because, ‘even though I don’t currently use my degree daily, I think the experience of being at Newcastle has enhanced my life in many ways – from the qualification, to the friends I still have – not to mention my enduring fondness for the city itself. However small your donation, it can make a huge difference to a student.’
Banding together to give Robert first-class help hen Electrical Engineering graduates from the Year of 1961 held a class reunion in October 2008, they decided to set up a fund for a scholarship to help future students in electrical engineering.
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This summer the first recipient of the fund, Robert Moody, graduated with a first-class degree after three very successful years at Newcastle. As well as earning excellent marks throughout his course, Robert represented the University in Athletics and Cross Country, and Orienteering and Adventure Racing, and also acted as a Student Ambassador to promote the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering to prospective students.
scholarship. It has meant a great deal to me, most importantly meaning I have not had to work in a parttime job throughout my time at University.’ Malcolm Kennedy, of the Year of 1961 Reunion Group, commented, ‘The graduates of 1961 decided they’d like to give something back to electrical engineering at Newcastle. In Robert they found someone with great promise and we’re delighted with his achievements. We wish him well in his future career.’
After graduation, Robert will join the Siemens Graduate Development Programme in an engineering role. He said of his scholarship, ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the donors from the Class of 1961 for awarding me this very generous
Robert Moody at his graduation with Malcolm Kennedy.
New corporate support for Marine School G L Noble Denton are independent advisors providing consulting, design, assurance and project execution services to the offshore, maritime and onshore oil and gas industries. Graduate David Byrne (MSc Engineering 1981), who was General Manager at the Cramlington, Northumberland offices of GL Noble Denton, was instrumental in persuading the company to set up ADVANCE 2012
a scholarship in the School of Marine Science and Technology. Students, preferably from the North East, will benefit with an award of £3,000 a year and the opportunity of a vacation work placement at the company. GL Noble Denton also sponsored the annual alumni event for marine students at the Royal Institute of Naval Architects this spring. 16
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Women’s Circle on a mission t has been a busy year for the Newcastle University Women’s Circle, which raises money for disadvantaged young people wishing to attend the University. The group has changed its fundraising focus and also dedicated a great deal of time and energy to the organisation of a high-profile fundraising event in London featuring Financial Times columnist and television personality Mrs Moneypenny.
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In previous years, money raised by the group has supported the PARTNERS programme, an assessed summer school system that enables young people from non-traditional backgrounds to experience University life and gives them the opportunity to receive a reduced offer based on their involvement in the programme. The PARTNERS programme is now supported by other sources, so the Women’s Circle members decided to turn their attention to supporting students experiencing financial hardship while studying, and also to change the way in which they fundraise. They plan to host an annual ticketed event open to graduates and non-graduates alike, with all proceeds going to hardship bursaries.
From 2012/13, the Women’s Circle hopes to provide three new students each year with a bursary of £1,000 annually to support them through the three years of their degree programme. The group hopes to continue to fundraise for these bursaries by selling tickets for events. Chair of the Women’s Circle Teresa Graham (BA English Literature, 1977) explains that ‘the ethos behind the circle is women getting together to help change a bit of the world in a quiet but effective way’. The idea of fundraising through events responds to the strengths of the members of the Women’s Circle, all of whom have good organisational skills and excellent contacts within the graduate community and beyond. Teresa hopes that, in the near future, ‘more women will join the circle and contribute both personally to the much-needed funding, as well as helping to fundraise annually so that many more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are allowed to fly through education’.
If you would like to join the Women’s Circle, or if you have a suggestion for a future event, please contact Katie Harland at katie.harland@ncl.ac.uk or 0191 222 5400
I believe that studying abroad at Newcastle University will be a wonderful opportunity for me to transform myself into a whole person ready to embrace adulthood and prepare for a health occupation in a diverse and changing world. I am very honoured and grateful for your providing me with financial assistance through the US Friends Scholarship to study at Newcastle University. Noreen Petresh, US Friends Study Abroad Scholar
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Playtime helps to plan the future of our cities isitors to the Great North Museum this spring were invited to help construct a Lego city to explore some of the major planning challenges that impact on people’s everyday lives. Over five weeks, cameras monitoring the Great North Build Lego City captured the growth of an urban landscape, from just a handful of bricks into a thriving metropolis. 10,000 visitors created the city over the course of the exhibition, using around 110,000 bricks, and helped to determine the city’s size, scale and purpose.
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Each day visitors were asked to react to new circumstances and decide how developments in commercial, residential and retail space could be accommodated, according to a set of planning guidelines. The most extreme scenario called visitors to respond to an emergency situation. A crisis level 4 was declared by the Lego city Mayor, when a flood engulfed the city after the blue brick river burst its banks. The public were posed questions such as how cities cope with an increasing and ageing population and what makes an urban environment a good place to live.
The Great North Build marked the public launch of the University’s Newcastle Institute for Social Renewal, a dedicated centre for research into some of the biggest problems faced by individuals and communities today. The interactive exhibition was complemented by a programme of events, including a seminar on the Jilted Generation. With the average age of first-time buyers in the UK now 37 years, and a typical mortgage deposit being around half the average income, the property market has slowed down and younger people in particular are facing a crisis in terms of the availability of affordable homes. The seminar was sponsored by Grainger plc, the UK’s largest specialist residential landlord. The company, based in Newcastle, was celebrating their centenary. Newcastle agriculture graduate Nick Jopling, executive director of Grainger, was one of the panel members at the seminar, which was chaired by Peter Hetherington of The Guardian.
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Leading the health revolution against mitochondrial diseases he Medical School is home to a world-leading research team investigating disorders linked to mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ which fuel the cells, tissues and organs of the body. We have been working with a number of individuals and charities who are committed to supporting research that will unlock understanding about genetic diseases that have blighted families for generations. Research is essential to develop technologies that will help experts tackle a range of brain disorders, particularly those in later life and also diseases such as muscular sclerosis.
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Earlier this year the team, led by Professor Doug Turnbull, was successful in securing a Wellcome Trust grant of £5.8 million to develop a specialist centre that could pave the way to develop in vitro fertilisation treatment to prevent the hereditary transmission of devastating mitochondrial diseases.
A word from one of our donors: Peter Straker and the White Coat Wonders ‘I studied medicine with the intention of being a surgeon in the developing world. During my surgical training, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
It worked. Now I can walk, see, and speak again, my long-term girlfriend stayed with me, we are now married with a beautiful daughter.
Within a month of Médecins sans Frontières agreeing to send me on a mission, I started to limp. After six months my life was all hoists, wheelchairs and being on the wrong side of the doctor–patient relationship. That Christmas I was nearly quadriplegic with my swallow, speech and breathing affected. With no more conventional treatments available, it felt entirely hopeless.
As a thanks to the staff who treated me, I established a charity called White Coat Wonders which is now funding research into progressive MS at Newcastle. So far we have raised over £62k through auctions and comedy evenings and this has enabled us to create a new research post in memory of my father who died of MS.
My doctor, Professor Bates at the RVI in Newcastle, then did something unconventional. He prescribed a drug on compassionate grounds; use of the drug for MS had ceased after a fatality on its trial, but regardless of the risk, its use could be justified in my case because when you have nothing left, you have nothing to lose.
If I’ve learned anything from this, I’d say that whilst I’m annoyed it happened, in truth, the deepened friendships, the satisfaction of having found a cause to champion and the memory of the difficult days to bring life into perspective, leads me to conclude that it is one of the best things that ever happened to me.’
For further information on the Mitochondrial Research Fund and the White Coat Wonders, please see: www.ncl.ac.uk/giving/what/health/ mitochondria and whitecoatwonders.com
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‘We????????????????? know that many families who are afflicted by these genetic disorders look to us for hope in finding a cure. Currently, there are no quick fixes, but Newcastle teams are working hard to find solutions that will make a major difference to the lives of these families.’ Doug Turnbull
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Best year ever for the Annual Fund he Annual Fund has enjoyed its most successful year in its 14-year history, raising a record-breaking £400,000 from alumni, staff and friends of the University. We have continued to invest in our widening participation initiatives by supporting our undergraduate students with bursaries and we have extended our reach to our 2012 entry students by supporting the University’s Promise Scholarship programme.
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The Annual Fund is committed to enhancing the student experience for all and your donations have helped improve the special collections for the library, enabled the Alumni Association Student Initiative Fund to continue to support extracurricular student-led projects and provide ongoing support for our 1834 Fund Scholars. Thank you to all our donors for continuing to support the Annual Fund. Charlotte Ball, Annual Fund Manager.
Lauren Girling and Lizzie Skingley, student callers 2011–12, with the Annual Fund-o-Meter.
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Callers acknowledge your help orking as part of the Phonathon team this year has been both enjoyable and rewarding! Being able to see firsthand what our work at the Annual Fund achieves is very satisfying. Many students we know have had their lives changed through collected bursaries and grants, which allow them to attend Newcastle University. This makes working in the Fund team extremely fulfilling. Through calling and engaging with our alumni and hearing their unforgettable student memories, a large number of them generously donate to our fund, making our achievements possible.
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We also recognise the importance of our local business
community to student life and we wanted to provide them with the opportunity to support our campaigns. This has been extremely successful, and numerous local businesses, including Pitcher and Piano, Empire Cinema, and Gusto, have generously shown their support and contributed incentives to the Annual Fund for our callers. We would like to express our gratitude to all the businesses that have donated, as it has provided the team with the motivation that has helped us reach over ÂŁ400,000! Hannah Barstow and Luke Holian, Student Callers
Phonathon veteran says thank you his term I waved an emotional goodbye to a fouryear chapter in my life; my work as a Phonathon caller for the Annual Fund. As often happens at times of change, I found myself reflecting on what a Michael Baker. great time I have had throughout my time there, and what it has meant to me. I began as a shiny-faced first year eager to smile as I dialled and enjoyed spending my evenings chatting to thousands of our alumni.
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Over the years I have had an uncountable number of interesting and illuminating conversations with a diverse range of alumni, most of whom have shared a passion for supporting the future of Newcastle University by ensuring the ability of every able student, no matter what background, to share the fruits of the experience and education it provides. My personal passion for the Fund and its work comes from my innate belief in social justice, and my own debt to it. Being from a less than modest background, my parents do not have the ability to
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contribute financially to my education. As a result, there is a shortfall between my income from loans and the cost of University life. Adding up the sums many moons ago made it seem impossible for me to go to University, and I considered alternatives despite clear goals I had in mind. But thanks to Newcastle University’s shared belief in social fairness, I was offered a bursary without which I would not be writing to you today. As we move into a new funding landscape for higher education, this ability for Newcastle University to offer incentives to those who may deny themselves education because of the costs becomes even more vital. Whatever the politics, this places a moral imperative on the continuation of the Fund; by donating to us, you are saying everybody of ability deserves an education, no matter what their background. As I move into my career in Town Planning, I thank you deeply on my own behalf for making this possible, and on behalf of all the others you have helped for providing us with the numerous opportunities offered at Newcastle University.
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Your help can make the difference Richard Dale, Director of Finance.
t feels that higher education, and particularly University finances, have never had a higher profile or been more contentious. Every day carries a different news story. The new funding regime is a challenge to institutions and individual students, and it is likely to be several years before we return to anything that feels like stability. Of course, our sector is not alone in facing such issues and we have to meet them with confidence.
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A particular consequence of recent changes is that higher education is becoming increasingly competitive, but this provides opportunities for the best universities to shine even brighter. Newcastle is one of these Universities. In 2012, against the challenges of significant reductions in public funding and the need to maintain investment in the student experience, we still delivered a strong financial performance. National and international surveys confirm that our students consider this to be a great University, and our research strength continues to grow.
We are also fulfilling our international ambition, having opened our new campuses in Malaysia and Singapore. But current achievements, even linked to a clear strategic vision, do not guarantee future success. Delivery of our mission to be a world-class, researchintensive University needs ongoing investment in our staff and our teaching and research facilities, and also support for our less advantaged students. It is clear that State funding and student fees are vital, but our ability to attract unregulated income and to encourage contributions from those who care about the University’s vision and future can make a big difference. Elsewhere in this report you will have read about the impact that donations and legacies have made to our enterprise. I want to thank you for this invaluable support and also to encourage your ongoing contribution to the funding and the life of our splendid University. Your generosity can make a difference at Newcastle.
Gift income received in 2011–12, breakdown by source (excluding pledges)
Ɂ Charitable Trusts 29% 38%
Ɂ Corporate
£352,452
Ɂ Individuals
£906,988
Ɂ Legacies 24%
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9%
£1,481,309
£1,517
Ɂ Charitable Research Grants
£1,104,417
Total
£3,846,683
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Legacy giving ewcastle is a world-leading University, whose teaching and research provides understanding of the critical challenges facing society today. Our ability to advance knowledge and investigate complex societal issues is ensuring that we can make the world a better place from our base in the North East of England.
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Legacy Case Study – The Rhoda Lockhart Fund Andrew Lockhart felt passionately about the need for scientists at Newcastle’s Institute for Ageing and Health to understand more about age-related disease after his beloved wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Andrew expressed a hope that an eventual understanding of the complexities of this devastating disease would lead to better diagnosis and treatment. The Rhoda Lockhart Fund now provides fellowships for early stage researchers who are developing detailed research studies with cohorts of Parkinson’s patients, and has attracted matched funding from major research charities.
The Armstrong Circle When you inform us of your legacy pledge, you automatically become a member of the Armstrong Circle. Established in 2009, the Circle demonstrates our commitment to honouring your wishes and ensures we can keep you personally in touch with activities and news from the University in the areas that matter to you most. Universities are places that change the world for the better and your pledge will help maximise the life-changing benefits we can change for the future. Please contact the team on 0191 222 7250 for further details or to receive a legacy giving pack.
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Steps to giving to Newcastle Newcastle University is an exempt charity, which means that it can claim gift aid on donations. The University can also receive gifts in kind and of shares, if this is your preferred method of giving. Leaving a gift in your will is a great way to continue supporting the University in the future. Legacies often enable people to give more to the University than they would be able to do in their lifetime, making a much bigger impact. For more information on leaving a legacy, or to let us know if you have already provided for Newcastle University in your will, please contact James Johnston on 0191 222 6072. The Annual Fund is a way for you to support the University from as little as ÂŁ5 per month. If you would like to establish a scholarship at the University you can either make a single one-off donation or a smaller annual donation over several years. It is now possible to make a gift to Newcastle University online, at: https://payments.ncl.ac.uk/alumni It is possible for companies to give to us in a tax-effective way. For all the information on the projects you can currently support at Newcastle University, please visit our website: www.ncl.ac.uk/giving
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PERSONAL DETAILS
GIFT AID DECLARATION
Name
(applicable to UK residents only)
Address
Please treat all qualifying gifts of money made, as Gift Aid donations: Please tick all boxes that apply Today
Postcode
Telephone Yes
In the future
I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 28p of tax on every £1 that I gave up to 5 April 2008 and will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give on or after 6 April 2008.
Is this a joint gift?
In the next 4 years
No
If Yes with whom? Please dedicate my gift to Student Support
Signature Date
1 / STANDING ORDER I wish to make a regular gift of £ I will make this gift every For a period of
Month
Quarter
Year
years, commencing on:
Date
Please notify the charity or CASC if you: ᔢ Want to cancel this declaration ᔢ Change your name or home address ᔢ No longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains. If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.
Bank/B. Society Address
2 / SINGLE GIFTS Name Address Account Holder Account Number Postcode Sort Code Alumni Ref No Instruction to your Bank or Building Society Please pay from the above account to Barclays Bank Plc of Percy Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4QL for the credit of ‘Newcastle University Annual Fund’. Account Number: 80512516. Sort Code: 20-59-42
I would like to give £
I enclose a cheque/CAF voucher made payable to ‘Newcastle University’ or by
Please post to: Development and Alumni Relations Office Newcastle University FREEPOST NEA4761 Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU
to the Annual Fund
VISA
MASTERCARD
MAESTRO
DELTA
AMEX
Card Number
Expiry Date Start (Maestro)
JCB
CHARITY CARD
Issue (Maestro)
Security code (last three digits on back)
Building the future Without your support, we would not be able to provide an education for life or tackle society’s big challenges. Thank you for helping to build a brighter future.
Photograph taken in this year’s Great North Build. To see more, visit: ncl.ac.uk/alumni/greatnorthbuild