‘Astounding’ generosity of Birkbeck’s alumni helps fundraising drive hit £100k
It is thanks to an incredible community effort that we can remove the financial barriers for our diverse and talented students, helping them to make a success of their university experience. This would not be possible without our community’s exceptional and unwavering support. Our campaign to support our students doesn’t stop here as we continue to ramp up fundraising to meet their needs. We are committed to improving access and removing hardship to ensure students from all walks of life can achieve their goals.
Donations from alumni, supporters and friends totalling more than £100,000 means that more Birkbeck students than ever before will benefit from financial support to reach their true potential.
During the autumn telephone fundraising campaign, run by the university’s Development and Alumni team, 15 student and graduate callers shared their experiences with alumni and encouraged them to give to the Birkbeck Fund.
Thanks to their efforts and the generosity of alumni and supporters, £88,000 was raised to ensure that students from all walks of life can successfully start and complete their studies.
Further donations from Birkbeck’s governors meant that the total exceeded an incredible £100,000 – a figure that will transform the lives of ambitious students of all ages, professions, backgrounds and cultures.
Sir Andrew Cahn, Chair of Governors of Birkbeck, said: “My fellow governors and I are proud to join Birkbeck’s alumni and supporters in donating to the telephone fundraising campaign.
“Raising over £100,000 is testament to how much this community cares about Birkbeck and how our valued alumni want to pass on that special university experience they had to the next generation.
“I am in the privileged position of being able to witness first-hand how much this support will mean to our students, who will no longer have to be worried about their financial security.
“This truly astounding support given back by alumni and friends makes Birkbeck the special place it is.”
Telephone fundraiser Patrick Chimimba, who is studying MSc Sport Management and the Business of Football, chose to take part because he himself had received financial support and wanted to give back.
He said: “Coming to Birkbeck on a Chevening Scholarship, I realised that the university subsidised part of my tuition fee. Being a telephone fundraiser provided me with an opportunity to help pool resources for Birkbeck.
“Most of the alumni spoke highly about the flexibility of the evening classes against their daily personal commitments. The main reason is that people appreciate the second chance that Birkbeck provided them.
“Going back to school later in one’s life is not an easy decision to make but Birkbeck has provided most people a chance.”
Following the promotion of Birkbeck’s annual impact report, Made Possible at Birkbeck, alumni are continuing to give back to nurture Birkbeck’s diverse and talented student community and to enhance world-leading research.
The report showcases how such generous support contributes to Birkbeck’s continuing success through volunteering programmes, employability initiatives and access pathways. It includes features on how donations have helped Birkbeck’s research and how the impact of legacy giving is felt by both students and legators’ loved ones.
As we see a growing need for support among Birkbeck students, the Development and Alumni team are already planning the next telephone fundraising campaign, to take place in May.
Abbie Carr, Birkbeck’s Director of Development and Alumni, said: “I’d like to thank our alumni community, our Board and our friends for giving back to Birkbeck during our autumn telephone campaign.
“The investment that alumni make in the university directly supports our students and their experience during their time at Birkbeck.
“We know that so many of our students, coming from diverse backgrounds and often navigating other commitments, need that support to access, continue and complete their studies.
“This is why we continue to reach out to make a difference, and we look forward to connecting with our alumni community in our upcoming spring telephone campaign.
“Your commitment to our transformative mission fuels the work we do. Thank you for being part of our incredible community.”
Further Information
- Find out more about the ways to give a gift to support Birkbeck students
- Discover how to become a Birkbeck telephone caller