Thank you
Scholarships
Thank you
2019/20
Student wellbeing
Thank you for your support
Careers & employability
Year end review for supporters
Thank you
Student experience
Thank you
Message from the Principal, Paul Layzell These past few months have seen a period of extraordinary change. In what we hope will be a once in a lifetime event, the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has had far-reaching consequences for us all personally and professionally. The health and well-being of our community is our priority and we have made significant changes to life at the university as we have sought to manage the impact of the pandemic on our students and staff. Our goal has been to ensure that no student is academically disadvantaged as a direct consequence of the pandemic and that all reached an orderly conclusion to their studies, either progressing to the next year or going on to graduate. We have had to make some difficult choices about how we delivered these outcomes, but equity, fairness and practicality have underpinned the decisions made. We talk a lot at Royal Holloway about our strength as a community, and that community spirit extends beyond campus. During the unprecedented events of the last six months, many of our students, alumni and academics pursued volunteering opportunities to help vulnerable individuals and their area as a whole. I am extremely proud to be part of such a supportive community. Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, the past 12 months have seen our community go from strength to strength, both in league table rankings and research successes. In September, Royal Holloway rose five places to become a top 20 UK university in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020. This ranking is a clear endorsement of our approach to delivering high quality teaching and world-class research and is a testament to the outstanding contribution and achievements of our students and staff. The National Student Survey (NSS) 2020, also shows that the university exceeded the sector average score for overall satisfaction for the third year in a row. We achieved a score of 87% for overall student satisfaction, four percentage points above the sector average.
The year also saw our academic staff continue to demonstrate excellence in their subject areas. In January, the sound of a mummified priest was heard for the first time in 3,000 years, thanks to ingenious research by Professor David Howard, from the Department of Electronic Engineering alongside academics from the University of York and Leeds Museum and Galleries. Professor Robin Walker, from the Department of Psychology created a new and improved version of EV News, a free web app for people with Agerelated Macular Degeneration (AMD), the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK. Professor Harriet Hawkins, Co-Director of the Centre for GeoHumanities was awarded a prestigious five-year Consolidator Grant, worth 1.95m Euros, to help researchers understand underground environments and the opportunities they provide for us in the future. Now more than ever, your generosity is integral to helping to ensure our students continue to achieve their goals as we introduce new ways of providing teaching and learning support in 2020/21 in direct response to the pandemic. Thank you for all of the support you have already given and continue to give as we face the challenging year to come. Professor Paul Layzell DL Principal
882 donors and supporters
Enriching student experience The regular donations generously made by Royal Holloway alumni to the Student Opportunities Fund have made some fantastic student-led projects possible this year. These have not only enriched the student experience here on campus, but also added real value to the wider community. Students can apply for grants from £100 to £3,000 for projects or initiatives which align with the themes of Global Perspectives, Entrepreneurship or Community and Culture. This year, funding was granted to Royal Holloway Volunteering to help run a project providing English support for Syrian refugee families and asylum seekers as part of the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Scheme. The funding provided transport for the families, some with young children and grandparents, to visit campus for weekly six-hour sessions hosted by student volunteers. Funding was also awarded to STEAM Stars, a new student project promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths to local school children by teaching them to design and build their
own robot cars. Student leaders and other student volunteers planned and trialled a series of six weekly workshops with 60 Year 5 children in a local school, inspiring the next generation. The fund also made it possible for Royal Holloway’s Brass Band to participate in UniBrass 2020, hosted by Bangor University, making them the first London university to do so.
Image provided by Royal Holloway Brass Band and taken prior to social distancing.
Bedford Society -
supporting students to succeed The Bedford Society’s generous gifts and donations have once again provided life-changing opportunities for students wishing to study for a postgraduate qualification. A total of four scholarships were awarded for the 2019/20 academic year to a group of exceptional students. History undergraduate Emily was selected as the recipient of the Dinah and Jessica Nichols Scholarship, while Bedford Society Scholarships were awarded to Emily (MSc Quaternary Science), Aliyah (MSc Forensic Psychology) and Hayley (MA Crusader Studies). “In no uncertain terms, receiving the Bedford Society Scholarship has been life-changing, making the once seemingly distant possibility of studying at postgraduate level a reality,” said Hayley.
Former Bedford Society Scholar, Emese (MSc Forensic Psychology, 2019) is testament to the opportunities a scholarship can provide. “The financial support enabled me to focus on my studies rather than working to pay my tuition, and I received distinctions for all but one of my courses. I also benefited from being part of the Bedford Society which is a unique, value-based community and was able to receive expert advice on my PhD proposal from the members,” she says. “I am currently a PhD researcher at the School of Law and Social Sciences at Royal Holloway, where I am investigating attitudes towards and help-seeking from anti-trafficking organisations. I also assist with teaching and marking student papers and help them improve their writing skills. In addition, I work with victims of human trafficking at the
The Bedford Society Helen Bamber Foundation part-time as an assistant psychologist and I am a junior research fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Applied Research in Human Trafficking."
Emese, MSc Forensic Psychology, 2019 and current student, PhD Law
Your impact in numbers 2019/20 Total £1.3m
Philanthropic income Careers and employability Citizens project Greatest needs Scholarships and awards Special projects Student experience Student wellbeing Donor investments
£11,000 £131,000 £51,000 £785,000 £123,000 £20,000 £38,000 £176,000
All figures rounded to the nearest thousand.
Supporting outstanding leadership skills 2019/20 was the inaugural year of the Marriott Family Future Leaders Scholarship, which was awarded to Maritta (BSc Business and Management). Generously funded by Chris Marriott, Partner and Head of Investor Relations at Equistone Partners Europe, and his wife Lindsey, the scholarship covers the full tuition fee for students studying all undergraduate degrees in Management and selected courses within the Department of Economics. Chris, who read French and History at Royal Holloway from 1988-1992, said: “This year’s recipient is obviously a real self-starter – it’s lovely to be able to help someone like Maritta to get through university, get a great degree and hopefully go on to make a positive contribution to business.” Find out more at royalholloway.ac.uk/impact-stories Chris Marriott, BA French and History 1992
Christmas challenge to support disadvantaged students Royal Holloway took part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge for the fourth year and succeeded in raising £115,000 to support students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. Thanks to the generosity of our 246 donors, we both exceeded our target and completed the challenge in just under four days, beating our previous record by three days. The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge is the UK’s biggest match funding campaign. The money raised this year will be even more vital to our students in light of Covid-19. Thanks to the money raised in 2019, ten students who might otherwise have faced barriers to their university education have been granted scholarships.
Supporting rare diseases research Royal Holloway’s excellent reputation in the field of gene and cell therapy research has been boosted by support from The Hobson Charity. Their gift enabled second year PhD student Ellie to continue working to develop a new lentiviral therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, a severe disease that affects mainly children. Working in the Advanced Gene and Cell Therapy laboratory run by Professor Rafael Yáñez, Ellie used her grant to conduct valuable research into the cultivation of motor neurons, research which, without the grant, would have ceased. “The experiments conducted greatly improved the quality of my PhD thesis and I am very grateful.” Ellie, current student, PhD Biological Science
Santander step in to provide additional support for current students In October, Santander, through Santander Universities announced its successful partnership with Royal Holloway would continue until 2023, by which time they will have donated £1m to the university. In response to the global pandemic, Santander Universities intervened with an additional £25,000 to help alleviate student hardship and offered to divert existing funding towards Covid19 relief activity. This has helped the university move quickly to support students who faced difficulty in accessing online learning and assessments because of digital disadvantage, enabling academic progression and, in turn, helping to reduce anxiety. Helen Groenendaal, Head of Student Advisory and Wellbeing at Royal Holloway, said: “We are extremely grateful to Santander Universities for this additional funding which allowed us to act quickly to provide support at such a difficult and challenging time for students.” Find out more at royalholloway.ac.uk/impact-stories
Celebrating the transformative power of scholarships On 3 March 2020, we held our annual Scholars Reception in our celebrated Picture Gallery. Attended by scholarship recipients, our donors and supporters as well as members of staff, it was a chance to celebrate our scholars’ successes and introduce them to some of the donors whose generosity made their attendance at Royal Holloway possible. Royal Holloway alumna, former staff member and supporter of the university, Pirkko Koppinen, said: “I wanted to give back to the university, especially to the MA in Medieval Studies which is so close to my heart… to help students to join this wonderful degree and hopefully have the same marvellous experience as I have had here."
It is with profound sincerity that we thank the alumni, parents, staff, individuals, trusts, foundations and companies who choose to support Royal Holloway, particularly during such an unprecedented time. The incredible generosity enables us to fund scholarships and support programmes that give our students extra help to fulfil their potential and achieve their goals, provide resources vital to our researchers and enhance the impact that Royal Holloway can have around the world. Donors whose names appear in bold gave £5,000 or more. Mr Suid Adeyanju
Miss Helen Carey
Mr Alexander Dennison
Miss Helen Groenendaal
Mr Russell Adfield
Mr and Mrs Caroussis
Mr Matthew Derbyshire
Mr Simon Hadlington
Mrs Eileen Adkins
Mrs Heather Carrington
Miss Frances Dimond
Mrs Patricia Haffenden
Mrs Stella Agyepong Sarkodieh
Mr Jamie Carroll
Miss Dania Akeel
Dr Annaclara Cataldi Palau
Mr James Dixon Herringham Scholarships
Mr Jonathan and Mrs Hilary Hale
Mr Graham Almandras
Mrs Jill Cattell
Mrs Pat Doble
Maggi Hambling CBE
Miss Christine Armour
Miss Lisa Chandler
Mrs Sarah-Jane Docherty
Mr Edward Hammond
Mr Simon Arnell
Dr Greg Chapman
Mrs Wendy Dopheide
Dr Richard Hancock
Dr Michael and Mrs Elizabeth Baker
Miss Edith Chester
Mr Paul Dorman
Miss Edith Hanson*
Professor Gavin Drewry
Roger Harben
Miss Maria-Luiza Dumitrescu
Mrs Anne Harding
Mr Jason Duncan
Mr Peter and Mrs Helen Harrington
Dr Helen Barker Dr Diana Barnes PhD Mr Christopher and Mrs Alison Bates Mrs Frouke Bates Mrs Kathryn Beecroft Mr David Beever Ms Katie Behboodi – Behboodi Scholarship
Mr Robert and Mrs Mary Childs Mr Yannis Chronopoulos Mrs Mo Clancy Mrs Jane Clark Mrs Ailsa Clarke Mr Donald Clarke Mr Dave Cobb Dr Robert Cockroft
Mrs Jean Benson
Mr Tim Coghlan
Mr Kurt Benson
Mr Neil Colman
Mrs Sheila Bishop
Mr Aiden Coloe
Mrs Katharine Boddy
Mrs Marion Cooper
Mrs Carol Bostock-Smith
Miss Sheila Cooper
Ms Joanna Bowley
Dr Nicholas Coureas
Mrs Diana Boxall
Mr Alasdair Coutts-Britton
Professor Clare Bradley
Dr Peter Cox
Dr Elizabeth Brennan
Professor John Creaser
Mr Alan Bricknell
Mr Gavin Crook
In memory of Jeanne Brown
Ms Grace Crowhurst
Dr Kathryn Brown
Mrs Patricia Crowson
Patricia Brown
Mrs Fiona Crutchley
The Reverend Dr Arnold Browne
Mr Jon Cutter
Mr Jerry Brownlee Mrs Dawn Bruin Mr L Preston Bryant Jr. and Mrs Elizabeth W. Bryant
Mrs Jane Dannatt Dr Claire Gobbi Daunton Dr Adelina Davies
Mr Matthew Dunster Mrs Jennifer Elliott Mrs Ladan Esfahani Mr Bruce Eshbaugh Elaine Etherton Scholarship Professor Jane Everson Ms Ann Ewing Professor Michael Farthing Miss Rachel Fenn Mrs Hania Flannery Mrs Gill Fletcher Miss Susie Fletcher Mrs Janet Foreman Mrs Angeliki Frangou Miss Mary Franklin Miss Vera Freeburne RSEN Mrs Elisabeth Freeman Miss Elizabeth Fudakowska Mr Graham Funnell Miss Caroline Willbourne Mr and Mrs Gent Mr Michael Germaschewski Mr Maurice Gifford
Mr Brian Harris Cristina Harrison Mr Roy Harrow Ms Mary Hartnoll CBE Dr Wasimul Hasan Mr Adam Hatfield Dr Kara Hattersley-Smith Professor Alastair Hay OBE Mr Timothy Hayes Mrs Susan Haynes Mrs Barbara Healy Mr John M Healy Mrs Mary Herbert Mr Michael Heslop Mr Keith Hider Mrs Carolyn Hill Mrs Rosemary Hill Mr Peter Hind Mr John Hinze Mrs Tina Hodach Mr Colin Hodge Mr John Holden Mr Albert Holderer
Dr Eirian Davies
Mr Bernard and Mrs Catherine Gilhespy
Dr Alan and Mrs Mary Buckle
Mrs Helen Davies
Miss Valerie Givan
Mr Christopher Howorth
Mr David Burke
Máire Davies
Dame Sarah Goad DCVO JP
Ms Lurlyn Hudson
Mrs Lucy Butcher
Professor Anne-Christine Davis
Mrs Penelope Gravestock
Dr Ann Hughes
Mr Alan Butler
Mrs Thelma Daymond
Mrs Anna-Marie Greenaway
Miss Bettina Hughes
Dr Ian Calvert
Mrs Barbara de Ferry Foster
Mrs Dzintra Gregory
Mr Stephen Hughes
Ms Elaine Capizzi
Mrs Ann Deamer
Gareth and Kate Griffith
Mr Tony Hulatt
Mrs Molly Hornby
Ms Janet Hunt Mrs Katharine Hunter Mrs Margaret Huntington Mrs Elizabeth Hurfurt Miss Julia Inchley Miss Glenys Ingram Mrs Patricia Jenkins Mr David Johnson Miss Patricia Johnson Mrs Susan Johnston Mrs Jenny Jones Miss Sarah Keen Mrs Sally Keith (née Border) Mrs Margaret Kemp
Sir Mark and Lady MoodyStuart Mrs Carolyn Morant Mr Nick and Mrs Carol Morgan Mrs Janet Morter Dr Anne Mullen Mr Yoshiaki Nakano Miss Anthea Nembhard Miss Ruth Newcombe Dr Joanna Newman Dinah Nichols CB Mr Chris Noble Professor Katie Normington Mrs Carolyn Norwich
Ms Carolyn Saunders Mr Paul and Mrs Fran Scarff Mrs Doris Scotford Mrs Lindsey Scotney Mr Andrew Seal Mr Edward Sealy Mr Matthew Searle Dr Daphne Self Mr Naresh Shah Miss Elizabeth Sherbrooke Mrs Sue Sheridan OBE Mr Alex Sherman Mrs Jennifer Sherwood Mrs Joyce Simpson
Dr Rosalind Kent
Mr Philip and Mrs Jennifer O'Brien
Ms Sarah King
Mrs Jacqueline Oliver
Mrs Liz Slater
Mr Paul Kinninmont
Mr Andrew and Mrs Jane Osborne
Mrs Ann Smith Ms Anita Spence
Mr David Overton
Mr Henry Stephens
Mr Christopher Owens
Mr Andrew Stephenson MP
Mr Sanjay Patel
Mr Stephen Stewart
Mrs Christine Peach
Mr Iain and Mrs Susan Stinson
Dr Pirkko Koppinen Mrs Susan Kwok Mrs Julie Lambert Mrs Ramona Lamport Mrs Gillian Lane Dr Ursula Lawrence Professor Paul Layzell DL Mr Steve and Mrs Jane Lee Mr George Lemos Dr Nigel Lightfoot Mrs Andrea Livsey Mr Richard Lloyd Mrs Muriel Long Dame Felicity Lott DBE FRAM
Lady Doreen Peach Richard and Yvonne Peet Mr Keith Penfold Dr Sarah Perry Mr John Phillips Mr Timothy Pipe Dr Piers Plummer Dr Robert and Mrs Cheryle Poddubiuk Miss Leonora Polmounter
Mr Nick Low
Mrs Catherine Pomeroy
Mrs Sylvia Lymbery
Mr John Pool
Mrs Carol Maloney
Mr David Powell
Ms Elizabeth Margosches
Mr Dougal Powrie
Mr Chris and Mrs Lindsey Marriott
Mr David Preston
Mr Glenn Matheson Mr David and Mrs Moira Matthews Mayled Scholarship for Historical Musicology Mr Andrew McClure Mrs Susan McGowan Mr John Mead Dr Moya Meredith Smith Miss Audrey Miller Air Commodore Ruth Montague
Dr Andrew Pullen Mr Richard Puzey Mrs Sarah Quail Professor Barbara Raw Masters Scholarships
Miss June Simpson
Mrs Judith Talbot
Mr Anthony and Mrs Joanna Wallis Mrs Elizabeth Walters Mr James Watkins Mr Christopher Wayne Mrs Dorothy Wedge Dr Susan West Jack Westaway Scholarship and Prize Mr Declan White Rachel E Whittaker MBE JP* Mr David Wilkinson CB Miss Beryl Williams Dr Stephen Williams Dr Jane Willoughby and Mr Ingram Losner Mr James Wills Ms Colette Wilson Mrs Wendy Wilson Mr Piers Wombwell Mr Roger and Mrs Kate Woodward Professor The Reverend Frances Young OBE FBA
Mr Gordon Taylor
Mr Dongkai Yuan
Mr Arun Thomas
The A G Leventis Foundation
Mr Fitzroy Thomas Mrs Christine Titman Mr Christopher Tonkin Mrs Christine Topliss Miss Imogen Trinder Mrs Joan Trobe
American Foundation for Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, Inc. Ashley Family Foundation The Bedford Society Biogen Idec Foundation
Mr Colin Trussell
British Telecommunications PLC
Miss Gill Tucker
The Friendly Hand
Dr Penny Tucker
Geckoella
Ms Doris Turck
The Headley Trust
Miss Dorothy Turley
Hellenic Foundation
Mrs Barbara Turner (née Tyas)
Heritage Lottery Fund
Dr Graham Twigg
The Hobson Charity
Mrs Sarah Tyacke CB
Internet Security Research Group
Ms Elizabeth Tyte Mr Peter Underwood
The Kobler Trust
Miss Florence Rayner
Mr John Valentine
The Mendip Society
Miss Judith Rogerson
Mr Alex Voice
Pears Foundation
Mrs Jane Ross
Mr Adrian Waddingham CBE
The Reed Foundation
Mrs Jean Routley
Dr Roy Waight
Santander Universities
Mrs Alison Rudd-Clarke
Mr Daniel Walker
Sobell Foundation
Mrs Kate Sabisky
Mrs Sally Walker
Southwark Council
Mrs Valerie Saint
Mr David Wallace
St John Historical Society * sadly deceased
Lasting legacy - a lasting impact The legacy gifts that alumni and supporters generously leave to Royal Holloway are a vital source of financial support and a way of celebrating a life. Every legacy gift is valued and in the last ten years the university has received more than £2 million in legacy donations. These donations have supported key developments across campus, and had a transformative effect on our students. When the distinguished Bedford College alumna Rachel Whittaker MBE JP (Sociology, 1965), passed away in October 2018, she left a legacy to the Bedford Society Scholarship Fund.
“The scholarship has provided me with invaluable life and learning experience, set up my profession and has given me skills for which I will be forever grateful,” said Bedford Scholar Rebecca. Professor Barbara Raw (English, 1949 Royal Holloway College) spent much of her life teaching, specialising in Anglo Saxon literature. When she passed away in 2018, she remembered the university in her will. In collaboration with the Department of English, several awards have been created in the Professor’s name to support students studying English at all levels.
“I was really excited to think that someone who studied here such a long time ago and devoted her life to this field was able to bring that feeling to people studying here today,” said Dr Jennifer Neville from the Department of English. Every contribution can make a difference to our students, and we would like to thank the 118 donors who have pledged their support in wills over the years.
Who’s who in the team Please feel free to contact us for assistance at any time. Anna Blackman Assistant Director, External Relationships
Janice Rodrigues-Mendes Head of Development
Diana Sankey Development Manager
Laura Bassani-Merron Individual Giving Officer
Shilpi Shrestha Development Operations Manager
Rachael Koka Database and Donor Research Officer
Emma Grist Alumni Relations Manager
David Hannaby Alumni Relations Manager
Neil Perrott Events Manager
Sue Heath Events Officer
Content contributor - Jessica Jonzen, BA English 2004
Keep in touch If you would like to make a donation, please email development@royalholloway.ac.uk If you are an alumnus/a and would like to be involved, please email alumni@royalholloway.ac.uk
For any other queries, please email externalrelationships@royalholloway.ac.uk
Royal Holloway Alumni
@RHBNCAlumni
@rhalumni
Tel: 01784 414478 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College is an exempt charity (XN69536)
8261 09/20
To enquire about forthcoming events, please email events@royalholloway.ac.uk
Royal Holloway, University of London