event. Much of this support was inspired by the messages shared by students during our Giving Day. The Giving Day inspired bigger commitments to our Student Potential Fund. Thank you to Family Law Partners who are giving £36,000 for a new Law scholarship, and to Steve Garden who has committed £50,000 to support business students. Incredible.
Dear Friends Extraordinary, unprecedented, incredible – all words we’ve become so familiar with during the pandemic. These are also words I use to describe the support you give to our students, researchers and the university. Last year, your support enabled 686 students to access funding and opportunities. Thank you. Your extraordinary support meant that when we launched our Student Potential Fund through our first ever Giving Day in April 2021, you rallied behind it raising an unprecedented £17,000 over the 36–hour
Because of your support, we can continue to put students at the heart of all we do. You are giving students access to funds that empower them to seize opportunities and achieve their goals. To show you the impact your support makes, we are sharing some stories from students who have already benefited. These show how you are helping students learn, develop their employability, take care of their wellbeing and participate in university life, and beyond graduation through entrepreneurship programmes and business growth grants. Philanthropy is also making a difference to the lives of people outside our immediate community. Celebrating 20 years in August 2021, Football 4 Peace has become a multi-dimensional research, education and social
engagement platform, thanks to the ongoing fundraising of students and staff. Also, the Nepalese Malagiri School, championed by our School of Education, turned 10 this year. Donations have helped to educate over 200 children at the school since it opened. Funding PhD studentships and research fellowships helps advance research and bring about change. Whether it is understanding the impact of firefighting on female firefighters, researching how stress impedes cancer recovery, or developing novel methods to better understand agonising back pain; this vital work all has the power to make our world a better place. We call this report the Brighton Effect, as it celebrates what is possible as a result of your support. I like to think of the Brighton Effect starting as a ripple in water, your initial donation or volunteering, that goes on to build and build and build. THANK YOU for all you do. You are the Brighton Effect. With best wishes Professor Debra Humphris Vice-Chancellor
OUR COMMUNITY Collec ti vely you donated
£430,779
WHO IS GIVING
58%
1%
companies
students
15% friends
1%
honorary graduates
betwee n 1 Aug us t 2020 and 31 J uly 2021
6%
alumni
16%
charitable funders
3%
University current/ former staff
TH A N K Y OUR AL OU TO VOLUNTUMNI E E RS
56 o f y o u g ave y mentors our time , 73 volu as nteer on Alumni the A sk platform and man have tak y more en part in vir tua events a l careers nd open d ay s .
THE STUDENT POTENTIAL FUND With your generous support, we launched the Student Potential Fund this year. Whatever journey our students are on, our community encourages them to stay curious and put what they learn into practice. We want every student to have access to what they need to embrace their full university experience, and when they
29
scholarships
27
Sport Brighton scholarships
13
awards supporting learning outcomes
23
graduate, to have the confidence and freedom to choose their future. The Student Potential Fund does this by focusing on four key areas to encourage the best from current and future students. The funding it provides addresses: • educational equality • student wellbeing • development of employability skills • entrepreneurship by turning ideas into viable businesses.
8
awards to participate in Sport Brighton Teams or Students’ Union societies
55%
of recipients are from households with an income under £25k a year
awards to develop employability skills
OUR FIRST GIVING DAY Getting the fundraising started for our Student Potential Fund needed something new and digital. In the midst of the pandemic, traditional fundraising events and approaches weren’t possible, we had to find a solution that could operate entirely online and bring the stories of students to you and our wider community. Our first ever Giving Day was born! Taking place online over 36 hours, from 27 to 28 April 2021, the Giving Day incorporated films from students who had already benefited from the Student Potential Fund, and messages from donors sharing why giving is important to them. The campaign also shared a simple animated film describing exactly what the Student Potential Fund was aiming to achieve. Some of our existing supporters got involved with the Giving Day by creating Challenge Funds. Donors Diana Garnham and Rodney Buse set up a £1,500 Challenge Fund. They said:
We are grateful to everyone who has supported the Student Potential Fund so far, raising just over £130k. Thank you. Your support ensures each student can write their own story of excellence at the university and beyond, igniting ambition, empowering individuality and changing lives.
16%
of recipients have a declared disability
12%
of recipients are of Black or BlackMixed heritage
8%
of recipients are of Asian heritage
Our experience of working with the University of Brighton and supporting students has been hugely rewarding and enjoyable, and we were happy to encourage others to support the Fund by creating a successful challenge fund. It attracted 30 donations during the university’s Giving Day – raising £2,572 on top of our donation." Together our community raised £17,000 through donations and pledges over the 36-hour event. 124 of you gave from across the globe – from Hong Kong and Singapore to the United States and throughout Europe. 78 of you gave to the university for the first time, and 46 of you were giving again. Thank you to every one of you who took part. The messages of support and celebration you shared on the donor wall were heart-warming and inspiring, showing how fundraising isn’t just about the money that is given, it is also about enriching our community. Building on the success of our first Giving Day, our second will take place from 5 to 6 April 2022. Please get in touch to find out more and to discuss setting up a Challenge Fund. We’d love to hear from you at giving@brighton.ac.uk.
70%
of Giving Day donors are alumni
19%
university staff and governors
9%
friends of the university
2%
honorary graduates
SANTANDER UNIVERSITIES UK We are proud to partner with Santander Universities who have provided £1.3m to support over 1,700 University of Brighton students since 2008. Over the next three years, our work together will focus on education, employability and entrepreneurship. Santander provide our students with scholarships, funding to kick-start their businesses and paid internships with SMEs, alongside access to development programmes and opportunities. The Santander SelfDevelopment programme is brilliant! I am absolutely honoured to have access to all of these clips; I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. I have learnt so much and honestly feel like the information is simply invaluable.”
It means the world to know that there are people out there who believe in you and are rooting for your success. I have been able to purchase equipment I've wanted and online courses which have helped further develop my art and prepare me for going back to my second year of university. I've also been able to afford extracurricular activities such as martial arts and fitness which has helped my mental health and boosted my confidence. I think the best thing about the scholarship has been the fact that I've been able to get the support I've desperately needed and I've been able to get a part-time job that works with my disability.” Tobias Starenczak, Illustration BA(Hons), second year, Santander Brighton Scholarship recipient
Samantha McIver, Business Management with Marketing BSc(Hons)
Read more here – www.brighton.ac.uk/ selfdevelopmentprogramme
Thank you so, so much, I cried when I got the news that I had been lucky enough to be chosen as a recipient of this life-changing award. It means so much more than I could ever put into words. You have shown just how much my hard work and determination to change my life is finally working and I am so unbelievably proud of myself. Thank you again for making this the best day of my life and making the future look so much brighter for me and many others like me.” Tabitha Humphrey, Illustration BA(Hons), second year, Santander Brighton Scholarship recipient
I am eternally grateful to the Santander Progression Scholarship for helping me to pursue my dreams of becoming a Theatre Nurse! The scholarship has helped me fund my study materials and travel costs to hospital for my university placements, all whilst being a mature student working three jobs. I am so humble, and ecstatic for being supported on my journey, I honestly cannot thank you enough! Thank you!” May Hau, Nursing (Adult) BSc(Hons), second year, Santander Progression Scholarship recipient
Tabitha Humphrey
Tobias Starenczak
May Hau
EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF BRIGHTON STUDENTS BLACK AND BLACKMIXED HERITAGE SCHOLARSHIPS This year, three Black and Black-Mixed Heritage scholarships were awarded to students in their first year of undergraduate study. Receiving this funding has given me confidence and growth in more ways than I expected. For instance, I looked for an opportunity to do a summer placement in the community pharmacy and have benefited from it greatly. I have also joined the university's student ambassador's team and I look forward to offering help and support to students like myself. Lastly, it has influenced my personal life as I can be responsible for myself and the actions I take that will shape my future career.” Calebtina Peprah, Pharmacy MPharm (integrated undergraduate and Masters)
Calebtina Peprah
SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS This year, 27 Sport Scholarships were awarded. These are for students studying at Brighton who compete in their sport at a regional or national level and have the potential to be world-class. The sport scholarship has helped me unlock financial barriers within my sport allowing me to push myself to a world championship qualification for the 70.3 Ironman triathlon. Having the fortune to remove some financial burden from my sport truly allowed me to focus on my studies and sports.” Nicholaus Leclair, Physiotherapy BSc(Hons) second year
Nicholaus Leclair
KINDLING WELLBEING
EMPOWERING EXPERIENCES
More students, are experiencing mental health problems that affect their lives. To support them and reduce stigma, we have developed a Wellbeing Champions programme that helps them develop, build and maintain their own wellbeing and learn how to be there for others.
The Student Experience Fund exists to enhance our students' studies, improve their employability, or enable them to take part in their full university experience.
This year, 244 students engaged with the online Wellbeing Champions resources created by our Mental Health and Wellbeing team. Thanks to your donations, eight of these students have successfully applied to become paid Wellbeing Champions. They will work together to develop events and activities, to provide more awareness of wellbeing services and open the dialogue about mental health and wellbeing with their fellow students. One participant shared their experience of completing the Mood Boost training module. The pressures of university can be overwhelming, especially during lockdown restrictions, these pressures are felt by an increasing number of students, myself included. Being a part of the programme means that not only can I help fellow students, but I also have a new understanding of dealing with my own thoughts and feelings.” We are grateful to the d'Avoine family who generously supported Mood Boost for over 10 years, in memory of Molly d'Avoine who was a student here at Brighton.
This funding helped me in so many ways. So far, I have created a book and I’m doing well in my new job. The funding allowed me to have the money for the initial commutes to a London-based photography studio. I am now being promoted and happy to be here.” Kate Rosewell, Photography BA(Hons), 2021
The funding allowed me to get my NPLQ (National Pool Lifeguard Qualification) over the summer and has opened up a wider range of jobs including my current job as a pool assistant. This has made it possible for me to become a qualified swim teacher. I can also get plant room qualified, which will help me in my future career as I can understand the engineering and work on making that more environmentally efficient.” Simone Charles, Aeronautical Engineering, BEng(Hons), third year
The funding has given me the opportunity to learn a new sport, as I had never played or coached cricket until this moment. I am now the first-ever female coach at Emmbrook and Head Coach for the All Stars cricket programme." Nicola Chamberlain, Physical Education, BA(Hons), 2021, and PGCE (current)
FUELLING BUSINESS-READY BRAINS At Brighton, students can benefit from a thriving culture of curiosity and support to grow their business ideas. From accessing paid internships to participating in our beepurple entrepreneurship workshops and pitching for funding. All of this transforms their employability and gives them a chance to build their own business. Our Ideas Competition, sponsored by Santander Universities, offers prize money for the best business and social enterprise ideas. The First Prize went to Connie Brownjohn for a design to create a sustainable hooded cotton changing robe for swimmers, which avoids microplastic pollution. Thank you for this fabulous opportunity! This prize will allow me to develop the unique structure and pattern of my robe and prepare for manufacture.” Connie Brownjohn, Textiles with Business Studies BA(Hons), 2021
Connie was also awarded the Roger Cowdrey Entrepreneurship in the Arts Breakthrough Award.
Our Wellbeing Champions
SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH For graduates whose businesses are ready to take the next step, our Santander Universities Growth Grant provides up to £3,000 for trading businesses and social enterprises. Ruben Nate Forbes received a Santander Universities funded Growth Grant to help in the development of Snuggle Supreme, a company on a mission to provide cushions for post-op patients. Ruben said: Santander has provided me with a once in a lifetime opportunity to kick-start my company Snuggle Supreme. Without this generosity, I would not be able to transform my ideas and concepts into reality. I have spent the past year working with several manufacturers to design the perfect product for my future customers and the product’s users. Not only has the grant enabled me to gain tangible growth in the business start-up, but also intangibly in my personal development, further developing my skills such as resilience. The journey so far has not been linear but knowing I have the support and belief of Santander and the beepurple team has helped me to persevere. I am now approaching the product launch stage and I cannot wait to see what the future brings for Snuggle Supreme and the benefit that will be experienced by its future users.” Ruben Nate Forbes, Marketing Management BSc(Hons), 2020
Ruben Nate Forbes
ELIMINATING BACK PAIN Mr John Shepperd, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, has generously provided a donation of £145,288 to create the Shepperd Fellowship in our Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices focussing on the understanding of the causes leading to the degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD), the main cause of back pain in our population. The key aim of the research is to develop a 3D-printed IVD model obtained from clinical imaging that can help scientists understand the response of IVD cells to changes in the matrix in which they reside and to mechanical stresses. The model is also expected to become a valuable tool for the training of young spine surgeons and for the patient-tailored planning of surgery. Dr Valeria Perugini who has been appointed as the Shepperd Fellow to undertake this research said: The long-term goal is to eliminate IVD-related back pain in 20 years. Current treatments for back pain are predominantly conservative – involving, for example, physiotherapy and anti-inflammatory medications, due to a lack of specific tools to better understand the complex cascade that leads to symptomatic disc degeneration.“
Dr Valeria Perugini
IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS Traditionally the Fire and Rescue service has been a male-dominated industry, but there has been a significant increase in the number of female firefighters recruited in the UK in the last 20 years. With support of £5,000 from the Worshipful Company of Firefighters Charitable Trust, Dr Alan Richardson and his team conducted research that will help inform how best to prepare for fire exposures and to better equip employers to adequately assess any risks. Bruce Hoad, Vice-Chair of the Worshipful Company of Firefighters Charitable Trust commented: The Trust is delighted to be able to support this incredibly important piece of work. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the university, and we hope that this is just the start of a long and productive association between ourselves.” To view more, visit our blog www.brighton.ac.uk/femalefirefighters
Bruce Hoad and Dr Alan Richardson
INVESTING IN THE RESEARCHERS OF TOMORROW – SANTANDER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SCHEME
Dr Mel Flint
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF STRESS IN CANCER RECOVERY Dr Mel Flint’s Cancer Stress research lab was able to develop a 3D model of a tumour using breast cancer spheroids and examine the effect of stress hormones in different screening situations, thanks to support of £5,500 from The Boltini Trust. This led to a peer-reviewed publication, An integrated framework for quantifying immune-tumour interactions in a 3D coculture model, which was published in the Journal Nature Communications Biology on 24 June 2021. Dr Flint said: We are incredibly grateful to the Boltini Trust….the generous support from funders like them is sorely needed in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic – where high stress has been reported globally due to social isolation and lockdowns. Support from funders ensure this much needed research continues.”
Thanks to generous funding provided by Santander Universities, the Undergraduate Research Scheme provided seven undergraduate students with the opportunity to take part in real, hands-on research over the summer break. Working alongside some of our most talented academic researchers, the recipients were able to enhance their transferable skills, employability and understanding of the research environment. All of which helps develop the pipeline of future talented researchers. This scheme has been an extremely valuable experience… it has had a significant impact on my future studies and career path. I would highly recommend applying for this research scheme. The best thing for me has been realising what I want to do in the future. It has made me realise that I would like a career in this field and has inspired me to apply for a number of masters degrees.” Theodore Galler, Civil Engineering (BEng)Hons, 2021, Undergraduate Research Scheme
Ilon Sofair-Stevens
It was like this project was made for me and I for it! One of my objectives when I came to university was to learn how to use Java Script which will give me so many opportunities when I leave. This is one of the best things I have done at university. I have learned so much and am going into my third year in a much stronger position than I would have been, with a whole new direction for my dissertation.” Ilon Sofair-Stevens, Environmental Sciences BSc(Hons), third year, Undergraduate Research Scheme
FREELANDS PAINTING FELLOWSHIP The Freelands Foundation is funding the Freelands Painting Fellowship, and we're part of the fellowship pilot in partnership with Bath Spa University and Manchester Metropolitan University. Fellowships were once a staple part of the landscape of art education, providing a first step into teaching for an emerging artist. The fellowship is open to alumni from each of the schools, with three successful alumni selected to spend a year at one of the schools. The fellowship provides time for studio practice, development of teaching skills, a solo exhibition at each school, and a group exhibition in London at the Freelands Gallery. Fellows receive £20,000 funding for the year, and £5,000 towards their solo exhibition.
The start to the fellowship presented challenges due to COVID. We held an initial group introduction followed by an artist talk online for Fine Art students, with one-to-one tutorials on Wednesdays and group crits on Fridays. These were initially online, but later moved into the studios. After learning from my mentor, Alex Pollard, I was able to run these sessions alone, which has given me a great sense of confidence and achievement in my skills and handling of group teaching. For the first couple of months, I mainly focused on research and development of new works. Reading and trying to further understand both my own connection to the practice of painting, but also the wider connection that the virtual nature of painting has to contemporary virtual worlds and game environments. So far, this has been an incredible opportunity for me to throw myself into teaching at
this level and I hope this will be a time that I look back on as a career-building experience. It has given me time to think about my work in ways that I have not for a very long time, and I honestly don't think I have ever been more excited about the work I am making as I am right now.” Brighton alumni, Jessica Power, is enjoying her fellowship at Manchester Metropolitan University. In January I began my teaching experience by assisting in tutorials with first year students. I now offer tutorials across the painting and Fine Art department. I am focusing on the craft of painting and fine-tuning the way I interact with it. New developments in my practice are occurring almost weekly and there is an enormous sense of momentum.”
Our inaugural fellow is Will Kendrick, he is an alumnus of Bath Spa University. Here he shares his experience halfway through his fellowship.
Half Time at the fountain dance, by Jessica Power. Oil on Canvas, 186x142cm (2021). Photo credit: Micheal Pollard
THANK YOU This edition of the Brighton Effect impact report celebrates what students and researchers are able to achieve, thanks to the generous support so many of you give each year. It is astonishing what has been achieved, given the circumstances of the last year. People have been so patient and flexible working with us to ensure projects still happened, if a little delayed due to the pandemic. This includes our amazing Brighton Marathon runners who had to endure two reschedules before six of them finally completed their runs on 12 September 2021. Together they raised over £3,000 for the Student Potential Fund. We look forward to supporting our remaining eight alumni and friends who will have their opportunity in April 2022 – if you’d like to join them, do get in touch. We are excited about the new opportunities starting this academic year. Amongst them are the Family Law Partners and Steve Garden’s scholarships, and the Dowse Art Award. We will welcome our second Freelands’ Painting Fellow, continue the Paxton Group Scholarships, and encourage students to take up international experiences (we hope!).
I'd like to say thank you to Brighton & Hove Buses for generously continuing to donate tickets to help students attend lectures. We are also grateful to the family of former staff member, Sally Adams. They have established a new fund in her memory that will support nursing students to take up voluntary placements (in addition to course placements) in the UK or overseas. Sally believed in the value these opportunities provide in enriching the understanding of others and helping students become better health care providers. Given how much is happening, we will bring you news throughout the year about how philanthropy is making a difference to the lives of students and to the work of the university. You can find this through our blogs, e-news and on social media – look out for #BrightonEffect and visit https://blogs. brighton.ac.uk/alumni.
Without ongoing support from our alumni and friends, these important activities would not be possible. Thank you for your continued help. For more information about how you can get involved email us at giving@brighton.ac.uk or visit www.brighton.ac.uk/giving. To view our roll of benefactors 2020/21, visit www.brighton.ac.uk/rollofbenefactors.
If you are not registered to receive our e-news, please email us and we will add you to the monthly donor updates. If you are interested in discussing anything you have read in the impact report, increasing your support for students or research here at Brighton, or leaving a gift in your own Will, please do contact me via giving@brighton.ac.uk. Thank you again to everyone for your amazing support. You are the Brighton Effect. With best wishes, Marnie Middlemiss Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement