LIFELONG CONNECTIONS

We are passionate about delivering the best possible experience from the moment our students apply to the day they graduate. However, the Staffordshire University journey does not end here. Our dedicated Development and Alumni Relations team is on hand to support our students after they leave us, enabling them to remain part of our Connected University community for life.

OUR VIRTUAL NETWORK

In September 2020 we launched the Staffs Alumni website in a bid to help strengthen these connections and support the creation of new networks. This platform features a broad array of functionality including an alumni directory, mentoring opportunities, jobs, photos, events and a business directory.

Members are also able to interact with one another online, sharing photos and joining groups according to their interests. We are already witnessing the makings of a thriving online community, and we look forward to further developing this collaborative environment over the coming months and years.

A GLOBALLY CONNECTED ALUMNI COMMUNITY

From BAFTA-winning video games designers and ground-breaking researchers to the CEO of the UK’s largest retail outlet and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Staffordshire University boasts a network of outstanding alumni who are making positive contributions to their sectors and societies in every corner of the planet.

Staffs alumni have continued to support our University in myriad ways during the 2019/20 academic year, facilitating our return to campus after our period of remote working, inspiring the next generation of leaders through the delivery of lectures, conducting masterclasses and workshops as part of live briefs, and everything in between.

Our alumni have played an invaluable role in supporting our University community throughout the coronavirus pandemic, giving up their time to judge graduate work at GradEX20 and the Art and Design Degree Show. Many are also entrepreneurs and business leaders who continue to offer our students and graduates realworld experiences and career opportunities through internships, placements and work experience.

We are grateful for the incredible support provided by the Staffs alumni community over the past 12 months and we look forward to continued collaboration during the 2020/21 academic year.

PROUD SUPPORTER OF NORTH STAFFS MIND

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2020, Staffordshire University’s Horizon Fund joined forces with North Staffs Mind to support students and communities across our region.

There is close alignment between the visions of Horizon Fund and North Staffs Mind, both of which are working to transform peoples’ lives. It came as no surprise, therefore, when our staff voted for North Staffs Mind to become Staffordshire University’s corporate charity for 2020/21.

COVID-19 poses a clear threat to our physical health but it is also negatively affecting mental health and wellbeing across our local communities. Together, the Horizon Fund and North Staffs Mind have been offering targeted support to those who need it most, empowering them to achieve their goals and change their lives for the better.

To support these efforts, we have set the ambitious target of raising £10,000 for North Staffs Mind and the Horizon Fund over the coming year. If you would like to get involved, please let us know by writing to developmentoffice@staffs.ac.uk

TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH FUNDRAISING

As always, we have been humbled by the efforts and generosity of our staff, students and alumni in helping to change lives for the better during the past year. Through donations to Staffordshire University’s Horizon Fund and North Staffs Mind, the support of former Staffs students has proved instrumental in creating opportunities and driving social mobility.

Staffordshire University’s Horizon Fund provides lifechanging support, including bursaries, scholarships and opportunity awards, to help empower recipients to achieve more than they ever thought possible.

UP THE VALE

In August 2020 Staffordshire University announced that it would become one of Port Vale Football Club’s Principal Partners, and we couldn’t be prouder of the team’s communityminded efforts during the past year.

Club owners and honorary graduates of Staffordshire University, Carol and Kevin Shanahan, asked the leads of the organisations they oversee – Synectics Solutions, Summit Hospitality, Port Vale Foundation and the Hubb Foundation: “How do we want to be remembered when this terrible situation is finally over?” The answer was that everyone wanted to help. They saw this as an opportunity to turn Vale Park into a genuine community hub, delivering meals to disadvantaged families and anyone in need during the crisis. Synectics Solutions and Summit Hospitality catering staff and volunteers made meals and collected the ingredients necessary for the parcels, Port Vale staff worked day in, day out to create the parcels, and the Hubb Foundation set about writing funding bids to support children and families across our local communities.

Once the English Football League confirmed that the 2019/20 season was officially over, a number of Port Vale’s first team players joined in by delivering parcels to nearby addresses.

Added to the parcels were cleaning and hygiene products contributed by The Hygiene Bank, birthday presents and more than 3,000 activity packs for children of different ages. Leaflets from mental health charity Mind were also included to highlight support available during this difficult period.

Staffordshire University’s Development and Alumni Relations team would like to thank all involved for their incredible efforts.

Up the Vale!

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Motivated by the trials and tribulations of lockdown, a desire for human interaction whilst staying safe at home and – perhaps most importantly – a love of cooking, three of Staffordshire University’s Deans (aka our resident wannabe chefs) started their own ‘Virtual Sunday Kitchen’. No sooner had our Development and Alumni Relations team caught wind of this than our charity cookbook was born.

We are immensely grateful for the support of our community partners in making our idea a reality. The charity cookbook features some delicious contributions from North Staffs Mind, YMCA North Staffs, Port Vale FC and The Hubb Foundation – not to mention a special guest appearance from local poet Nick Degg, better known as ‘Oatcake Man’.

By raising money for the joint charity initiative between our University’s Horizon Fund and North Staffs Mind, this initiative will help to support our students in overcoming mental health problems.