GIVING SEEDS OF CHANGE
IMAGINE LAUNCHES
INTERNSHIP SCHEME
Improving sustainability for 30,000 African farmers
We launch our first fundraising and volunteering campaign
Preparing our students for the next stage of their journey
08 - 09
10 - 11
15
ISSUE 7  2016
IMAGINE CHANGING THE WORLD... FIND OUT MORE ON PAGE 10.
02 | Welcome | Giving Matters
Welcome Welcome to this very special campaign edition of Giving Matters. As we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the granting of a Royal Charter to the University of Reading; we also launch our very first national and international fundraising and volunteering campaign - IMAGINE. The world does not stand still. In the coming decades, humankind must meet the challenges and opportunities that will fundamentally alter our planet’s climate; how our societies work; and how to sustain a global population of seven billion and rising. We need new thinking and solutions that transcend the traditional boundaries of academic disciplines. So that is why the IMAGINE campaign will inspire philanthropy and volunteering in support of Reading’s strongest research and teaching areas. To meet our ambitions and drive our outstanding work, we have set a goal to raise £150 million and inspire our supporters to give over 60,000 hours of their time by 2020. We are proud to launch our campaign in such a special year. In the pages of this magazine, you will discover the projects that your donations of time and money have supported. Thanks to you, we are developing new ways to treat mental health issues, leading research to better understand the links between nutrition and health, and working to preserve our rich heritage. Not only that, your generosity has supported students who would otherwise not have been able to fulfil their potential; these students have gone on to join the ranks of our global alumni community. Our alumni are, among many other things, shaping the future of business, promoting practices to improve sustainability and helping educate the next generation. None of this would have been possible without you, our donors and volunteers. Imagine what more we can achieve together. Thank you for your continued support. Together we are changing the world.
Sir David Bell KCB, Vice-Chancellor
ALUMNI AWARDS
2016 Alumni Awards 2016 – celebrating our outstanding alumni and their support of the University. In 2008 the University of Reading established our Alumnus of the Year Award. This year, as part of our 90th anniversary celebrations, we have added three new categories to the award scheme: Donor of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year. We are delighted to be expanding our recognition and appreciation of all our supporters, who work with us to drive forward both the student experience and research culture at the University of Reading. Here are this year’s awardees.
Helen Rugman – Donor of the Year Following the death of her husband, Professor Alan Rugman, Helen has helped set up the Alan Rugman Memorial Fund to support an International Business Masterclass Studentship and a Visiting Fellowship at Henley Business School. These projects aim to encourage research and study in the areas most associated with Professor Rugman. Between 2008 and 2014, Professor Rugman was a leading scholar in international business and Head of International Business and Strategy at Henley Business School. Professor Rugman significantly influenced the development of the School and made major contributions to international business. He was also a Founding Fellow of the John H. Dunning Centre for International Business.
Giving Matters | Alumni Awards 2016 | 03
Tim Brownstone, BSc Animal Science, 2013 – Entrepreneur of the Year (CEO and Founder KYMIRA Ltd) Since graduation in 2013, Tim has been running his company, KYMIRA from the Henley Start-Up Business Incubator at the Science and Technology Centre, Whiteknights campus. KYMIRA Sport operates in the health and fitness market, developing products that use infrared technology to enhance performance and accelerate the recovery of the wearer. KYMIRA is currently developing wearable platform technologies including energy harvesting e-textiles for the domestic healthcare market. KYMIRA has employed several other Reading alumni and employs current students as interns. Tim also mentors other student start-ups and has supported a current PhD study opportunity.
Neil Poole, MBA, 2009 – Joint Volunteer of the Year (Associate Partner, St James Place Wealth Management) Neil worked for various companies across the globe, including KPMG, before retraining to qualify as a financial advisor. He has been a dedicated volunteer for Henley Business School for several years and organises the monthly social drinks. Neil is also chair of the Henley Business School Alumni Group London. Neil is committed to representing the Alumni Group at the drinks as ‘host’, welcoming alumni from across the Business School. Neil has also introduced new ‘pop up lectures’, which have been a tremendous success. In addition to his activities on behalf of the London Alumni Group, Neil has also been a member of the Henley Alumni and Development Advisory Board since 2013.
Alumni of the Year
Bryan Laxton Joint volunteer of the Year (Real Estate & Planning, Land Management, 1981) After graduation, Bryan joined Cushman & Wakefield and eventually became CEO of their UK operations before retiring as a partner in 2015. For over 10 years, Bryan has supported the Reading Real Estate Foundation (RREF). Bryan is an active volunteer, regularly giving his time to secure speakers for events and raising awareness of activities. Bryan regularly uses public speaking platforms to promote the focus and work of RREF. Bryan also played an instrumental role in establishing the RREF Mentoring Programme, from which around 1200 students have benefitted to date. Bryan is a RREF trustee and an active member of the Pathways to Property Project Board (for which he raised £400,000 to help launch Pathways), as well as an advocate of Henley Business School and the University of Reading.
Geoff Botting – Special Recognition (BSc Cybernetics and Control Engineering, 1967 / PhD Physical Sciences, 1972) Geoff graduated in 1967 and received his PhD in 1972 before working in the aerospace, mining and IT industries, in a variety of roles. Geoff has stayed in touch with the University throughout his career, and served as a member and Vice-President of Council (the University’s governing body). He has also been active in his own community, serving as Vice Chairman of Woodcote Parish Council. Geoff played an instrumental role in establishing the fundraising and alumni department and is an active donor. In 2014 Geoff was awarded a Distinguished Fellowship to the University of Reading. He also volunteers his time to teach each new generation of student fundraisers and is a committed supporter of the University’s fundraising initiatives.
Year awards to three outstanding alumni.
ROB WILSON MP - Alumnus of the Year (BA History, 1987) Rob made his name as an entrepreneur, successfully building several small businesses before being first elected as Member of Parliament for Reading East in 2005. Rob has also served as a Reading Borough councillor. In September 2014, Rob became Minister for Civil Society and continues to serve in the government in this role.
LAURA TOBIN, Presenter, Good Morning Britain Alumna of the Year (BSc Physics and Meteorology, 2003) Laura has had a varied career in weather, working first at Cardiff weather centre and then at various RAF bases. In 2007, Laura joined the BBC weather centre as a broadcast meteorologist and in 2012 she became the ITV Daybreak team’s Meteorologist and weather forecaster.
PHILIP HOBBS - Alumnus of the Year (BSc Agriculture, 1975) Philip was brought up surrounded by horses and he rode 160 winners in his 10-year career as a jockey. Philip started training in August 1985 with only six horses and he now trains 112 horses at his yard in Somerset. He has sent out over 2000 winners and has finished in the country’s top six National Hunt trainers since 1999.
We have also presented Alumni of the
04 | Mental health | Giving Matters
TREATING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN YOUNG PEOPLE About 1 in 10 young people are affected by mental health problems, but around 70% of those affected don’t receive appropriate interventions when they need them. The Charlie Waller Institute is making sure clinicians receive training in therapies that are proven to improve outcomes for these young people.
Giving Matters | Mental health | 05
One such pioneering therapy is known as Brief Behavioural Activation (BBA) and involves a therapist and young person working together to think through what the young person wants from life. Then, it is a matter of doing things differently on a daily basis - making time for the hobbies and activities they enjoy and getting help with the things that get in the way of what they want to do. “The idea is that by doing more of what matters to them,” explained Dr Laura Pass, Clinical Research Psychologist at the Charlie Waller Institute (CWI), “young people start to get more out of life and break the vicious cycle of depression.” What differentiates BBA from other therapies is that it has been designed to be simple both for the young person and for the therapists. It is highly structured and requires only a small number of behavioural techniques, unlike a treatment such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, which requires extensive training to master. This also makes it cheaper in terms of therapist time and training costs. This means more therapists can be trained in this low intensity treatment, making it more accessible to young people who suffer depression and low mood.
it is improving clinician knowledge, skills and patient outcomes.
THE FUTURE
Their evaluation of the BBA pilot studies in the local NHS have been very positive. “Young people tell us that they like BBA because it is ‘practical’, ‘useful’ and ‘makes sense’,” said Pass. “Parents have similar views, identifying BBA as a ‘practical approach, with a flexible application’, and ‘a positive way to change negative feelings’.”
It is the generous support of donors that has made the CWI’s work on BBA possible. “Every single donation helps us continue our research into BBA and evaluate ways to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people,” added Pass. “You have really made a difference, thank you!
CWI is training clinicians in the BBA technique as well as conducting research that will add to the evidence-base regarding the therapy’s effectiveness. The CWI is a collaborative initiative between the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, the University of Reading and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. It is named after Charlie Waller, a young man who suffered from depression and took his own life at the age of 28.
CWI has recently secured funding for an ambitious three-year project that will take BBA into schools to evaluate the feasibility of offering the brief, structured therapy in a place that’s accessible to all young people. “I’m really proud that our work has received this funding as it enables us to continue developing and evaluating BBA,” said Pass, “which will allow us to help many more young people.”
The Institute not only aims to train clinicians in evidence-based psychological treatments and conduct research, but also to evaluate the effectiveness of the training to make sure that
Find out more at: www.reading. ac.uk/imagine/projects/imaginecharliewallerinstitute.aspx
I’m really proud that our work has received this funding as it enables us to continue developing and evaluating BBA, which will allow us to help many more young people. Dr Laura Pass
Dr Laura Pass
The Charlie Waller Institute has ambitious plans for the future and training is at the core of these aims. 6,000 clinicians have already been trained to deliver evidence-based psychological therapies in the NHS. 200 e-learning sessions on children’s mental health and development are available anywhere in the world through the MindED platform (minded.org). 20,000 professionals who work with children or teenagers have signed up to train using MindED. 20,000 people have registered to take the Massive Open Online Course developed in collaboration with Future Learn, which is about CBT, anxiety and depression. Up to 10 research students are being supervised at any one time at CWI and they are the future leaders of research into mental health treatments.
06 | Your gifts in action | Giving Matters
D OPENIDNOG RS OPENING L O IINNRERAEL EASTATEEST The generous support of donors doesn’t just remove financial barriers, it gives people, like Luke Appleby, the confidence to do extraordinary things.
When Luke chose to do his MSc in Real Estate at Reading, it wasn’t only the quality of the teaching that attracted him. He saw the programme’s unrivalled links to the industry as a career catalyst. “I came to Reading to learn,” said Luke, “but also to open doors to my career through the network available to me.”
My bursary gave me more confidence to pursue my career than education alone would provide. Luke received a bursary to pursue his degree. While he acknowledges the importance of this financial support, he found the knowledge that he was being encouraged by the University and its alumni equally beneficial. “This gave me more confidence to pursue my career than education alone would provide.” These days, Luke has every reason to feel confident. After completing his degree, he spent four years with CBRE - the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm.
Two years ago, however, he made the bold decision to set up his own real estate practice, Kontor, with co-founder James Townsend. “This is certainly my greatest achievement in the real estate industry to date,” stated Luke. “We have established a pioneering firm that is able to relate to the growing tech and media industries in a way that more traditional, larger firms are unable to.” Kontor now has two employees and last year managed to secure over half a million square feet of space in London on behalf of clients. The business has also been nominated for three Property Week awards this year – a testament to their success – and Luke is keen to keep Kontor on its current growth path: “Our prediction is that we will double turnover this year and next”. With a fast growing tech industry, it’s an exciting time to be in real estate and Luke credits Reading for getting him into the industry in the first place. “The impact of donors’ help is not just financial, but gives an added level of confidence to students who are able to know that there are opportunities available to them. They undoubtedly helped me to get to where I am today.”
DOORS TATE
Giving Matters | Your gifts in action | 07
08 | Prosperity and Resilience | Giving Matters
Exciting new
SEEDS OF CHA Highly variable climatic conditions from year to year make it difficult for farmers in many areas of Africa to know when and what to plant - the wrong decision can lead to crop failure.
However, with the right information and resources, African farmers can adapt their practices to cope with their changing environment. That is the concept underpinning a novel programme, developed by a team from the University of Reading, which has proved successful in helping vulnerable and poor small-scale farmers plan and grow successful crops despite highly variable climatic conditions. The programme is called PICSA (Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture) and was developed to help farmers avoid crop disasters. The Reading team are working with national meteorological services, agricultural field staff and Non-
Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Ghana, Tanzania and Malawi to provide farmers with more information about their local historical climate patterns and to better communicate seasonal and shortterm forecasts. This critical information is then linked to practical farming methods that are adaptive to different conditions. “This knowledge included the seasonal changes (planting, harvesting and selling times),” said Moses, a farmer from Yendi in northern Ghana, “weather forecasting (when and when not to plant), resource allocation, participatory budgeting and engaging in other livelihood activities which will serve as additional sources of income.”
PHOTO: ANDREE NENKAM
Giving Matters | Prosperity and Resilience | 09
PICSA AT WORK IN GHANA A recent evaluation in northern Ghana showed that PICSA is making an impact:
From the information I received from PICSA, I realised that there are a lot of things I have to change and I can say that I wouldn’t have harvested anything this year if I had not made those changes. TAMBA’S STORY
97%
60%
35,000
of farmers with PICSA training made changes to their practices as a result of this training
of the population depend on small scale farming for food and income
farmers received information from PICSA last year because each farmer trained spoke with an average of 5 more farmers
are a lot of things I have to change and I can say that I wouldn’t have harvested anything this year if I had not made those changes,” added Yendi.
ANGE I can say the training has really improved my life, hence I would keep sharing this good information with others who have not yet received it. Sana, farmer from the Yendi district The PICSA programme guides individual farmers through the use of participatory decision-making tools that aid them in assessing their different options and then planning how to implement them for the coming season. “From the information I received from PICSA, I realised that there
In addition, farmers receive forecasts and weather warnings during the agricultural season, often by radio or mobile phone, which help them with short term decision-making. PICSA was recently evaluated in northern Ghana and it was found that its impact had extended well beyond those who had received training directly. The Reading team are looking to expand the capacity and reach of PICSA, with the aim of doubling the number of farmers benefitting over the next two years. Based on the success in northern Ghana, PICSA could help make tens of thousands of African farmers become profitable in the face of environmental uncertainty. Find out more at: www.reading.ac.uk/imagine
You may remember in Giving Matters Issue 6 we shared the story of Tamba, an MSc student and Marshal Papworth Scholar, who was left homeless and stranded after he completed his studies. He could not fly home to Sierra Leone due to the Ebola outbreak, but because his studies were complete he had nowhere to live and no money for food. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to support Tamba until he was able to return home to his family. Tamba is now using his degree to educate the next generation of farmers and improve sustainability in his home country. He is a Technical Assistant at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and supervises the rehabilitation of cocoa, coffee and oil palm tree crops, and trains tree crop farmers in best agricultural practices. Tamba received the Marshal Papworth Scholarship to be able to study at Reading, and our donors helped to support him at his most desperate time. Now he is passing on his education to farmers in order to provide a better future for everybody. Together, we are changing the world. Tamba says: “I am so grateful to the University and its community for the support you gave to me. Because of your generosity I want to help in other people’s plights and make a difference. I will never forget what you did and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
10 | Imagine | Giving Matters
TO DREAM AND IMAG launching our new camp We recently celebrated the launch of the University of Reading’s first major fundraising and volunteering campaign, IMAGINE.
Giving Matters | Imagine | 11
GINE… paign Taking place at Henley Business School on 7 June, we were delighted to be joined by over 150 distinguished guests, for a reception and panel discussion where some of the University’s leading academics discussed the topic “To dream and imagine: the impact of our research in the coming 90 years”. The interdisciplinary nature of our research and teaching is at the heart of the IMAGINE campaign. Working collaboratively across Health, Food, Environment, Prosperity and Resilience, Heritage and Creativity, Educating for 21st Century Lives and Shaping the Future of Business, the impact of the work made possible by this campaign
will help to address some of the critical challenges facing our future society.
The panel discussion was magnificent. Despite their disparate disciplines, our panellists found fascinating connections that highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of our work. It is what makes our University such a great institution. Dale Cooper, Director of Campaigns and Supporter Engagement
To meet the University’s ambitions and to drive our outstanding work, we have set a goal to have raised £150 million and to have inspired our supporters to give over 60,000 hours of their time by 2020. The launch event was a vibrant, engaging way to unveil our ambitious new campaign. Government ministers’ mixing with students, funders with academics and alumni, encapsulating what the University of Reading is all about: people coming together to imagine solutions for a better world.
For more information about the campaign and how you can be involved, visit www.reading.ac.uk/imagine
12 | Health research | Giving Matters
HEALTHY HEARTS AND MINDS How blueberries can play a preventative role in diseases such as dementia Jeremy Spencer is Professor of Food and Nutritional Sciences at Reading and has been researching the properties of berries for the past ten years. Much of his research uses equipment that has been supported by our donors. The work that he and his colleagues are doing could lead to healthier bodies, healthier minds and happier lives. Here, Jeremy shares some of the work that has been possible thanks to you, and what he hopes future research in this area will achieve. Our research on berries, and in particular blueberries, began a decade ago when we started to look at some of the berries’ compounds to try to understand how they acted within the body. We used clinical trials to look at what effects eating anywhere between 50g and 150g of fresh blueberries had on individuals during the day, or even over weeks or months. We were especially
interested in how eating blueberries might impact on cardiovascular health and cognitive performance - two things we believe are related. Our research supported the claim that blueberries are a superfood, but the compounds we were looking at are common to all berries and are found in other fruit and vegetables as well.
Giving Matters | Health research | 13 The biggest impact of our findings, however, is that the compounds that we find in berries can play a preventative role in some diseases, such as dementia. There aren’t currently any preventative or curative drug strategies to prevent some of the degenerative cognitive diseases people experience later in life. However, we can slow the progression of some of these diseases through diet. Instead of suffering with dementia in your early seventies, you might not start suffering until your late eighties or early nineties, which means a better quality of life for longer. The right diet at the right time can offer some protection and there needs to be increased awareness of the medical benefits of eating well.
The compounds that we find in berries can play a preventative role in some diseases, such as dementia. Although the five-a-day message has had some success, it doesn’t really give the full story. Some fruits and vegetables are better than others. And the type of message is also key. Young people aged 18 to 25 are among the worst performers in terms of their fruit and vegetable intake. They’re also rather immune to messaging around health benefits, because when you’re that young you have a sense of immortality. However, we know from research conducted in Denmark that messages that say their skin will look better and therefore make them more attractive does work. Conveniently, this is the demographic that populates Reading’s campus, so we are able to look at what other approaches might encourage them to improve their diet. We make good use of the Hugh Sinclair Centre for Human Nutrition, which has received various support, including donations from alumni and supporters. The equipment and space at the Centre has allowed us to carry out studies with more people involved so that we can be more certain of the effects we are observing. Also, importantly, a donation enabled us to purchase state-of-the-
The right diet at the right time can offer some protection and there needs to be increased awareness of these medical benefits of eating well. art equipment that allows us to access blood flow easily. It is not easy to fund equipment through grants, which makes your support even more essential to our success. It ensures we stay competitive in our research area, publishing high-quality research in higher impact journals, which gives more confidence in the messages that we relay to the public and decisionmakers.
THE BENEFITS OF BLUEBERRIES
BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM
AIDS IN PREVENTING DEMENTIA
BENEFICIAL IN PREVENTING CANCER
HELPS WITH A HEALTHY HEART
14 | Volunteering | Giving Matters
MENTORS ARE HELPING OUR STUDENTS THRIVE Thrive, the University’s career mentoring scheme, has facilitated over 200 partnerships between our alumni and students since the pilot project began in 2015.
who are in their penultimate study year. It is because of the hardworking volunteers already involved in Thrive that our pilot has been such a success and we would like to say thank you.
Our mentors work closely with undergraduates from two departments to ensure that they are prepared to take the first steps toward their career and stand out from the competition.
All mentors are provided with training, ongoing support, exclusive invitations to University alumni and careers events, as well as the fulfilling experience of giving back to Reading and the next generation of professionals. To hear more about Thrive and to find out how to become a mentor visit our webpage www.reading.ac.uk/imagine/volunteer/thrivementoring or talk to the team by emailing mentoring@reading.ac.uk.
Through the generosity of our dedicated mentors our students have benefitted from: Over 510 hours of mentoring support 21 exclusive work experience opportunities 15 work shadowing days 14 work place tours The overwhelming generosity of our mentors and an increasing interest in the scheme from students has enabled Thrive to take the next steps to becoming a university-wide offering. From September 2016, Thrive will be open to all undergraduates
My mentor has done so much for me; I couldn’t have asked more of her. I have learned so much about myself, what I want to do for my career and I did a week placement where I learned lots of skills as well.
Giving Matters | Volunteering | 15
RISING TO THE TOP BakedIn and the Reading Internship Scheme
Interns can bring enthusiasm, up-to-date skills and a completely fresh perspective. An intern can be as valuable, if not more, than an employee with many years’ experience. Joe Munns, Managing Director of BakedIn
Joe Munns is Managing Director and one of the founders of BakedIn, a start-up based in Basingstoke that makes premium home baking kits and mixes. BakedIn has taken on two interns from Reading since first getting involved in summer 2015 and plans to take on two new interns for summer 2016.
Q
What is your experience of taking on interns through the Reading Internship Scheme?
Without exception all the interns I have taken on have been excellent. Reading has some great courses that are very relevant to my business and I’ve felt spoilt for choice at interviews. I ended up keeping our latest intern, Kirsty, on a parttime basis during her final year and have just offered her a fulltime graduate role. It’s a cliché, but you can look at the internship as a really long interview.
A
Q A
What impact did Kirsty have?
Kirsty invented one of our new varieties of mug baking mix, which is now on sale in Lakeland Stores amongst others. This new product is something I can attach real monetary value to.
Q
Do you have any advice for organisations taking on an intern?
Don’t limit the amount of responsibility you give them – they often punch well above their weight. Having employees that can jump on a task that might be completely outside their job spec and get it done is hugely valuable.
A
Q
How has the Reading Internship Scheme helped your organisation?
A
The scheme helped me find great interns and the financial support I received was a godsend.
The Reading Internship Scheme facilitates summer internships between our students, and small companies and charities. Support from our donors and other organisations make these partially funded internships possible. For further information please contact: Jay Russell, Job Shop and Internship Scheme Manager at jay.russell@reading.ac.uk.
16 | Get involved | Giving Matters
UNIVERSITY OF
MONSTERS
This year we reached out to Year 6 pupils in Reading to introduce them to higher education and inspire them to think about their local university.
Giving Matters | Get involved | 17
The new programme, run by RUSU and funded by our donors, brought young people on campus to experience university life. The aim was to introduce those who may not consider university as an option - due to their circumstances or aspirations - to the diverse possibilities here. We want to give these young minds the opportunity to dream bigger and better and equip them with the information they need to plan for their future. This very successful programme is now coming towards the end of its pilot year and, thanks to further funding from our donors, we will have an opportunity to invite more schools onto our campus in 2016/17.
This exciting project gets school children thinking about what they would like to do in their futures. From raising aspirations to creating a fun engaging experience for these children, the benefit they get and the enthusiasm it creates really makes it worthwhile. Ben Cooper, RUSU
Thanks to the funding from Alumni this year, we have been able to launch the project, buy key resources such as cameras and stationery, invest in graduation robes and hold a graduation event. On behalf of all the students who have benefitted from this programme I would like to say thank you. It would not have been possible without you. Hannah Trott, RUSU
18 | MERL | Giving Matters
In February 2016, a dead mouse found in an 1860s mouse trap brought national attention to the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL).
MERL: MOVING BEYOND THE MOUSE As the museum nears completion of a massive redevelopment, which has been funded by donors, it’s ready to go ‘beyond the mouse’ to help engage the public with their rural heritage. As more people make cities their home, the perception of the countryside slips from being somewhere to live and work to somewhere to find refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life a place for recreation and relaxation. MERL, however, with its collection of over one million objects, archives, photographs, film and other library materials on rural heritage, is helping its largely urbanite visitors understand the historical and contemporary importance of the countryside. Not only with respect to its role in
food production, but also its relevance to local and global sustainability. The museum was established in 1951 and was the first of its kind in the country. It remains the only rural museum set in an urban location - the culturally diverse town of Reading. An increasing number of visitors to the museum have no particular knowledge of the countryside and have no living memory of the many objects within its collections. The museum is finding that more of its visitors want to learn about how people lived - their clothing, what they ate, the lighting and heating in their homes and the traditions they held. For these reasons MERL has an increasingly important role to play in connecting urban visitors to this rural heritage and explaining the interrelationships between urban and rural
areas over the past 250 years. In response, MERL is undergoing a massive redevelopment as part of the ‘Our Country Lives’ project. The aim is to transform how visitors understand the rural past using the museum’s extensive collections. The museum is using innovative approaches to engage with this new generation of visitors who may be many generations removed from country life. At the heart of this is a commitment to enhance people’s understanding of their rural heritage and the changes and developments in the countryside that the MERL collections can so powerfully illuminate. Find out more at: www.reading.ac.uk/merl
Giving Matters Giving | Launch Matters of Developing | Giving toResearch Reading | 19
GIVING TO
READING
The support of donors doesn’t just help students, it enables them to go and help others. Originally from North London, Ruby studied on the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) – Early Years Pathway at the Institute of Education at the University of Reading. She chose the course because of its prestige, and how well the content would enable her to fulfil her passion to teach. Her parents’ financial circumstances meant that Ruby got full maintenance and student loans, but this barely covered her rent at University. There is so much to pack into the one year PGCE that the term is longer than that of other undergraduate courses. This is important, and means that Reading graduates are the best teachers they can be. But of course it means higher costs in rent. Ruby was supported by donors with a bursary. This is money given by donors that Ruby was able to use how she saw fit.
Placements are a vital part of the PGCE; giving students important hands on experience in schools, and giving local schools access to bright and dynamic students to help in class. Ruby used some of her bursary to fund the travel costs of getting to and from school each day. The Early Years specialism means working with the youngest children in the state sector. Ruby didn’t only want to learn how to teach, she wanted to help the children in her class, and help them realise school is exciting as well as important. She used the rest of her support from donors creating and laminating resources to enable her to brighten up the children’s work and school.
I would like to thank the donors from the bottom of my heart for the funding that I have received. You will have a great impact on my future career and the children I will teach. Thank you so much.
As Reading continues to grow and evolve, We are proud to count the University of Reading among our clients and to have so doa growing we. number of its alumni in our successful team.
Associate solicitor Katherine Katherine Caswell, Caswell, LLB LLB (Hons) (Hons) Law, Law, University University of of Reading Reading
We are proud to count the University of Reading among our clients and to have a growing number of its alumni in our successful team.
“
Blandy & Blandy has a reputation for high-quality, high-value expertise and is regarded as a cost- effective alternative to a City firm. Chambers UK Guide
”
Associate Katherine Katherine Caswell Caswell LLB (Hons) Law, University Law, University of of Reading Reading
www.blandy.co.uk Excellence | Integritywww.blandy.co.uk | Approachability Excellence | Integrity | Approachability
Giving Matters For more information, please contact: Campaigns & Supporter Engagement Office University of Reading Whiteknights Reading, RG6 6AH UniofReadingAlumni @UniRdg_Alumni www.reading.ac.uk/alumni
Giving Matters is produced by the Campaigns and Supporter Engagement Office at the University of Reading. The opinions expressed in Giving Matters are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the University of Reading. Editor: Samantha Horsfield Design: University of Reading