Advance 2010 / Newcastle University

ADVANCE The Benefits of Giving: Our Donor Report

Issue 6 08/10

Foreword

The future isn’t written yet...

What a story a gift makes year has passed since I last wrote an opening piece for Advance and what a year it has been in so many ways and still we continue to travel through an ever-changing landscape.

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During such times the role of Newcastle University to help shape the economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England through excellence in research, and teaching and learning becomes increasingly important.

The gifts made to Newcastle University not only allow us to help ensure that we support some of the brightest young minds today, but also endure well in to the future by providing hope and strength for the wider community.

We are grateful to everyone who has supported us in so many ways throughout the year, with benefactions, advice, activities and gifts in kind, and not least the encouragement to continue to achieve even more.

The Development and Alumni Relations Team has asked me to thank you all and to say how much they enjoy working with our alumni and friends, and to wish you all the very best over the coming months.

I hope you enjoy reading this edition of Advance and all of the inspiring stories held within its pages. This is your story and we want to thank you for writing it and hope that you will continue to be a part of the journey. If you are inspired by any of these stories, we would love to talk to you.

Together we can all make a difference.

Jane Clubley Director of Development

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Contents 1

Foreword

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Welcome

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Help us to… educate for life

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Help us to... provide our students with a first-class experience

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Welcome

...help us to write it Dear Donors and Friends, am pleased to say that, despite the era of austerity now being implemented by the Coalition Government, we had a good year last year in terms of our strategic objectives.

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Help us to... encourage talent

11 Help us to... fund enterprise and stimulate innovation 15 Help us to... improve the health of society 20 Help us to... create a sustainable environment 21 Help us to… enrich people’s lives through culture and the arts 23 2010 Achievements – Our inspirational people 27 Help us to... make an impact 28 Giving made easy 29 Legacy giving spotlight 30 Thank you to our benefactors

Acknowledgements Contributors: Lorna Taylor (editor), Neil Braithwaite, Professor Chris Brink, Anne Burton, Jane Clubley, Richard Dale, Alexis Forsyth, Stuart Garratt, Mary Haworth, Karen Hendrix, James Johnston, Claire Machin-Davies, Ben Wilson

We are well advanced with our vision of Newcastle as a world-class civic university. On the ‘worldclass’ side, we can point to many achievements by the University, and many accolades for our staff, over the past year. Perhaps the most telling of these is that in terms of research funding from the UK Research Councils, per academic staff member, we were the second-highest performer amongst all UK universities, topped only by Imperial College London. On the ‘Civic University’ front, we have launched our first societal challenge theme, on Ageing and Health, and we may take pride in the fact that we have won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for our work on this topic. We have also determined our second societal challenge theme, on Sustainability, for the implementation of which we have launched the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability (NIReS).

NIReS will deal with topics such as energy, transport, infrastructure, environment, marine ecology and food security. Our ambition is to treat the entire city of Newcastle as an urban laboratory to investigate the question of how an old industrial city can be re-engineered to become a sustainable city for the future.

All of this is to the advantage of our students, and the overall educational effort. None of it could have been accomplished to quite the same extent without the support and encouragement of our donors, benefactors and friends. Thank you for your continued support, which creates a platform from which we are confident that we and our students can face the difficult times ahead, and continue to prosper.

Professor Chris Brink Vice-Chancellor

Designed by GDA, Northumberland Printed by Statex Colour Print Newcastle upon Tyne Illustrative material has been provided by: Tania Angelopoulos, Mark Savage, Andrew Taylor, Alexander Wilson Cover photo: Simon Tindall

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Help us to... educate for life

Gift opens another hole in the wall Children benefit from an ingenious idea and a generous gift. How a donor’s generosity is helping educate children in India and the UK. rofessor Sugata Mitra’s unorthodox experiments, that were part of the inspiration for the blockbuster film Slumdog Millionaire, have sent ripples around the world. Professor Mitra started by knocking through a wall in his New Delhi office and installing a computer with an internet connection for the local slum children to discover. To his delight he found that they soon became fully fledged autodidacts, teaching themselves English, maths and other subjects. As his academic standing rocketed, Mitra conducted similar experiments in other parts of the world, from Africa to Latin America.

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Inspired by Professor Mitra’s work, and its impact on these children, Richard Alhberg decided to help fund a brand new facility. As founder and director of MyWorkSearch, Richard helps guide thousands of people in their searches for new jobs and career development opportunities, and is no stranger to the power of the internet.

‘I am so very impressed by the work Sugata is doing.

It was such an innovative idea that is bringing about so much good and has the potential to transform societies’ says Richard of this life-changing gift.

Professor Mitra is now bringing his work to schools in the North East of England, including St Aidan’s Church of England primary in Gateshead, where children research school topics on computers, unaided by teachers. Gateshead is a long way from New Delhi and these are not slum children, but it is significant that the English schools Mitra has chosen for his experiment are in areas of social deprivation.

The laissez-faire nature of Professor Mitra’s experiments might alarm some traditionalists. But, as he would argue, his seemingly newfangled ideas are rooted in something that has not changed since the dawn of time – the natural curiosity of children about the world they live in.

If you would like to know more about the work of Professor Mitra visit: www.hole-in-the-wall.com

Children cluster around one of the hole-in-the-wall facilities.

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Help us to... educate for life

Our students learn to help others Speech and Language Science students’ work has far-reaching impact.

or a student, ncl+ is all about extracurricular attainment; adding to their degree, making the most of their time at the University, trying something new and making a valuable contribution to the community.

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Donations to the Annual Fund have been instrumental in the success of the ncl+ Student Achievement Awards, having contributed to the awards night itself as well as 20 cash prizes for the winners and runners-up.

This year’s competition attracted over 100 entries across 10 categories, including community spirit and environmental impact.

Speech and Language Science student, Deborah Greenaway, won the Community Capacity-building Award for the work she has done since returning from Uganda last summer, where she had the privilege of working with the country’s only two speech and language therapists.

Deborah spearheaded the Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Uganda project, raising money for, and putting together, resource kits that will better equip the country’s therapists. Through raising awareness, Deborah also encouraged local therapists to share skills in Uganda.

Discussing the impact of winning the ncl+ award, Deborah says, ‘The Speech and Language Therapy Society at Newcastle University is now taking on responsibility for the project, with collaboration from me and Isla, the therapist in Uganda. All of the prize money was put back into the project and this has left a small nest egg to help new volunteers get started.’

Thank you to all of those donors who make it possible for us to recognise the inspirational work of our students.

For more information on the Annual Fund, please visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/support/fund

Gateway opened for Norwegian students eter Smedvig (BA Economics, 1970) is the inspiration behind a scholarship for Norwegian students.

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Through his offer to match, pound for pound, any donations which are made to the Gateway Fund, Peter has helped us to raise almost £100,000.

The Gateway to Newcastle Scholarship will provide Norwegian undergraduate students with the opportunity to broaden their minds and enhance their university experience through a year of study at Newcastle University. Exposure to diverse cultures and different educational styles can significantly

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enhance the employability of graduates, important in an increasingly competitive and global market-place.

Of course many lifelong friendships are also formed, as our Norwegian alumni will testify.

Alumni Jan Roness (BSc Marine Engineering, 1969), Tor Svensen (BSc Naval Architecture, 1978; PhD Naval Architecture, 1983) and Atle Bergshaven (BA Economics and Accounting, 1972) have so far responded to Peter’s appeal and given generously to the fund – their gifts will ensure that the first Gateway Scholarship can be offered in 2011.

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For more information about the Fund for Elite Sports, please contact the Development Office on 0191 222 7250 or alumni.office@ncl.ac.uk 5

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Help us to... provide our students with a first-class experience

Newcastle students win on the water In June, Newcastle and Durham went head to head in the fourteenth University Boat Race. A tie kept the title in Newcastle, with Newcastle University Boat Club’s Freshmen claiming victory in the first two races, and Durham’s Seniors fighting back in the latter.

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atching the races were two Newcastle Alumni guests of honour, Fred Gill (BA Politics & Economics, 2008) and Henry Pelly (BArch, 2007).

Fred and Henry were part of the winning Cambridge crew who beat their Oxford rivals by a length-and-ahalf in the Boat Race. It was the first time in the race’s 156-year history that Newcastle alumni were in the line-up, and they certainly made their presence known with huge blue stars – the Newcastle University Boat Club symbol – fastened to their wellies in front of the TV cameras.

Fred will now be rowing full time for two years in the hope of qualifying for the British Olympic team. He was widely credited as the man behind the Cambridge success: sitting in the stroke seat, he was responsible for setting the stroke rate and rhythm for the crew to follow. What makes this all the more impressive

is that prior to coming to Newcastle, Fred had never rowed before!

Fred speaks highly of Newcastle University Boat Club’s Italian head coach, Angelo Savarino, whose gruelling training methods have led to a string of great results for Newcastle in the last few years.

Angelo’s appointment in 2005 was initially funded by support from Newcastle alumni. He has overseen an exponential improvement in the quality of rowing at Newcastle which has seen the University’s rankings rise from 14th to top-three finishes in the last three years.

The University is now looking to replicate the success of the Boat Club in other sports by launching a Fund for Elite Sports. The Fund will enable alumni to contribute to the development of sporting excellence at Newcastle.

Family honour student son N

ewcastle University Boat Club (NUBC) held a boat naming ceremony at Henley Royal Regatta in July this year in honour of former member, Ross Moodie. Ross had been a marketing undergraduate at Newcastle University when he died tragically in a climbing accident in Greece in August 2009. The boat, named the ‘Moodie Blues’, was donated by Ross’ family in honour of his passion for sport, especially rowing.

Ross was an outgoing student and a hugely popular member of the Boat Club who was always up for the challenge. He was a sporting all rounder who inspired others to give their all as he did in training and

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competition but he was also keen to ensure that everyone had a good time and enjoyed the social aspects of rowing as much as him.

At the ceremony Sandy Moodie, Ross’ father, said that, ‘I personally could not see the attraction of rowing and the pain that rowers put themselves through on a daily basis in order to improve. However, Ross had enjoyed both the competition and the companionship within the Boat Club. He was very much looking forward to returning to Newcastle for his final year and to renewing his friendships and returning to his rowing training, having completed his year in industry with IBM in London.’

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Help us to... educate for life

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Brink with our student callers.

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Help us to... encourage talent

More students than ever benefit from your gifts ewcastle University Annual Fund has had its most successful year ever, with over ÂŁ325,000 raised this year, and more donors giving than ever before. The Annual Fund helps provide students with access to a first-class education they might otherwise be unable to afford by providing over 100 bursaries for students.

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In addition, the Fund enhances the facilities available to students by supporting a wide range of departments and projects across the University. This year alone, over ÂŁ4,000 has been given to buy new books and resources in the library, ensuring that the books stocked are not only those necessary for the basics of each course, but that students have access to a full range of literature that will stretch and inspire them. As well as this, over ÂŁ9,000 was given to provide additional

materials in individual departments, giving Newcastle students the best facilities in which to study.

We are also grateful to the help given to Disability Support, which is extremely important in ensuring that all students have equal opportunities at Newcastle.

The Annual Fund is a way of directly supporting our students through monthly or annual donations.

It is mainly concerned with supporting: Over 100 student bursaries Funding 16 student extracurricular projects Support for the ncl+ Student Achievement Awards, motivating and rewarding students in their extracurricular activities Two scholarships for US students, provided by the US Friends 200 new books provided in the short-term loan section

I sincerely thank the donors for their generosity. As an international student it can be difficult to find sources of funding. Last year, because of the US Scholarship, I was able to dedicate more of my time and focus to research work.

It has been instrumental to the timely completion of my dissertation.

Financial help from the University really helped me during a stressful and academically challenging year when financial troubles were distracting me from the demands of my accelerated programme.

Sarah Moorhouse MB BS student and bursary recipient

Amelia Heath Geography, Politics and Sociology (US Scholar)

For more information on the Annual Fund, please visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/support/fund/index

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Help us to... encourage talent

Amazing results in the School of Chemistry’s Outreach Laboratory.

Local youngsters get experimental ach year 4,000 young people from secondary schools from across the North East will have the opportunity to enhance their learning by carrying out exciting experiments in the School of Chemistry thanks to the generosity of individual donors, companies and charitable trusts.

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The School of Chemistry’s Schools Outreach programme has been expanded to provide a dedicated Outreach Laboratory with state-of-the-art science facilities to A-level students. An existing redundant laboratory space has been refurbished so that young people from secondary schools can come in to the School and learn physical science experiment techniques, have access to analytical facilities, receive careers talks and industry showcases and become more familiar with the higher education environment.

The idea behind the project is to give children an interest and enthusiasm for physical sciences by allowing them better access to the most exciting area of this subject – experiments. It will encourage more children to consider higher education in general, and take a science subject in particular, than might otherwise have been the case – and so increase the 9

numbers of students from non-traditional backgrounds entering university. The University does not charge schools for this service, so it is available to schools in the area who find it more difficult to pass on visit costs to parents.

The new Outreach Laboratory was officially opened by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Brink in April and was put into use straight away. One of the donors to the laboratory was Mrs Shirley Bridges who made her gift in memory of her late husband Harold Bridges.

Harold graduated from Armstrong College in 1937 with a degree in maths and physics and eventually became president of Shell in the USA. Other donations came from the 1989 Willan Charitable Trust, Allan & Nesta Ferguson Trust, Asynt Ltd, Catherine Cookson Foundation, Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, Kirby Laing Foundation, Leica Microsystems (UK) Ltd, Procter & Gamble plc, Royal Society of Chemistry and Spectronic Analytical Instruments.

For more information visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/chemistry/outreach

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Help us to... encourage talent

Women’s Circle aims to foster North East talent he newly formed Women’s Circle of alumnae based in London has raised over £19,000 since its inception in 2009, providing support for 23 young people attending summer school programmes at Newcastle this year, and retaining more for next year’s programme. These young people will be attending the PARTNERS Programme Assessed Summer School, which offers students at selected secondary schools entry to Newcastle with lower grades, provided they also complete an assessed summer school and coursework to prove their abilities. Students who are eligible for the programme come from low participation areas or schools, where, traditionally, few young people continue to higher education or have faced difficult circumstances whilst completing their studies.

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The initiative is being led by Teresa Graham (BA English Literature, 1977) and in addition to the financial support, students will be offered the opportunity to receive mentoring from members of the Women’s Circle. They will offer careers advice and work experience which the students may not be able to obtain from elsewhere.

Teresa feels the scheme is both vital and inspiring.

She said, ‘Many of these students will be the first in their families to go to university.’ Along with other members of the Circle, she is dedicated to fostering young talent.

For more information on the Women’s Circle, please contact the Development Office on 0191 222 7250

Students enjoy visiting Newcastle University’s Summer School.

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Help us to... fund enterprise and stimulate innovation

A student hard at work on the Newcastle Racing Formula Student car.

From student mobility to success on the racing track Santander are keeping the staff and students of Newcastle University on the move through their support of over 160 awards this year alone. An official agreement was signed between Santander and Newcastle University in September 2009.

uis Juste, Director UK & Portugal, Santander Universities, said, ‘It is a great pleasure for me to welcome Newcastle University to the Santander Universities network. The agreement opens a whole range of opportunities for staff and students to study, conduct research and live in the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. It will also allow students from those countries to benefit from the vibrant life of Newcastle as well as the quality of its university.

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‘This is perfectly aligned with our objective of contributing to promote cultural understanding and the transfer of knowledge between countries.’

Through its Santander Universities Global Division, Banco Santander supports the higher education sector in four continents in areas including teaching and research, international co-operation, knowledge and technology transfer, entrepreneurial initiatives, student mobility and innovation. One of the projects involves helping engineering students to develop their 11

own racing car. Newcastle University is the latest addition to the Santander Universities network of more than 700 HE institutions worldwide.

As part of their commitment to the universities in their Network, Santander also agree to provide guest speakers and visiting lecturers. Luis Juste generously participated in a roundtable event hosted by Newcastle University Business School in January 2010. The topic for debate ‘Even Under Tighter Public Financial Constraints Universities Need to Continue to Maintain Excellence: What Role Should Private Funding Play?’.

Santander are not only keen to financially support higher education, but want to encourage more businesses to get involved in supporting our universities.

To read an extract from the debate or to download the podcast visit www.ncl.ac.uk/ nubs/about/news/item/the-businessschool-takes-a-debate-to-the-capital

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Help us to... fund enterprise and stimulate innovation

From Tyne Bridge to Sydney Harbour Bridge – and back again After travelling the world and finally settling in Sydney, the bridges of Newcastle still remained close to the hearts of Peter and Norah Lomas.

n the last issue of Advance we were delighted to announce their gift to Newcastle University Business School. Peter, a graduate of King’s College (MA Economics,1949), along with his late wife Norah, had already decided to remember Newcastle University in their will when Peter visited us in Spring 2009 – 40 years following his graduation. We were nevertheless pleased that Peter let us know of his intentions so that we could keep him abreast of the developments within the School.

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However, after Peter learned of the current scheme offered by the government to encourage private giving to universities in the UK, he chose to make a gift now in addition to his legacy to Newcastle.

The government currently offers £1 in matched funds for every £3 that is privately donated. Peter’s gift therefore increased by a third again and is now helping to fund PhD students in the Business School – this is a truly transformational gift and one which will endure through the Peter and Norah Lomas Endowed Scholarships Fund.

Sydney Harbour Bridge.

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Ann and Stuart Bailey beside the Tyne Bridge.

Help us to... fund enterprise and stimulate innovation

Family fund sparks enterprise A story that we hope will inspire others to support our vision. By Mary Haworth. n a cold Newcastle day in October 2007, a visitor dropped in to Kensington Terrace to enquire about making a gift to the University. She was quiet, maybe even a little nervous and so we chatted generally about the ways in which it is possible to a leave a legacy, to remember a loved one and to support the University.

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During the meeting, I learned a little about Ann Bailey’s late husband Thomas, who had been a student at King’s, and how her son Stuart had followed in his footsteps, studying History. She learned a little about what to consider if making a gift and went on her way, brochure in hand, promising to talk further once we both had time to digest what we discussed that afternoon. So the conversations carried on, by letter and by phone. Each time we spoke we got closer to finding out what it was that would really fill her with confidence that her gift was going to make a difference.

Moving on three years, I have enjoyed getting to know Ann Bailey and now her son Stuart too. I would never have envisaged back in 2007 that we would end up where we are today, on the verge of something truly inspiring and transformative. Through our conversations and following an event at which the Vice-Chancellor spoke about his vision for the University, Ann and Stuart reached their decision. Indeed, we held an impromptu meeting in the basement of the venue, to discuss the options.

Ann and Stuart had each decided to make a gift in their wills, but joining forces to support the University’s plans, they wanted to help create a unique umbrella fund, the Benefactors’ Fund for Enterprise and Innovation.

Helping others to help themselves Thomas Bailey – Ann’s husband, Stuart’s father – was an entrepreneur, as have been so many of our graduates. He was somebody who believed in helping others to help themselves. The University proposed an innovative way for Ann and Stuart to honour their loved one, and also provide a way for other individuals and corporations to support enterprise and innovation at Newcastle. During his speech, although informal in its nature, the Vice-Chancellor had outlined a long-term plan to build a new Business School. Although many

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such schools have been built, Newcastle University’s plan is to create a niche, focusing on enterprise and innovation. This immediately struck a chord with Stuart and Ann. Joining forces So why did the family decide to join forces?

According to Stuart, ‘the University showed itself to be innovative in its donor focus. It understood that donors want to maximise the impact of their gift.’

The fund will support the long-term goals of the School and underpins one of its key strategic areas. Rather than taking a fragmented approach to supporting the School, Ann and Stuart proposed a Fund which is intended as a vehicle to draw in all those who wish to support this initiative, be they private donations, legacies, business sponsors and so on. Anyone who shares the ambition to transform business in the region can come forward and join the Fund. Whether it is by supporting formal teaching and research, by investing in start-up companies, or by helping businesses grow, the Benefactors’ Fund has the potential to make a huge difference to the enterprise and innovation agenda at Newcastle University.

This is just the beginning This is just the beginning of the journey and we will look forward to working with Ann and Stuart over many years to come. Through their pledge the Fund for Innovation and Enterprise is now in place, and through her gift Ann has created the first scholarship in Innovation and Enterprise at the Business School.

This gives us greater confidence to engage with other like-minded individuals and companies who want to maximise the impact of their gift, in the certainty that their donation is aligned to a well-thought-through vision.

The first Innovation and Enterprise Scholar begins his studies in September 2010. Ann is ‘delighted that the Fund is alive and breathing’.

If you would like more information about the Benefactors’ Fund, please contact the Development Office on 0191 222 7250 14

Help us to... improve the health of society

Corporate generosity encourages mini medics Helping our Medical students to get out into the local community. choolchildren from across Tyneside were visited by medical students as part of an annual campaign to raise awareness of health issues in local primary schools. Participants were invited to bring their favourite cuddly toy along and let Newcastle medics diagnose long-term bear ailments. The programme runs each year from the autumn term to rave reviews from school kids and parents alike. This year MSD, the global pharmaceutical company based in Cramlington, has supported it through their International Neighbour of Choice Programme by purchasing consumables and developing teddy bear first-aid kits.

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‘Inviting the children to bring their teddies along is a great way to get them thinking about being healthy and not being afraid of doctors. It also provides medical students with experience of working with younger patients and helping them be less fearful of visiting their doctor,’ says Ally Fowles, organiser of the 2009–10 programme.

A second donation from MSD supported 12 ‘scholarships’ for students at St Benet Biscop High School and Bedlingtonshire Community High School to attend the recent sessions of Newcastle’s Mini Medical School. This successful programme, pioneered in the USA, provides a series of evening sessions for members of the public featuring Newcastle University academics talking about their research in areas from diabetes to skin cancer as well as neurology and pathology. It has been a hugely positive way to engage the local community in medical science and encourage teenagers, in particular, to consider a career as a medic.

Professor Suzanne Cholerton, Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Medical School, said, ‘We are most grateful to MSD for choosing to support the Mini Medical School in this way.’

A pupil brings her teddy in to visit the Teddy Bear Hospital, run by Newcastle University medical students.

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Malaysia-based alumni admire models of our NUMed Malaysia buildings.

Help us to... improve the health of society

NUMed Malaysia ith the inaugural cohort of Malaysian medical students finishing their first year in Newcastle, development of the new campus in Johor continues with the grand opening set for 2011. NUMed will form part of EduCity, a 305-acre site close to Singapore, which aims to house up to 100,000 students with additional developments planned by other universities and schools from across the world. Director of the project is Professor Reg Jordan (BSc Anatomy, 1969 & PhD, 1974), who is leading negotiations with the General Medical Council and other partners.

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Professor Jordan said, ‘Newcastle medical alumni have been incredibly supportive of this project with in-kind and philanthropic support.’ Dr Robert Teoh (MB BS, 1971 & MD, 1981) has donated a gift to provide the T M Teoh Prize, two annual prizes for the best NUMed student of the year and the most improved of the year.

To read more about NUMed Malaysia visit: www.ncl.ac.uk/numed

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Help us to... improve the health of society

Donations pour in for 1834 Fund A series of high-profile events in London and Newcastle, an exhibition with Damien Hirst and a regional publicity campaign have seen donations to the 1834 Fund soar over the Medical School’s 175th Anniversary.

rofessor Chris Day, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Medical School, says, ‘I have been greatly humbled with the level of generosity from Newcastle and Dunelm graduates. We established the fund to capture the spirit of training in the North East and ensure we can continue to invest in research careers, which are particularly important for today’s medical students and are the lifeblood of any world-leading medical school.’ Over £115,000 has so far been raised: made possible through contributions from year groups and individuals including the Year of 1959, the Year of 1969 in memory of Dr Ed Eastham, the Year of 1949, Professor E.T. and Professor John HedleyWhyte, the Rothschild Foundation and Mrs Elisabeth Pestell. As fundraising continues, applications for the 1834 scholarships will open in the Autumn of 2010 with awards being made in time for Spring 2011. All donors will be kept informed of progress and will be invited to meet the scholars themselves. Fundraising continues and we would be delighted to tell you more about how you can support the campaign.

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Medical Legacies The 1834 campaign has also benefited from a major benefaction of over £1.1 million from William and Bessie Randerson. Their nephew, Michael Randerson Cockram, says, ‘Both my uncle and aunt had a very

real sense of what was right and wrong and they felt committed to making a difference which would leave a lasting legacy and benefit a great number of people.

William Randerson was familiar with the work of the Medical School through local press coverage.

When he lost his sight in later years due to diabetes, he felt that he wanted to support the tremendous work of Newcastle research teams.’ The endowment will support ophthalmological research as well as research studentships.

Year of ’53 This year’s anniversary celebrations also saw the fifth year of the Year of ’53 Award. Dr Geoffrey Marsh, MBE, awarded £500 to Claire Medley whose nominations outlined her drive and determination to bring people together in a year group of 350 students. ‘Each year we are greatly impressed by the characters we meet and are pleased to be able to offer this award to current medical students after we had such a wonderful experience studying medicine in Newcastle.

Although the medical degree has changed greatly since my time, I’m still pleased to say that the students are passionate about their studies and their social lives which is an essential part of the MB BS experience,’ says Dr Marsh. Claire forms part of this year’s 175th cohort who graduated in July 2010.

For more information about the 1834 Fund, please visit www.ncl.ac.uk/1834

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Creating a Sustainable Future Help us to... educate for life

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Help us to... create a sustainable environment

Supporters push the boat out for research vessel he School of Marine Science and Technology has launched an appeal for a new research vessel which has won the support of more than 30 companies at home and abroad.

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The new vessel is a replacement for the Bernicia, well known to all marine science graduates, which has reached the end of its service life. The research vessel is vital to the work of the School. It is used for important research about the effects of climate change and the health of the marine environment, as well as for teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level and outreach work with schools and other groups.

The total cost of the project is £1.4m including all the scientific equipment necessary to support 21st century oceanographic and technological activities.

From the start, it has attracted much interest among the School’s corporate friends, and many of them have offered gifts in kind, notably International Paints who have donated all the paint coverings. The first gift came from the vessel’s designer, graduate

Antonis Mantouvalos, who has donated an RIB boat for the vessel, and many other Greek graduates, now involved in the shipping industry in Greece, have expressed interest in helping us to secure other items.

Meanwhile, John Lloyd, a member of the Charles Letts Memorial Committee which gives scholarships within the School, who works in the marine insurance industry in the City of London, rallied round all his contacts within the industry and raised a magnificent £90,000 in cash towards the project.

The vessel is an innovative catamaran with a pedigree from the traditional Northumberland ‘coble’ fishing boat. It is technologically advanced and very environmentally friendly. The design is based on an energy-efficient hull form which will give low running costs as well as reduced environmental impact through emissions and bank erosion. It is being constructed by Northumberland company Alnmaritec and is due to be launched early in 2011.

For more information, please visit: research.ncl.ac.uk/bernicia

Year of Sustainability: Enough for all, forever 2011 has been designated by the University as its Year of Sustainability, following on from the Year of Ageing and Health as one of the top societal challenges which we aim to address. Through a series of high-profile conferences, lectures and events, the whole institution will explore the problem of how to provide ‘enough for all, forever’. To ensure our expertise in these areas is made available, the University has recently established the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability (NIReS). This dynamic new institute intends to make an ‘urban laboratory’ of all of NewcastleGateshead and become the leading centre of expertise in the art and science of ensuring that everyone has access to sufficient resources forever.

Students working on board the current research vessel.

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Help us to... enrich people’s lives through culture and the arts

Library Friends help conserve important local collection he Friends of the Newcastle University Library have been inspired by the government’s matched funding scheme to make a gift of over £130,000 for Library projects. The donation will attract almost £45,000 extra matched funds and will be used to support future projects such as the purchase of new exhibition cases for Special Collections and the conservation costs of the local illustration collection.

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The Friends have been supporting the Library for 55 years. They help by funding the acquisition and conservation of books, manuscripts, archives and other resources and by promoting the Library and its exhibitions and events, including outreach activity such as school visits.

New members of the Friends are always welcome and benefit from an events programme such as previews of new exhibitions, lectures and visits to other venues.

The Robinson Library has received several fascinating gifts of books this year. The Chorley Collection of Children’s Literature, 1783–1922, presented by Mrs Sarah Chorley, for instance, contains many fine

examples of illustrated Victorian children’s books.

These books are handsome in their own right and worth studying as examples of printing, typography and design. When combined with other children’s literature holdings in the Robinson Library, they are helping to build a world-class research library in this field and underpinning research and teaching. The Chorley Collection was extended this year through the purchase of selected waif novels and reward books, both genres offering moral lessons and other forms of instruction.

A more practical kind of education is found in a recent donation of cookery books, many of them for the children, by another Friends’ member.

These collections are used in a variety of ways; in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, for example, academics, undergraduates and postgraduates of Victorian and children’s literature are looking at everything from depictions of the family to instances of spitting and the impact on actual voyages of exploration of fictional accounts for children.

2010 Fickling Lecture Newcastle provides the country’s most significant children’s literature public lecture series. oddy Doyle, author of modern classics such as The Commitments, The Woman Who Walked into Doors and the Booker Prize-winning Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, will deliver the 2010 Fickling Lecture on 18 November. He will talk about Fighting Words, a writing centre for children and young people that he co-founded in Dublin, in 2009. The annual Fickling Lecture is jointly organised by the Children’s Literature Unit in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle and Seven Stories, the Centre for the Children’s Book. The lecture has become perhaps the most prestigious event in the country for major voices, not always writers of children’s books themselves, to discuss

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contemporary trends in children’s culture. Recent speakers have included Philip Pullman, Andrew Motion, Sandi Toksvig and James Naughtie, and last year, Nick Hornby’s lecture on the importance and originality of Young Adult fiction was immensely well received. This year, Roddy Doyle will speak about children’s books, including his own, and ‘Fighting Words’, a writing centre for young people, set up in Dublin in 2009. The Lectures are very generously supported by David Fickling Books. Students, staff and the many members of the public who always fill the Herschel Lecture Theatre to capacity for these lectures will be enormously grateful to David Fickling for his gift.

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Illustrations from part of the Chorley Collection.

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2010 Achievements – Our inspirational people

Knighthood for Newcastle’s Genetics Pioneer rofessor John Burn, medical director and head of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University, has been knighted for services to medicine.

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Last year, the Institute was graded third in quality behind Oxford and Cambridge in a national research review.

He helped set up Newcastle's International Centre for Life, which was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 2000.

Professor Burn’s research led to the discovery that taking folic acid during pregnancy could prevent spina bifida, and he has been involved in research into the prevention of hereditary cancers.

Professor Burn was born and brought up in West Auckland, County Durham, and attended Barnard Castle Grammar School (now Teesdale School) before studying medicine at Newcastle University.

A qualified doctor, he obtained a first-class degree in human genetics and, in 1984, became the region’s first consultant clinical geneticist. In 1989, he became clinical director of the Northern Genetics Service.

In the Nineties, he was head of the department of Human Genetics at Newcastle University for six years, before being appointed deputy head of the Institute of Human Genetics at the Centre for Life, later becoming head.

Based on his long record of research, Professor Burn was last year appointed national chairman of the Clinical Genetics specialty group, at the National Institute of Health Research.

Professor Burn said, ‘I’ve worked with a lot of very impressive people and I tend to get put out front and get a lot of credit for what they’ve done.

‘But we’ve built the Centre for Life and we’ve got a big research institute where we’ve done lots of good stuff.’

If anything it’s an accolade for all of us, for the North East and for the region. It’s not just politicians and rear admirals and footballers who get these things. It’s nice to bring one home.

Professor John Burn

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2010 achievements

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2010 Achievements – Our inspirational people

Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Research into Ageing Newcastle University has been awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its worldleading work in the field of ageing and health.

Her Majesty The Queen presented the award to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Brink, and Professor Tom Kirkwood, Director of the University’s Institute for Ageing and Health, at an award ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Professor Kirkwood, who is one of the UK’s leading experts in ageing, said, ‘It is such a delight and honour that the work of the Institute for Ageing and Health has received this recognition. We have a fantastic team of talented and dedicated researchers, and the award reflects the efforts of the whole team.

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Going to Buckingham Palace is special in any circumstances, but to go to receive this award for the whole team effort is just brilliant. I am so pleased that we have the opportunity to take some of our younger researchers and students to meet The Queen too.’

The University’s entry in the 2009 Queen’s Anniversary Prizes competition charted the development of its research programme on ageing and health into its current form as a substantial Institute for Ageing and Health, a world-leader in its field, which is based on a unique and growing Campus for Ageing and Vitality.

In September 2009, Newcastle University launched a year-long programme of events on the theme ‘Changing Age’, which focuses attention on the challenges facing society as people live longer.

Professor Brink said, ‘Under the leadership of our Institute for Ageing and Health, we have adopted the topic of an ageing population as a societal challenge and an institutional theme. The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is a welcome recognition of our work, and will strengthen our efforts to respond to this important topic.’

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2010 Achievements – Our inspirational people

Professor Chris Brink appointed HE mentoring champion Professor Chris Brink, ViceChancellor of Newcastle University, was appointed as the Higher Education mentoring champion by Iain Wright, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, earlier this year. Professor Brink will now lead the drive to find more mentors among staff, students and graduates from the higher education sector to inspire young people to ‘aim high’.

Iain Wright, then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for 14-19 Reform and Apprenticeships, said, ‘I am delighted to appoint Professor Brink as our new Higher Education mentoring champion.

‘He brings with him a breadth of experience and shares our commitment to raising the aspirations and improving the opportunities for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.’

Professor Brink said, ‘Young people are influenced by messages from other young people. If we give our students a positive experience, they can become ambassadors for making higher education an attractive prospect for other young people. I am pleased to be invited to make a contribution in this regard.’

Major award for research team Newcastle University has been recognised as having the most outstanding research management team in British higher education.

The University’s Research Services won first prize in the prestigious Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2010, which saw 264 entries across the 18 categories of the awards.

The judges said that their choice of winners ‘demonstrated the professionalism and dedication that underpin the UK’s world-class research and teaching enterprise and give the sector an unrivalled body of best practice’.

The award for the Outstanding Research Management Team was presented to a delegation from Newcastle University who attended the awards ceremony, led by Professor Nick Wright, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Dr Douglas Robertson, Director of Business Development and Regional Affairs, Mrs Jill Golightly, Head of the Research Office and Ms Amanda Tortice, Director of Operations for the Joint Research Office (JRO).

After the ceremony, Professor Wright said, ‘This award is a fantastic achievement for the research services team, whose efforts underpin recent improvements in the University’s research performance, in particular the significant growth in our income from research councils.’

The citation in the winners’ brochure says: ‘The Research Office at Newcastle University has spearheaded an institution-wide effort to improve systems, process and staff development to free up academics’ time, boost research council income and increase the international element of its research.

‘The statistics suggest that these measures are having a major impact.

Funding obtained by Newcastle from UK research councils rose by 17 per cent in 2008–09 to £36.5 million. At 41 per cent of the University’s total award value, this also represented a significant increase on 2007– 08, when it was 37 per cent.’

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Help us to... make an impact

Your help is needed now more than ever niversity finances seem to have moved from something only treasurers and finance directors worry about to front page news in our national newspapers.

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And with good reason, an extended period of generous funding to Britain’s universities is coming to an end and we, along with the rest of the public sector, must expect tighter times ahead.

Newcastle is preparing for this. Our priority is to protect and enhance core academic capability and ensure a great student experience. We have robust plans in place to grow our unregulated income, buy goods and services more effectively and ensure our administrative processes are as efficient as possible, making best use of modern technology.

We can never be complacent but we believe Newcastle is as well positioned as anyone to survive the difficult times ahead.

But survival isn’t good enough ...

In a rapidly changing world, today’s cutting-edge research is tomorrow’s history; so If we are to deliver our mission to be a world-class, research-intensive university, then we need to continue to invest in new facilities and academic staff.

We will prioritise our investment to areas where we feel we can make a real difference, capitalising on our academic strengths but addressing the major challenges of our society such as an ageing population and a reducing supply of easily extractable carbon.

Your support, through donations and legacies, such as those written about in this report, helps us address these huge societal challenges. The invaluable support you continue give to our less advantaged students has huge value and the University sends you its grateful thanks.

Richard Dale Director of Finance

Gift income received in 2009–10 breakdown by source (excluding pledges)

Ɂ Charitable Trusts and Foundations Ɂ Corporate

33% 5%

Ɂ Individuals and Groups

31%

Ɂ Legacies

31%

Of the total cash income received by the University through donations (09 –10), £2.5m will attract matched funding from the government – this means a further £846,399 will be used to directly benefit a range of important projects. Thank you for your support.

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Giving made easy

Want to give now? Here’s how!

Newcastle University is an exempt charity, which means that we can claim gift aid on donations. The list below demonstrates how much this could be worth to the University.

We can also claim matched funding at a rate of £1 for every £3 donated from the government, until July 2011.

The University can also receive gifts in kind and gifts 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.

For more information on leaving a legacy, or to let us know if you have already provided for Newcastle University in your will, please see www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/support/ways/legacies The Annual Fund is a way for you to support the University from as little as £5 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 possible to make a gift to Newcastle University online, at: www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/donate It is possible to make a gift through your company which is often more tax effective.

For all the information on the projects you can currently support at Newcastle University, please visit our website: www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/support

Gift Aid and Match Funding With the addition of Gift Aid and Match Funding a gift can go so much further towards helping our students and special projects £100 is worth £170 £5,000 is worth £8,483 £150,000 is worth £254,500

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Legacy giving spotlight

Why write a will?

Neil Braithwaite, Senior Partner at Dickinson Dees and member of the Development and Alumni Relations Council, advises on the importance of writing a will.

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ncreasing numbers of people are leaving a gift to the University, helping to support the future of the organisation. However, a surprisingly large number of people in the UK don’t prepare a will.

Q: Why should people think about writing a will?

Q: What happens if you don’t write a will?

By completing a will you can ensure that on your death your estate will pass to the people who you want to benefit from it and that your estate will be administered by the right people.

You can also decide who will look after any minor children following your death and you can take steps to protect assets for your family and to minimise the tax payable.

The rules governing intestate estates will apply, which means that if you are married with children and die with an estate of more than £250,000 your surviving spouse or civil partner will have to share the estate with the children.

If a couple live together and are not married, neither of them has any right to the estate of the other. The surviving partner can only benefit by bringing a claim for reasonable financial provision through the courts.

Q: Is there anything that people might like to consider when writing a will?

Who do you want to administer your estate?

Who do you want to look after your children if you and your spouse/partner both die?

Do you want to leave any legacies (cash gifts) or any of your personal possessions to relatives, friends or charities?

Who should benefit from your estate? What should happen in the event of a family disaster where some or all of you and your spouse/partner and children die together?

The University formally recognises donors who notify us of their intention to leave a gift in their will, through the Armstrong Circle. To learn more about how you can join the Armstrong Circle, please see: www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/support/ways/legacies.htm

If you would like more information about leaving a gift to Newcastle in your will, please see www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/support/ways/index.htm or contact the Development Office on 0191 222 7250

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One of the bright flower beds on campus, which is soon to be joined by the donor garden.

Thank you to our benefactors

We couldn’t do it without you hank you for your donations, you have helped us write some future stories this year. All of the projects featured in this magazine, as well as many others, would be impossible without your generous donations. As regular readers of Advance will know, this is normally where we print the roll of benefactors, listing all the donors to the University.

However, as more and more people have given to Newcastle University, this takes up more and more space in the magazine every year. We have decided this year to go green, and instead of printing the roll of benefactors, you can find it online at: www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/support.

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This gives us more space to tell you about the exciting projects, groundbreaking research and promising students you have supported this year instead.

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Watch your gift bloom We would also like to take this opportunity to tell you about our plans for a donor garden on campus.

We are planning to plant a bulb for every donor in the new garden, to represent all our donors and the impact that they have on the University, helping our students excel. We will be planting the garden in October, with help from our Estates team, but would like to talk with you if you wish to be involved with the project which will transform a tiny part of our campus.

If you are interested in having a tour of the grounds, please contact Karen Hendrix on 0191 222 8745

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Help to write the future‌ A gift in your will, whatever the size, can make a real difference. Please help us to offer a first-class education to all of our students and recognise talent regardless of the circumstances.

Whether you are interested in helping vital and potentially life-changing research, or making a difference to the life of a student, a gift to Newcastle University can have a direct and very real impact. An increasing number of individuals are helping to ensure the long-term future of our University. Be a part of the campaign to help write the future.

If you would like to know more about how you can leave a gift to the University, please contact: Newcastle University Development and Alumni Relations Office on 0191 222 7240 or visit www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/support

Thank you for making a difference!

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Donation Form Please fill in the whole form and return to: Development and Alumni Office Newcastle University King’s Gate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU Tel: +44 (0) 191 222 7250 Fax: +44 (0) 191 222 5905 Email: alumni-office@ncl.ac.uk www.ncl.ac.uk/development

Please send me further information about:

ឣ making a regular gift to the University ឣ leaving a gift to the University in my will ឣ donating stocks/shares to the University

Thank you for supporting Newcastle University

Donation Form I enclose a cheque/CAF voucher for £ (please make payable to Newcastle University) OR I would like to make a donation by credit/debit card Please debit my card the sum of £ Credit card number

Debit card number

Valid from

/

/

Expires end

/

/

Issue number (if applicable): Card type MasterCard

Visa

CAF

Switch/Maestro

Delta

Solo

Card security number (the last three digits on the back of your card) Name Address

Postcode

Gift Aid If you Gift Aid your donation, the University can reclaim the tax you have already paid on it. Please increase the value of your donation at no extra cost to you by signing the declaration below.

I want Newcastle University to treat all donations I have made for this tax year and the six years prior to the year of this declaration (but no earlier than 6/4/2000), and all donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise, as Gift Aid donations. I will inform you if my circumstances change.

Signed Date You must pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the tax that the charity reclaims on your donations in the appropriate tax year (currently 28p for each £1 you give).