Alumni support delivers £125,000 to enhance student experience

The Alumni Impact Fund is a pot of funding generously donated by alumni and friends of the University to deliver impactful and innovative projects across the student community.

This year, to commemorate the University of Birmingham's 125th birthday, £125,000 was allocated to 59 different projects.

Jane Bower (MA English Literature, 2019) Head of Engagement for the Development and Alumni Relations Office says ‘We are so grateful to our generous community of supporters who give to help fund these exciting projects. I'm delighted that this year your donations have allowed us to make even more  projects happen which will make a difference to students from across the University.'

Read on to find out more about some of the projects that have been funded and the difference they have made to the student community.

The Debating Society: host a two-day external debating competition

For many students, debating competitions can be financially difficult to access. The Birmingham Pro-Am debating competition provided an opportunity for students to take part in a high-level competition without facing financial barriers, making debating more inclusive and accessible.

We are incredibly grateful to all the donors who made this possible. Your support has had a real impact, and we look forward to continuing to grow and develop debating opportunities at Birmingham.

Watch This: Plot Twist; 1 week, 2 rehearsals, 5 performances

The Alumni Impact Fund enabled us to pay for the considerable costs of tech for these shows, elevating our members’ experience by giving them the opportunity to perform with a professional standard of sound and lighting. It provided opportunities for over 40 students to get involved in both backstage and onstage roles, forging connections and developing soft skills which will serve them well in their future careers.

First Aid Society: Major Scenario Day; allowed members to practice first aid skills

We had over 40 people involved this year (an increase on last year's numbers) with members of the wider St John Ambulance volunteers coming to provide shadowing opportunities to members.

In previous years we have only been able to provide first aid equipment but no casualty simulation. This makes it more difficult for members to really “get into” the scenario and be able to practise visual observations. This event was enhanced by the ability to do casualty simulation with a critical care nurse commenting that the fake wounds and patient acting made it almost like the real thing.

Staff project: Eco-Village Denmark Trip 

'We are extremely grateful for the incredible support from the Alumni Impact Fund for providing financial assistance to our Birmingham Scholar students in the form of bursaries for travel and accommodation, which enabled our students to take advantage of the Enterprise Eco-Village opportunity in Denmark. 

The impact was considerable to our students as a learning experience, as they gained first-hand knowledge about environmental sustainability and self-sufficiency from entrepreneurs who have built their own homes without debt, developed an environmentally conscious community and simultaneously started their own businesses.'

Vikesh Mistry