The Benefits of Giving: Our Donor Report 2012

ADVANCE

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A very big thank you!would like to issue a bigthank you to our alumni,

donors, benefactors andfriends for their generoussupport over the past yearwhich has enhanced thestudent experience in so manyimportant areas.

Giving to higher education is an investment in futuregenerations and my colleagues recognise theimportance of the many ‘conversations’ we have hadwith our donors over the years which is helping us tounderstand what you want to achieve through yourgifts. This in turn allows the Development team toarticulate how your philanthropic aspirations can befulfilled by investment in our educational programmes.

The vision and strategic direction of NewcastleUniversity as a world-class civic university hasprovided a clear framework for the development of institutional priorities of potential interest to ourdonors, whilst allowing sufficient flexibility to discussparticular objectives you might wish to meet withinyour philanthropic giving.

Many of those wonderful and varied areas of supportare captured within the pages of this issue ofADVANCE and I hope that you are as inspired as weare by the achievements that donors like yourselfhave helped make a reality at Newcastle University.

Also, thank you for the many engagement opportunitiesthat have been made possible through mentoring,internships, and other areas of work experience thatmany of you have been able to provide for our students.The importance of this support for our students’future employability cannot be underestimated.

We look forward to our continued engagement withyou over the coming months and years, and hopethat you will be able to attend our various events andfollow our news in the Alumni Associationcommunications; Arches magazine, electronicnewsletter AlumNews, and where appropriate oursocial networks.

The Development and Alumni Relations Office andthe wider University thank you once again for all yourgenerosity and support.

Jane Clubley, Director of Development

Excellence with a Purpose

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Generation, a group of three large sculptural human heads by Newcastle University Fine Art graduate, Joe Hillier, are an impressive feature of the Student Forum.

ADVANCE 2012 2

ooking back at an extraordinary year for theuniversity sector, I am pleased to report that

at Newcastle our hard work, prudent planning andcommitment to providing an excellent studentexperience has prepared us well to deal with thegovernment’s higher education reforms.

In the face of the challenges of the new fees regime, we have reinforcedour position as a high-quality university, maintaining our student numbersand increasing the percentage of students achieving excellent grades.This is a significant achievement and demonstrates the impact of themany improvements we have made throughout the year.

Investment in our campus continued throughout 2012 with majorupgrades to teaching facilities and student accommodation. We alsoopened the doors of our impressive new INTO building, which will behome to 800 international students.

Improvements to our buildings and campus are matched by ourinvestment in the digital environment. The installation of new computerclusters across campus and in the Robinson Library is providing greateraccess to technology and resources than ever before.

Thanks to our benefactors we have had an excellent response to our‘Promise Scholarships’, which will help 20 young people who show themost academic potential but are least likely to attend a top UK universityto benefit from a full scholarship. An example of how your gifts canmake a huge difference. In the year we also received a Times HigherAward for our leading the 12 universities in the ‘Realising Opportunities’programme, where we work with schools to help raise aspirations.

We continue to play a role in supporting Newcastle and the wider regionto deal with the economic downturn. During the year, I was privilegedto chair the Newcastle Fairness Commission, which aims to guide theCouncil in its decision-making at a time of budget cuts. Work to extractnear-surface coal on the Science Central site has also started and willpave the way for a mixed-use development on which the University willsite its sustainability teaching and research.

How cities like Newcastle survive and thrive in such turbulent times is the focus of the University’s Newcastle Institute for Social Renewal,which was launched in 2012 to provide leadership on our final SocietalChallenge Theme. Alongside our research into Ageing and Sustainability,Social Renewal aims to tackle the profound challenges that impact onpeople, not just in our city, but nationally and internationally.

It takes many people to make a successful university and not least thecontinued support of our alumni, donors and friends, for which we offerour grateful thanks.

Professor Chris Brink Vice-Chancellor

1 Foreword2 Welcome3 Supporting the brightest and best

medical students4 Going the extra mile for medical

students5 Bill supports bright sparks6 Legal eagles benefit from new

scholarship prize7 Kids on cloud nine8 Fiona lives on in Foundation gift9 Great art on campus10 Export Academy raises the bar

for business11 Business School honours

generous donor12 Santander lends its support to

the entrepreneurial revolution13 Charles Letts committee float

our boat14 Celebrating excellence in engineering15 Auf Wiedersehen, Pet!16 Banding together to give Robert

first-class help16 New corporate support for

Marine School17 Women’s Circle on a mission18 Playtime helps to plan the future

of our cities19 Leading the health revolution

against mitochondrial diseases21 Best year ever for the Annual Fund22 Callers acknowledge your help22 Phonathon veteran says thank you23 Your help can make the difference 24 Legacy giving25 Steps to giving to Newcastle

Acknowledgements

Contributors:

Michael Baker, Charlotte Ball, Hannah Barstow, Professor Chris Brink, Anne Burton, Jane Clubley, Richard Dale,Suzanne Davies, Katie Harland, Karen Hendrix (editor), Luke Holian, James Johnston, Joanna Mason

Designed by GDA, NorthumberlandPrinted by Statex Colour Print Newcastle upon Tyne

Illustrative material has been provided by:David Bell, John Donoghue, Andrew Taylor,Alexander Wilson

Cover photo: Alexander Wilson

Dear Donors and FriendsContents A World-class Civic University

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athan Campbell is the inaugural Carson DickIntercalated Scholar. This new scholarship was

made possible through the generous support of theFARNE Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne &Wear and Northumberland.

FARNE (Fight Arthritis and Rheumatism in the NorthEast) was a local arthritis charity supporting researchat Newcastle University. The charity was founded bythe late Dr W Carson Dick, who was the first academicappointment in Rheumatology at Newcastle University.The charity brought together clinical academics withrheumatologists at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastleupon Tyne, and thanks to the generosity of patients,their families and friends, over £500k was raised tosupport arthritis research at Newcastle University.

Now administered by the Community Foundation, the FARNE Fund supports research into the causesof arthritis with the aim of finding new and effectivetreatments. It provides funding for PhD studentshipsand clinical fellowships. In 2012, the FARNEcommittee established a new intercalated scholarshipin memory of the late Dr W Carson Dick. Thescholarship provides an opportunity for medicalstudents to develop skills and gain experience in a world-class arthritis research environment.

We are grateful for the Community Foundation’ssupport for scholarships at Newcastle University, andfor particularly supporting medical students to gainthe research skills required for a career in academicmedicine.

Supporting the brightest and the best medical students

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If you would like to support other medicalstudents so that they have the same opportunityas Nathan, please contact James Johnston on0191222 6072 or james.johnston@ncl.ac.uk

Nathan Campbell.

Dr W Carson Dick pioneered arthritisresearch at Newcastle University, andwe are delighted to celebrate his memorythrough an intercalated scholarshipfrom the FARNE Fund. We hope that thisopportunity will encourage medicalstudents to follow in his footsteps, andhelp improve the lives of people witharthritis.

Gill Lowing, Community Foundation Tyne and Wearand Northumberland

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Medical student, Hayley Coleman with 1834 supporter, Dr. Ann Brown.

s the first cohort of 1834 Scholars finish theirresearch projects, we are pleased to announce

the second round of scholars who will be commencingtheir studies in the autumn.

This year’s scholars are:Georgina Smalley, Elisabeth Pestell AwardAshleigh IvyKathryn PowellWirginia Bada, Rothschild BursaryAlison Pitts, Year of ’59 AwardLeigh WilsonKirsty Hall, Year of ’69 AwardJames Muggleton, Rothsbury BursaryMathew TuckAbigail Soul, Angus Hedley Whyte Award

Professor Chris Day, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for MedicalSciences, says, ‘The 1834 Fund has enabled us to go the extra mile and offer scholarships to supportstudents who are looking to develop a career inresearch. We know that these early research ideasneed to be nurtured and offering financial support is

a tremendous way of achieving our goal of translatingresearch ideas into clinical benefits. We have asuccessful track record of nurturing medical studentswho can go on to develop groundbreaking medicalresearch and some of our senior professors havecome through this route.

Philanthropy from alumni and friends of the MedicalSchool is a wonderful way for us to make this happen.I am pleased to be supporting the 1834 Fund myselfand am encouraged greatly by the students whomwe have already supported.’

We would like to thank our donors who continue tosupport the 1834 Fund each year and who may havealso had the opportunity to talk to a student in therecent Phonathon. We are pleased to be workingwith a number of MB BS year groups who, whilstgathered together at their reunion, have chosen todonate together to support medical students. ‘TheClass of 1976’ is just about to hit its £20,000 target,which will support bursaries for students coming tostudy medicine from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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Going the extra mile for medical students

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S-based graduate F William ‘Bill’ Stephensonhas increased his gift to Electrical Engineering

to allow the School to offer a scholarship of £2,000each year to the top student entering the Universityto begin their Stage 1 studies.

A native of North Tyneside, Bill Stephenson graduatedin 1963 and emigrated to the US in 1978 on takingup a teaching appointment at Virginia Tech University,where he rose to become Dean of the College ofEngineering and a Distinguished Professor of Electricaland Computer Engineering.

Bill comments on his upbringing, ‘I was an only childfrom a very supportive, but relatively poor family livingin a home with gas lighting and outdoor facilities. It is strange that I should study Electrical Engineeringwithout ever having encountered its benefits ineveryday domestic life.’

Bill takes a keen interest in Newcastle matters,especially relating to his beloved Newcastle United.‘Unfortunately, following Newcastle often leads tovery stressful Saturdays,’ he says.

‘King’s College and Newcastle University transformedmy life and gave me opportunities I never dreamed

possible. The University has had a very special placein my heart for over 50 years. Without scholarships, Icould not have afforded a university education withoutextreme financial sacrifice. By creating this scholarship,I hope to help foster excellence by contributing insome small way to the future success of a talentedindividual.’

Head of the School of Electrical and ElectronicEngineering, Professor Bayan Sharif, commented,‘We are extremely proud that Professor Stephensonhas such strong links to the School where he obtainedhis undergraduate degree and his PhD and we aredelighted that he continues to support the newgeneration of engineers in such a positive manner.’

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Bill supports bright sparks

Bill Stephenson today and graduation in 1963.

I am the first in my family to obtain a degree and I hope my successencourages my own children to follow in my footsteps. I want tothank the Newcastle University Women’s Club for their generosityand kindness in funding this award, which has provided supportand encouragement for both my family and me. Their generous giftwill help fund my future Master’s studies.

Sharron O’Reilly, Newcastle University Women’s Club Scholar

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tar students in Newcastle Law School have beenrewarded with a generous scholarship prize

donated by international law firm Squire Sanders.The purpose of the prize is to reward undergraduatestudents who have demonstrated both excellentacademic results in their first-year examinations,along with evidence of making a positive contributionto their community. The successful students areawarded a scholarship and a place on the firm’ssummer vacation scheme.

The winner of the inaugural prize was TheaBainbridge, a second-year student who does avariety of extracurricular activities. Thea took a gap year in 2010 and worked for the NGO ProjectsAbroad Human Rights Organisation (PAHR), based in Accra in Ghana, and was a finalist for the secondyear running in the senior group of the University’sinternal mooting competition. She also sailscompetitively in the Newcastle University Sailing and Yachting Club and holds the position of theclub’s communications officer. Thea will be doing her placement in the firm’s London office.

The runner up was Shauna McNulty, also a second-year student, who has previously held the position of Vice President of the Student Trainee ExchangeProgramme within the European Law Students’Association (ELSA). She is due to start training thissummer to become a Citizens Advice Bureau advisor,and has also volunteered on the ‘Success4 All’outreach programme, offering support and assistanceto children in Newcastle. She continues to raisemoney for various charities by taking part in 10k runs.Shauna will be carrying out her placement in SquireSanders’ Leeds office.

The awards were made at the Squire Sanders officesin London. Richard Morton, graduate recruitmentpartner at Squire Sanders, said, ‘Giving somethingback to local communities is important to us, so we aredelighted to work closely with Newcastle University inlooking for people who not only aspire to academicexcellence but who also have an equal commitmentto helping their local communities and charities.’

The Law School has been working with SquireSanders on graduate employability and recruitmentfor several years, and Professor Rodgers, head ofNewcastle Law School, is proud to be working withthe firm on this initiative, ‘I am pleased to be buildingfurther links with Squire Sanders, and that thisrelationship is benefitting our students in such a tangible way. I am very grateful to the firm forsupporting our students, and I hope to continue to work with them for many years to come.’

Legal eagles benefit from new scholarship prize

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Thea Bainbridge, this year’s winner of the Squire Sanders Scholarship Prize.

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foundation set up by Newcastle University alumnusJohn Atkin and his wife Beverley has supported

an innovative project led by Professor Sugata Mitra of the School of Education, Communication andLanguage Sciences. The project, called the GrannyCloud, sees a group of mostly retired teachers fromthe UK and beyond ‘e-mediating’ with children agedbetween 6 and 13 in disadvantaged areas of Indiaover Skype. Types of interaction include readingstories, conversing and singing, amongst otheractivities. The Cloud is managed out of India and thisinvolves enrolling volunteers, evaluating their skills,testing their technology, conducting trial sessions and scheduling actual sessions with schools.

This project follows on from Professor Mitra’s well-respected Hole-in-the-Wall project, in which he madecomputers accessible to children in the slums ofIndia and found that, with no training or coaching,children learnt to use the computers by constructingtheir own learning environments. Since then,Professor Mitra has been exploring the importance of technology in education and working around the hypothesis that children can acquire skills andknowledge even in very deprived areas if they aregiven access to the right kinds of technology.

The John and Beverley Atkin Foundation is based inSwitzerland and focuses on the education and socialintegration of poor and needy children, a cause thatcame to the couple’s attention as a result of Beverley’supbringing in Zimbabwe and the couple’s numeroustrips back to Southern Africa. John Atkin graduatedwith a first degree in Zoology in 1974 and a PhD in1979, and the Atkins’ daughter also studied at theUniversity, so Newcastle is important to the family as an institution. Beverley explains that she and her husband chose to support the Granny Cloud

specifically because ‘we were intrigued by theinnovative nature of the project and felt that it wasworthwhile’. She recalls that ‘watching a film showingthe children’s excitement and enthusiasm when thecomputer was installed was rewarding and it wasmoving to see how they valued something we all takefor granted’.

The impact of gifts like this cannot be underestimated;the Granny Cloud project costs around £2,000 permonth to run at the moment, and the Atkins’ gift has helped to secure this for the future. Plans are in place to extend and enhance the programme ifmore funding is made available. This would meanthat more children would benefit from the activity, and research could be undertaken into the impact of the supervised mediating sessions on learning.

Kids on cloud nine

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‘Skype granny’ Val Almond leads a craft activitywith a group of children from a rural school inHyderabad.

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he family and friends of a Chemical Engineeringgraduate, who sadly died last year, have set up

a charitable Foundation in her memory.

The Fiona Foundation honours Fiona Karran (neeDuncan), who studied at Newcastle 1984–87. At that time only one per cent of Chemical Engineeringstudents were female. Fiona was one of only fourfemale students on her course. That ratio has sinceimproved but still remains too low and The FionaFoundation aims to help others benefit from the same opportunity Fiona had.

The Foundation is offering a scholarship of £1,500 to afirst-year female undergraduate student in the Schoolof Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials.

Fiona’s Newcastle friend Caroline Clark recalled, ‘Feewas always interested in science and as a real child ofthe seventies, she got her first chemistry set in 1975.She spent hours performing experiments in the kitchento impress her sister Siobhan and brother James.’

‘Fiona loved her course, her friends and her studentlife at Newcastle. She worked hard and took herdegree seriously, as well as making plenty of time toenjoy the freedom and experiences of university life.’

While at University, Fiona also had the opportunity tostar with Professor Ian Fells in the TV programme QED.

Caroline commented, ‘The love and support that sheengendered throughout her life led to the establishmentof The Fiona Foundation. It is not only a memorial toFiona but also an opportunity to give something backto some of the institutions from which she derived somuch benefit in her life.’

Fiona lives on in Foundation gift

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Fiona Karran is pictured here with her class in the centre of the second row and Professor Fells is third from the left in the front row.

I studied theatre directing for my undergraduate degree. Thelove of working within the arts industry was why I wanted toapply for a business degree, so that I could learn the skills that I would need to set up my own theatre company.

I am so thankful for the generosity of the Benefactor’s Fund andthis opportunity to learn the skills that will help me achieve mygoals.

Helen Dobson, 2012 recipient of the Business School’s Benefactor’s FundScholarship for Enterprise and Innovation

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Great art on campus

rave and original art can be found in the HattonGallery, in our buildings and in public spaces

on campus. Great art creates a thriving, excitingenvironment at the heart of the city centre, to be usedand enjoyed by students, staff and people just passingthrough. Thanks to many generous benefactors,Newcastle University is the proud custodian of artfrom different eras and genres. This philanthropictradition continues today as generous donations arehelping with the conservation of art on our campus.

Standing in front of the Herschel Building is animportant post-war 20th century sculpture. SpiralNebula by Geoffrey Clarke RA is a monumental andstriking example of the artist’s work and one of fewexamples from this period sited in a public location in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Spiral Nebula was commissioned in 1962 by thearchitect, Sir Basil Spence, for the grounds of theHerschel Building. Spence often worked collaborativelywith Clarke, and Spiral Nebula complements thebuilding’s modernist architecture. On first view, thesculpture appears to be constructed out of woodenslats, however closer inspection reveals a steelstructure with painted cast aluminium panels. Viewedin relation to the then new physics building’s use, the sculpture can be taken as a symbol of scientificadvances in the 1960s. Yet, the sculpture caused adispute between Clarke and Spence. It is understoodSpence thought its waxed finish distracted attention

from the building and a month after unveiling, thesculpture was flame blasted and painted grey.

Over the past 50 years, the sculpture’s surface andstructural condition has inevitably degraded. Ascustodian of this innovative sculpture, the Universityis embarking on conservation work to ensure it canbe appreciated for many years to come. This willallow audiences to appreciate the original conditionand concept of Clarke’s Spiral Nebula, along withrelocating it to an improved position within theHerschel quadrangle. Missing aluminium panels willbe re-cast using Clarke’s lost polystyrene processand cleaning will remove the grey paint from thesurface, restoring the sculpture to its former glory.

Thanks to the support of The Henry MooreFoundation and INTO Partnership, we will be able toensure Spiral Nebula’s full appreciation by peoplewho study, work and visit our campus.

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Geoffrey Clarke’s Spiral Nebula in its currentposition near the Herschel building.

We are delighted to support theconservation of Spiral Nebula, and tocontribute to future understandingand enjoyment of Clarke’s importantsculpture.

Richard Calvocoressi, Director, Henry Moore Foundation

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Export Academy raises the bar for business

ocal businessman Dr Herbert Loebl will celebrate his90th birthday next year, and is determined to use

his years of expertise to benefit people starting up inenterprise. To this end, Herbert works with NewcastleUniversity Business School to support the HerbertLoebl Export Academy, an annual series of workshopsaimed at helping companies to export their goods.

Herbert graduated from his first degree at Newcastle(then King’s College Durham) in 1949, obtained hisPhD in 1985 and also has an honorary DSc from theUniversity. He arrived in England from Germany at the end of 1938, and set up a scientific instrumentsbusiness Joyce, Loebl & Company in 1951. Thebusiness was sold to US buyers in 1960, but Herbertremained chairman for a number of years and wasawarded an OBE for his services to exports in 1973.He is, therefore, the ideal champion for SMEs wishingto build their export offer.

A donation made by Herbert in 2008 has supportedthe Export Academy for the past three years, andduring that time a number of small to medium sizedcompanies have benefitted from the excellent free-of-charge business advice and networking opportunitiesafforded by the scheme. Speaking about hiscommitment to supporting exports, Herbert notesthat ‘while the large firms in the region have a good

record of exports, this applies only to five per cent of the firms. While this underestimates the directcontributions of SMEs to the exports of the big firms,I felt that SMEs could probably do better in directexports and this was the reason why I decided topropose the Export Academy to the Business Schoolof Newcastle University’. He has been delighted by theresponse and says that staff from the School, mostnotably Dr Fiona Whitehurst, Dr Joanna Berry andEngagement Support Co-ordinator Jenny Hasenfuss,have ‘made major contributions to the basic concept’.

Former Herbert Loebl Export Academy mentor DarrenWilliams, managing director of Harland Corporation Ltdbased in Seaham, Durham, explains that ‘I took partin the Academy last year as a mentor as I could seethat this was a key opportunity to help pass on theskills and knowledge I have learnt to other businesses.With thousands of different things to consider whenexporting, there are huge benefits to listening topeople’s experiences in a group environment and youcan quickly pick up and filter the most relevant aspectsof exporting to your business’. He goes on to note thatHerbert’s support of the Export Academy ‘has beeninvaluable, even to the most experienced exporters’.

Newcastle University Business School Director ofEngagement Dr Joanna Berry says, ‘The HerbertLoebl Export Academy provides the Business Schoolwith the opportunity to reach out to small firmspromising big things and, through our partnerships,provide them with some of the most relevant anduseful business skills and knowledge. As a civicuniversity, with a global reach, our regional presenceand therefore responsibility to the local community isat the heart of everything we do. Sharing world-classknowledge with the business community is a key aimof the Business School.’

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Left to right: Joanna Berry, Herbert Loebl, Jenny Hasenfuss, Gordon Oliviere.

Business School honoursgenerous donor

ne of the lecture theatres in the new BusinessSchool building has been named in honour of

the School’s generous benefactor Peter Lomas. TheLomas Lecture Theatre is used for public lectures aswell as student classes, and has given the Universitythe opportunity to show its gratitude for Peter’sgenerosity.

Peter, who graduated from the University with an MA degree in Economics in 1949, lives in Australiaand recently celebrated his 90th birthday. He firstdecided to make provision for the Business School in his will after the death of his wife Norah in 2008.Since then, he has made a series of lifetime donationsto support a PhD studentship in the School, thePeter and Norah Lomas Scholarship in Economics.

Three students are already benefitting from the award,which fully supports a new student each year for allthree years of the PhD programme. The scholarshiphas been of great value to all three. One of therecipients, Muhammad Waqas, explains that ‘thisaward is a turning point of my career. Without this, it would not have been possible for me to continuemy studies. This award will enable me to undertakethe research I wanted to do in the field of laboureconomics. The Peter and Norah Lomas PhDScholarship has made my future bright.’

A fourth student, Giulio Antonelli, whose research willfocus on international trade and economic growth,has just been chosen as the newest recipient. Giuliosaid: ‘The award of studentship will strongly impactmy next three years in terms of research and careerprospects, allowing me to pursue my interests in thissubject and to join an extraordinary research team.’

Giulio Antonelli, the new Lomas Studentshipholder, with last year’s scholar, Ilona Serwicka.

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Santander lends its support tothe entrepreneurial revolution

antander Universities have been supportingNewcastle University’s Rise Up campaign since

2009, and this year their support helped the CareersService to set up a new initiative, the Rise Up Pitch.Santander allocated £8,000 to the programme, whichsupports the creation of sustainable new ventures.

The Rise Up Pitch provides entrepreneurial studentsand graduates with access to a panel of some of theregion’s most influential and experienced businessprofessionals, entrepreneurs and investors. Thispanel helps these budding entrepreneurs to accessstart-up and growth finance. Maureen Armstrong,Business Development Director for Santander, sits on the Rise Up Pitch Investor Panel alongsiderepresentatives from the finance and investmentcommunity. It was through the Rise Up Pitch processthat the University selected two entrants to put forwardfor the 2012 Santander Universities EntrepreneurshipAwards, Home Scope and Uni Car Ads.

In May, representatives from Santander joined theCareers Service’s Rise Up team at Jesmond Dene

House for their first-ever annual dinner. The dinnerwas held in celebration of the student and graduateentrepreneurs who have benefitted from the support ofRise Up. Among the 90 guests were past Santanderbusiness grant recipients, business mentors and theRise Up Investor Panel.

The winners of this year’s Rise Up ‘One to Watch’Award sponsored by Santander were Ed Tame andTim Heyes from The Fresh Shrimp Company. Theaward was made in recognition of their commitmentto pursuing their idea alongside their study on theMSc in Aquaculture, Enterprise and Technology. Ed and Tim were pleased to have their businessrecognised in this way, ‘We were delighted to receivethis award. Not only is it a fantastic endorsement ofwhat we are trying to achieve, receiving the awardwas also a great confidence boost. We are bothreally excited to see where we can take our idea andthe money will help us to move ahead more quicklythan we otherwise would have been able to.’

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Santander’s Maureen Armstrong with some of those who have benefitted from Rise Up.

First row (left to right): Rachel Taylor, Maureen Armstrong, Will Clowes, Rob Grisdale. Second row (left to right):Simon Barker, Roland Glancy, Paul Cowie, Tim Heyes, Charlie Warburg, Jack Payne. Back row: Ed Tame.

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Charles Letts committee float our boat

embers of the Charles Letts Memorial Committeegathered in Newcastle in March to meet some

of their student beneficiaries and to take a trip on thenew research vessel RV The Princess Royal, whichthey helped to fund.

The Charles Letts Fund was set up after the prematuredeath in 2000 of Charles Letts, who worked in marineinsurance in the City of London, and provides avaluable link between maritime research in NewcastleUniversity and City institutions. Since 2004, 27students from the School of Marine Science andTechnology have benefitted with scholarship awardsfrom the fund.

The committee is made up of Charles Letts’ familymembers and his friends in the marine insuranceindustry. One of the group, John Lloyd, raised£100,000 towards the new research vessel fromcontacts in the City.

The RV The Princess Royal was formally named by HRH The Princess Royal in a ceremony on theNewcastle Quayside last September. The £1 millionvessel was designed by students and staff in theSchool of Marine Science and Technology, and builtby North East boat builder Alnmaritec based in Blyth.It is in full use for teaching and research activities andis already in much demand for charter by commercialorganisations.

A first-year student Amelia Buchan wrote, ‘I waslucky enough to be part of the first group of studentsto go on the new research boat, RV The PrincessRoyal, and to get a taste of life as a marine researcher.The state-of-the-art equipment used to take thesamples amazed me and during the trip we wereshown how to take sediment and water samples. I look forward to spending a lot of time on the boat in the future and it will be a valuable resource duringmy third year research project.’

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Left to right, back: Ken Carter, John Batchelor, Henrietta Batchelor, Alex Letts, James Layton, George Greenwood,Anna MacDonald, Finan Letts, Prof Mehmet Atlar. Front: John Lloyd, Roger Earl.

Celebrating excellence in engineering

e celebrate the very best of our undergraduateengineering students with the annual award of

the William Benedict Coleman Scholarships.

The scholarship programme was established in 1997with a bequest from the late Mrs Sarah Ann Colemanin memory of her husband, William. He was asuccessful engineer, who lived and worked in theNorth East of England. After her death, Mrs Coleman’sexecutors worked with the University to establish anendowed scholarship programme.

Today, the scholarships are awarded to the mostpromising engineering undergraduates at NewcastleUniversity. In the past five years, 19 students havereceived William Benedict Coleman Scholarships and

over £80,000 has been awarded. The scholarshipsare awarded each year to the best students seekingentry to Stage 2 of the MEng/BEng course in anyEngineering School within the Faculty of Science,Agriculture and Engineering.

This year we celebrated the students’ achievementswith Mr Peter May, executor of Mrs Coleman’s estateand Mr Michael Bird DL, chair of the University’sDevelopment Trust and Dr Oli King and Dr Jim Smithfrom the University Exhibitions and EngineeringScholarships Committee. It was a great opportunity tohear about Mr and Mrs Coleman’s life, Mr Coleman’scareer as an engineer, and to learn more about theirgenerous gift to engineers at Newcastle University.

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Left to right: Peter May, Zihao Kan, Jim Smith, Michael Bird, Robert Harding, Jonathan McDonough,Robert Moody, Chien Goh, Adam Buxton, Helen Wilcox, Dr Oliver King.

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gift from a Modern Languages graduate hasfunded a bursary to support a student travelling

abroad to take a language learning course. BrendanThorpe, who graduated with a degree in French andGerman in 1981, wanted to support students travellingabroad to develop their language skills between thefirst and second years of their degree. Brendan haddonated to the Annual Fund for many years anddecided to make a more significant donation because‘the timing seemed appropriate and I heard of theidea of a bursary that could be used by a languagestudent’. He spent time in France and Germanyduring his own year abroad, and wanted to supportstudents through this kind of travel bursary because‘getting an extra bit of time in a country will improvelinguistic skills, increase cultural knowledge andgenerally help towards a final qualification’. He addsthat ‘travel is costly, so I am glad that my contributionoffers extra encouragement and love of languages!’

The bursary was awarded to Genna Stainforth, afirst-year student in German, French and Spanish.Genna travelled to Germany over the summer to takepart in an intensive month-long language course atHumbolt Universität zu Berlin, called ‘Berlin: GermanCapital, European Metropolis’. Genna says, ‘theBrendan Thorpe Travel Bursary allowed me to go

to Germany to study the language there in the countrywhere it should be spoken and gave me properexperience of how to use the language in real life’. ForGenna, this was an amazing opportunity, and onethat would not have been possible without the bursary.

Brendan feels that the experience of supportingGenna has been extremely worthwhile. He believesthat it is important for graduates to consider givingback in this way because, ‘even though I don’tcurrently use my degree daily, I think the experienceof being at Newcastle has enhanced my life in manyways – from the qualification, to the friends I still have– not to mention my enduring fondness for the cityitself. However small your donation, it can make ahuge difference to a student.’

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet!

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Genna Stainforth, delighted bursary winner.

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hen Electrical Engineering graduates from theYear of 1961 held a class reunion in October

2008, they decided to set up a fund for a scholarshipto help future students in electrical engineering.

This summer the first recipient of the fund, RobertMoody, graduated with a first-class degree after threevery successful years at Newcastle.

As well as earning excellent marks throughout hiscourse, Robert represented the University in Athleticsand Cross Country, and Orienteering and AdventureRacing, and also acted as a Student Ambassador to promote the School of Electrical and ElectronicEngineering to prospective students.

After graduation, Robert will join the Siemens GraduateDevelopment Programme in an engineering role.

He said of his scholarship, ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the donors from theClass of 1961 for awarding me this very generous

scholarship. It has meant a great deal to me, mostimportantly meaning I have not had to work in a part-time job throughout my time at University.’

Malcolm Kennedy, of the Year of 1961 Reunion Group,commented, ‘The graduates of 1961 decided they’dlike to give something back to electrical engineering atNewcastle. In Robert they found someone with greatpromise and we’re delighted with his achievements.We wish him well in his future career.’

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New corporate support for Marine School

L Noble Denton are independent advisorsproviding consulting, design, assurance and

project execution services to the offshore, maritimeand onshore oil and gas industries.

Graduate David Byrne (MSc Engineering 1981), who was General Manager at the Cramlington,Northumberland offices of GL Noble Denton, wasinstrumental in persuading the company to set up

a scholarship in the School of Marine Science andTechnology. Students, preferably from the NorthEast, will benefit with an award of £3,000 a yearand the opportunity of a vacation work placementat the company.

GL Noble Denton also sponsored the annual alumnievent for marine students at the Royal Institute ofNaval Architects this spring.

G

Robert Moody at his graduationwith Malcolm Kennedy.

Banding together to give Robert first-class help

17 ADVANCE 2012

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t has been a busy year for the NewcastleUniversity Women’s Circle, which raises money

for disadvantaged young people wishing to attendthe University. The group has changed its fundraisingfocus and also dedicated a great deal of time andenergy to the organisation of a high-profile fundraisingevent in London featuring Financial Times columnistand television personality Mrs Moneypenny.

In previous years, money raised by the group hassupported the PARTNERS programme, an assessedsummer school system that enables young peoplefrom non-traditional backgrounds to experienceUniversity life and gives them the opportunity toreceive a reduced offer based on their involvement in the programme. The PARTNERS programme isnow supported by other sources, so the Women’sCircle members decided to turn their attention tosupporting students experiencing financial hardshipwhile studying, and also to change the way in whichthey fundraise. They plan to host an annual ticketedevent open to graduates and non-graduates alike,with all proceeds going to hardship bursaries.

From 2012/13, the Women’s Circle hopes to providethree new students each year with a bursary of £1,000annually to support them through the three years oftheir degree programme. The group hopes to continueto fundraise for these bursaries by selling tickets forevents. Chair of the Women’s Circle Teresa Graham(BA English Literature, 1977) explains that ‘the ethosbehind the circle is women getting together to helpchange a bit of the world in a quiet but effective way’.The idea of fundraising through events responds tothe strengths of the members of the Women’s Circle,all of whom have good organisational skills andexcellent contacts within the graduate communityand beyond. Teresa hopes that, in the near future,‘more women will join the circle and contribute bothpersonally to the much-needed funding, as well ashelping to fundraise annually so that many moreyoung people from disadvantaged backgrounds are allowed to fly through education’.

I

Women’s Circle on a mission

If you would like to join the Women’s Circle, or if you have a suggestion for a future event,please contact Katie Harland atkatie.harland@ncl.ac.uk or 0191 222 5400

I believe that studying abroad at Newcastle University will be a wonderful opportunity for me to transform myself into a wholeperson ready to embrace adulthood and prepare for a healthoccupation in a diverse and changing world. I am very honouredand grateful for your providing me with financial assistance throughthe US Friends Scholarship to study at Newcastle University.

Noreen Petresh, US Friends Study Abroad Scholar

18

isitors to the Great North Museum this springwere invited to help construct a Lego city to

explore some of the major planning challenges thatimpact on people’s everyday lives. Over five weeks,cameras monitoring the Great North Build LegoCity captured the growth of an urban landscape,from just a handful of bricks into a thriving metropolis.10,000 visitors created the city over the course of theexhibition, using around 110,000 bricks, and helpedto determine the city’s size, scale and purpose.

Each day visitors were asked to react to newcircumstances and decide how developments incommercial, residential and retail space could beaccommodated, according to a set of planningguidelines. The most extreme scenario called visitorsto respond to an emergency situation. A crisis level 4was declared by the Lego city Mayor, when a floodengulfed the city after the blue brick river burst itsbanks. The public were posed questions such ashow cities cope with an increasing and ageingpopulation and what makes an urban environmenta good place to live.

The Great North Build marked the public launch of the University’s Newcastle Institute for SocialRenewal, a dedicated centre for research into someof the biggest problems faced by individuals andcommunities today. The interactive exhibition wascomplemented by a programme of events, includinga seminar on the Jilted Generation. With the averageage of first-time buyers in the UK now 37 years,and a typical mortgage deposit being around halfthe average income, the property market has sloweddown and younger people in particular are facing acrisis in terms of the availability of affordable homes.

The seminar was sponsored by Grainger plc, theUK’s largest specialist residential landlord. Thecompany, based in Newcastle, was celebratingtheir centenary. Newcastle agriculture graduateNick Jopling, executive director of Grainger, was oneof the panel members at the seminar, which waschaired by Peter Hetherington of The Guardian.

V

Playtime helps to plan the future of our cities

19 ADVANCE 2012

he Medical School is home to a world-leading research team investigating disorders linked to mitochondria,the ‘batteries’ which fuel the cells, tissues and organs of the body. We have been working with a number of

individuals and charities who are committed to supporting research that will unlock understanding about geneticdiseases that have blighted families for generations. Research is essential to develop technologies that will helpexperts tackle a range of brain disorders, particularly those in later life and also diseases such as muscular sclerosis.

Earlier this year the team, led by Professor Doug Turnbull, was successful in securing a Wellcome Trust grant of £5.8 million to develop a specialist centre that could pave the way to develop in vitro fertilisation treatment to prevent the hereditary transmission of devastating mitochondrial diseases.

T

‘I studied medicine with the intention of being asurgeon in the developing world. During my surgicaltraining, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Within a month of Médecins sans Frontièresagreeing to send me on a mission, I started to limp.After six months my life was all hoists, wheelchairsand being on the wrong side of the doctor–patientrelationship. That Christmas I was nearlyquadriplegic with my swallow, speech and breathingaffected. With no more conventional treatmentsavailable, it felt entirely hopeless.

My doctor, Professor Bates at the RVI in Newcastle,then did something unconventional. He prescribed a drug on compassionate grounds; use of the drugfor MS had ceased after a fatality on its trial, butregardless of the risk, its use could be justified in my case because when you have nothing left, you have nothing to lose.

It worked. Now I can walk, see, and speak again, my long-term girlfriend stayed with me, we are nowmarried with a beautiful daughter.

As a thanks to the staff who treated me, Iestablished a charity called White Coat Wonderswhich is now funding research into progressive MSat Newcastle. So far we have raised over £62kthrough auctions and comedy evenings and thishas enabled us to create a new research post inmemory of my father who died of MS.

If I’ve learned anything from this, I’d say that whilst I’m annoyed it happened, in truth, the deepenedfriendships, the satisfaction of having found a causeto champion and the memory of the difficult days tobring life into perspective, leads me to concludethat it is one of the best things that ever happenedto me.’

Leading the health revolution against mitochondrial diseases

For further information on the MitochondrialResearch Fund and the White Coat Wonders,please see: www.ncl.ac.uk/giving/what/health/mitochondria and whitecoatwonders.com

A word from one of our donors: Peter Straker and the White Coat Wonders

?????????????????‘We know that many families who are afflicted bythese genetic disorders look to us for hope in finding acure. Currently, there are no quick fixes, but Newcastleteams are working hard to find solutions that willmake a major difference to the lives of these families.’Doug Turnbull

20

21

he Annual Fund has enjoyed its most successful year in its 14-year history,raising a record-breaking £400,000 from alumni, staff and friends of the University.

We have continued to invest in our widening participation initiatives by supportingour undergraduate students with bursaries and we have extended our reach to our2012 entry students by supporting the University’s Promise Scholarship programme.

The Annual Fund is committed to enhancing the student experience for all and yourdonations have helped improve the special collections for the library, enabled theAlumni Association Student Initiative Fund to continue to support extracurricularstudent-led projects and provide ongoing support for our 1834 Fund Scholars.

Thank you to all our donors for continuing to support the Annual Fund.

Best year ever for the Annual Fund

T

Charlotte Ball, Annual Fund Manager.

Lauren Girling and Lizzie Skingley, student callers 2011–12, with the Annual Fund-o-Meter.

ADVANCE 2012 22

Phonathon veteran says thank youhis term I waved an

emotional goodbye to a four-year chapter in my life; my workas a Phonathon caller for theAnnual Fund. As often happensat times of change, I foundmyself reflecting on what agreat time I have had throughout

my time there, and what it has meant to me. I beganas a shiny-faced first year eager to smile as I dialledand enjoyed spending my evenings chatting tothousands of our alumni.

Over the years I have had an uncountable numberof interesting and illuminating conversations with adiverse range of alumni, most of whom have shareda passion for supporting the future of NewcastleUniversity by ensuring the ability of every ablestudent, no matter what background, to share thefruits of the experience and education it provides.

My personal passion for the Fund and its workcomes from my innate belief in social justice, and my own debt to it. Being from a less than modestbackground, my parents do not have the ability to

contribute financially to my education. As a result,there is a shortfall between my income from loans andthe cost of University life. Adding up the sums manymoons ago made it seem impossible for me to go toUniversity, and I considered alternatives despite cleargoals I had in mind.

But thanks to Newcastle University’s shared belief in social fairness, I was offered a bursary withoutwhich I would not be writing to you today. As wemove into a new funding landscape for highereducation, this ability for Newcastle University tooffer incentives to those who may deny themselveseducation because of the costs becomes evenmore vital.

Whatever the politics, this places a moral imperativeon the continuation of the Fund; by donating to us,you are saying everybody of ability deserves aneducation, no matter what their background. As Imove into my career in Town Planning, I thank youdeeply on my own behalf for making this possible,and on behalf of all the others you have helped for providing us with the numerous opportunitiesoffered at Newcastle University.

Callers acknowledge your helporking as part of the Phonathon team this year

has been both enjoyable and rewarding! Beingable to see firsthand what our work at the AnnualFund achieves is very satisfying. Many students weknow have had their lives changed through collectedbursaries and grants, which allow them to attendNewcastle University. This makes working in the Fundteam extremely fulfilling. Through calling and engagingwith our alumni and hearing their unforgettable studentmemories, a large number of them generously donateto our fund, making our achievements possible.

We also recognise the importance of our local business

community to student life and we wanted to providethem with the opportunity to support our campaigns.This has been extremely successful, and numerouslocal businesses, including Pitcher and Piano, EmpireCinema, and Gusto, have generously shown theirsupport and contributed incentives to the AnnualFund for our callers. We would like to express ourgratitude to all the businesses that have donated, asit has provided the team with the motivation that hashelped us reach over £400,000!

Hannah Barstow and Luke Holian, Student Callers

W

T

Michael Baker.

23 ADVANCE 2012

Gift income received in 2011–12, breakdown by source (excluding pledges)

� Charitable Trusts £1,481,309

� Corporate £352,452

� Individuals £906,988

� Legacies £1,517

� Charitable Research Grants £1,104,417

Total £3,846,683

38%

29%

24% 9%

t feels that higher education, and particularlyUniversity finances, have never had a higher profile

or been more contentious. Every day carries a differentnews story. The new funding regime is a challenge toinstitutions and individual students, and it is likely tobe several years before we return to anything thatfeels like stability. Of course, our sector is not alone in facing such issues and we have to meet them with confidence.

A particular consequence of recent changes is that higher education is becoming increasinglycompetitive, but this provides opportunities for thebest universities to shine even brighter. Newcastle is one of these Universities.

In 2012, against the challenges of significant reductionsin public funding and the need to maintain investmentin the student experience, we still delivered a strongfinancial performance. National and internationalsurveys confirm that our students consider this to be a great University, and our research strengthcontinues to grow.

We are also fulfilling our international ambition, havingopened our new campuses in Malaysia and Singapore.

But current achievements, even linked to a clearstrategic vision, do not guarantee future success.

Delivery of our mission to be a world-class, research-intensive University needs ongoing investment in ourstaff and our teaching and research facilities, andalso support for our less advantaged students. It isclear that State funding and student fees are vital, but our ability to attract unregulated income and toencourage contributions from those who care aboutthe University’s vision and future can make a bigdifference.

Elsewhere in this report you will have read about the impact that donations and legacies have made toour enterprise. I want to thank you for this invaluablesupport and also to encourage your ongoingcontribution to the funding and the life of our splendidUniversity. Your generosity can make a difference atNewcastle.

I

Your help can make the difference

Richard Dale, Director of Finance.

24

Legacy givingewcastle is a world-leading University, whose teaching and research provides understanding of the criticalchallenges facing society today. Our ability to advance knowledge and investigate complex societal issues is

ensuring that we can make the world a better place from our base in the North East of England.

Legacy Case Study – The Rhoda Lockhart FundAndrew Lockhart felt passionately about the need for scientists at Newcastle’s Institute for Ageing and Health tounderstand more about age-related disease after his beloved wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.Andrew expressed a hope that an eventual understanding of the complexities of this devastating disease wouldlead to better diagnosis and treatment.

The Rhoda Lockhart Fund now provides fellowships for early stage researchers who are developing detailed researchstudies with cohorts of Parkinson’s patients, and has attracted matched funding from major research charities.

The Armstrong CircleWhen you inform us of your legacy pledge, you automatically become a member of the Armstrong Circle.Established in 2009, the Circle demonstrates our commitment to honouring your wishes and ensures we cankeep you personally in touch with activities and news from the University in the areas that matter to you most.

Universities are places that change the world for the better and your pledge will help maximise the life-changingbenefits we can change for the future.

Please contact the team on 0191 222 7250for further details or to receive a legacy givingpack.

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25 ADVANCE 2012

Steps to giving to Newcastle

Newcastle University is an exempt charity, which means that it can claim gift aid on donations.

The University can also receive gifts in kind and of shares, if this is your preferred method of giving.

Leaving a gift in your will is a great way to continue supporting the University in the future. Legacies oftenenable people to give more to the University than they would be able to do in their lifetime, making a muchbigger impact. For more information on leaving a legacy, or to let us know if you have already provided forNewcastle University in your will, please contact James Johnston on 0191 222 6072.

The Annual Fund is a way for you to support the University from as little as £5 per month.

If you would like to establish a scholarship at the University you can either make a single one-off donation or a smaller annual donation over several years.

It is now possible to make a gift to Newcastle University online, at: https://payments.ncl.ac.uk/alumni

It is possible for companies to give to us in a tax-effective way.

For all the information on the projects you can currently support at Newcastle University, please visit ourwebsite: www.ncl.ac.uk/giving

2 / SINGLE GIFTS

Name

1 / STANDING ORDER

I wish to make a regular gift of £

I will make this gift every Month Quarter Year

For a period of years, commencing on:

Date

Bank/B. Society

Address

Account Holder

Account Number

Sort Code

Instruction to your Bank or Building SocietyPlease pay from the above account to Barclays Bank Plc of Percy Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4QL for the credit of ‘Newcastle University Annual Fund’. Account Number: 80512516. Sort Code: 20-59-42

Address

Postcode

Alumni Ref No

I would like to give £ to the Annual Fund

I enclose a cheque/CAF voucher made payable to ‘Newcastle University’

or by VISA MASTERCARD AMEX JCB

MAESTRO DELTA CHARITY CARD

Card Number

Expiry Date

Security code (last three digits on back)

Start (Maestro)

Issue (Maestro)

PERSONAL DETAILS

Name

Address

Postcode

E-mail

Telephone

Is this a joint gift? Yes No

Please dedicate my gift to Student Support

If Yes with whom?

��

Please post to: Development and Alumni Relations OfficeNewcastle University FREEPOST NEA4761 Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU

GIFT AID DECLARATION

(applicable to UK residents only)

Please treat all qualifying gifts of money made, as Gift Aiddonations: Please tick all boxes that apply

Today In the next 4 years In the future

I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/orCapital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities orCommunity Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to willreclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that othertaxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understandthe charity will reclaim 28p of tax on every £1 that I gave up to5 April 2008 and will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I giveon or after 6 April 2008.

Signature

Date

Please notify the charity or CASC if you:� Want to cancel this declaration� Change your name or home address� No longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital

gains.

If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and wantto receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must includeall your Gift Aid donations on your Self Assessment tax returnor ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.

Building the futureWithout your support, we would not be able to providean education for life or tackle society’s big challenges.

Thank you for helping to build a brighter future.

Photograph taken in this year’s Great North Build. To see more, visit: ncl.ac.uk/alumni/greatnorthbuild