The University of Manchester hassmashed the “Golden Triangle” ofresearch universities traditionallydominated by Oxford, Cambridgeand London, according to theresults of the recently published2008 Research AssessmentExercise (RAE).

Based on any analysis of the results,Manchester emerges amongst thecountry’s top five major researchuniversities and is proving competitivewith the University College Londonand Imperial College, just behindOxford and Cambridge.

The amount of data included in theRAE results mean that there are anumber of different ways of analysingthe results, but in each caseManchester ranks amongst thecountry’s top performing universities.65% of research staff (amounting to

1,193 full-time equivalent staff) at theUniversity of Manchester are judgedto be carrying out work which is“world-leading” (4*) or“internationally excellent” (3*).

Professor Alan Gilbert, President andVice Chancellor of the University, said:“These results vindicate the decisionto merge UMIST and the VictoriaUniversity of Manchester in 2004 andjustifies our massive investment innew staff and facilities since then.”

Outstanding results were attained inkey disciplines including CancerStudies, Biology, Dentistry, Engineering,Sociology, Development Studies, Musicand Drama - major areas, in whichdonations to Your Manchester Fundhelp to support hundreds of studentswith scholarships.

Article continues overleaf

Together we’re shapingthe world of tomorrow

Fund

Your ManchesterImpactNewsletter for donors

“My work benefits the scientific community by furthering theunderstanding of an important cellular process. Each time a cell divides, itmust divide its DNA between the two new cells. Errors in this process canlead to the development of cancer. The Spindle Assembly Checkpointprevents such errors. Since deregulation of the spindle checkpoint can leadto cancer, it is important to understand the exact mechanisms involved.This knowledge may one day lead to the development of new anti-cancertherapies that could benefit cancer patients.”

Laura Hewitt

Research Impact ScholarCancer 2015 - Translating leading research into life-saving realities

Manchester joins the Research PremierLeague - with alumni support at its heart

A ranking which looks at the volume of research activityjudged to be ‘World-Leading’ (4*) and ‘InternationallyExcellent’ (3*) shows Manchester in third position, behindCambridge and Oxford.

Ranking Institution

1 University of Oxford

2 University of Cambridge

3 The University of Manchester

4 University College London

5 University of Edinburgh

6 Imperial College London

I first became interested in midwifery when I became pregnant. I wanted to givesomething back and to care for people and fulfil my interest in the fascinatingsubject.

Receiving an Opportunity Manchester scholarship has enabled me to carry on withthe course, and I am able to purchase books in order to help me with my studies. Ihave also been able to access the internet from home – this was important asthere are some parts of my course which are online learning, so I am able to accessthese once my little girl is tucked up in bed.

In my situation there will always be financial concerns whilst I am training. As I amliving on my own with my little girl and running a house, there is always a fear Imay not be able to pay the mortgage, or may not be able to pay nursery fees oreven be able to provide for my little girl. However this is my ambition and I am notone to give up without a fight, so for the next three years I will do everything I canwithin my power to ensure that this opportunity of a life time to study at theUniversity of Manchester and become a qualified midwife is not wasted.

I am extremely grateful for receiving this scholarship and it has helped me in somany ways - not only with my studying but also within my private life. I wouldjust like to say to my donor a huge thank you for sponsoring me. Without yourgenerosity I would not be able to fulfill my ambition to become a midwife. Notonly have you had an effect on my life, but also my little girl to who I am still ableto provide for throughout my training. Although she is only 4 years old she isalready telling her nursery teachers that she wants to be a midwife when she getsolder, just like her mummy, and for her to want to aspire to be just like me is oneof the most amazing things in the world. THANK YOU.

Continued from page one

Your Manchester Fund supports hundreds ofstudents in key areas such as Cancer Studies,Biology, Dentistry, Engineering, DevelopmentStudies, Music and Drama with one of a variety ofscholarships. Each of these areas attainedoutstanding results.

To give an example in just one area, YourManchester Fund currently supports 4 PhD studentswho are undertaking ground-breaking work underthe research priority/theme Cancer 2015.

Your Manchester Fund Research Impact Scholar RobAhearne, carrying out PhD research in Tanzaniaaiming to alleviate poverty, is delighted with theoutstanding results in his area of research;Development Studies: “The recent RAE resultslargely confirmed my opinion that I am studying atone of the very best Higher Education Institutions inthe UK. Furthermore, conducting my doctoralresearch at one of the top two development studiesresearch departments in the UK fills me withoptimism concerning the quality of support I receivefrom academic staff and the exceptional researchenvironment in which I am working.

I believe that the RAE results will have a positiveimpact on my continuing research, since I can onlysee the view of Development Studies at TheUniversity of Manchester being enhanced.”

Professor Alan Gilbert commented: “These resultsare good news for our students. The very bestinternational teaching and learning universities aregreat research institutions, where successivegenerations of students and staff can mix with, andlearn from, many of the best and brightest people inthe world. That is what makes research-led higherlearning a rich and exciting intellectual environmentfor scholars and students alike.”

Manchester joinsthe ResearchPremier League

Your Manchester Support2

Paula Hawkins

Opportunity Manchester ScholarBMidwif (Hons) MidwiferyFaculty of Medical and Human Sciences

“Scholarships such as this are of immeasurable value to studentssuch as myself who come from less affluent families. Withoutthis financial aid, studying for a degree in medicine (or anydegree at all) may have proved difficult, if not impossible for me.I would like to thank those who havedonated money towards thesescholarships as they have enabledme to prioritise my academicconcerns and as a result I hopethat I will experience more successacademically. I have already spenta large amount on books andresources related to my courseand knowing that I have extramoney available for this isextremely helpful. I also anticipatethat my future travel costs to reachclinical placements may be high andhopefully the scholarship shouldcover some of this expense.”

Opportunity Manchester Scholarships are offered tohigh achieving undergraduate students joining theuniversity who come from backgrounds which areunder-represented in higher education, especiallythose from the Greater Manchester area. They arecurrently aimed at supporting students during theirfirst year of study and are valued at £1,000.

All Your Manchester Fund scholarships complementthe University funded scholarships programme,allowing Manchester to offer one of the mostgenerous needs-based scholarships programmes inthe UK. Thanks to Your Manchester Fund, 209students have benefited since 2005.

Opportunity Manchesterinspires deserving students toraise their aspirations and torealise their potential atManchester.

“Thank you! The scholarship helps me in manyways, too many to even list. Coming from afamily with a low income this opportunity willhelp me afford university and get me by – travelexpenses, books, maybe a laptop. Essential thingsI wouldn’t be able to afford without thescholarship. It’s a head start to life and definitelymotivates and encourages people. I would feelempty and behind without it but with thescholarship I feel independent and worthy. It ismuch appreciated.”

“Having to work part timethrough college and nowthrough university has beenand continues to be a hugeburden on my shoulders. Theworkload at university isimmense and I believe thatreceiving this scholarship willenable me to concentratefully on my education, whichis the most important aspectof my life. I sincerely thankyou for your generosity andhope that alumni continuedonating as it helps to makelife that little bit easier atuniversity”.

Opportunity Manchester 3

Maimoona Khan

BA (Hons) English LanguageFaculty of Humanities

Muhammad Jafree

BAEcon (Hons) EconomicsFaculty of Humanities

Hayley Hepworth

MBCHB MedicineFaculty of Medical and Human Sciences

Research Impact Scholarships encourage final year Manchester undergraduates, and recent graduates, tojoin top-quality research teams in seeking to solve some of the most challenging problems we face today –from poverty and cancer through to global warming and debilitating medical conditions. Opening up theseresearch opportunities benefits the students themselves, the University, and more importantly society at large– they are a direct form of investment in all of our futures.

To date, donors such as yourself, have funded 28 students over three academic years. This means that thefirst Research Impact Scholars supported by Your Manchester Fund will be graduating in 2009.

Research Impact supportsManchester’s most talentedstudents as they undertakesolutions-driven research intoissues of national andinternational importance.

“The University of Manchester is an excellent centreof education. Its prestigious reputation has not onlyinspired students in the UK, but also world wide.This project enabled me to appreciate working withpeople from different cities, ethnic groups and ofdifferent ages. Doing research in this world classUniversity also provides me the chance to be welltrained and easily access a large amount of usefulresearch resources. I want to utilise the knowledgeand experience gained in the challenging world ofindustry as a scientist in the research anddevelopment sector. I believe after studying at theUniversity of Manchester, I will possess the technicalability and confidence to achieve a good academicperformance in the future.”

Thank You“Thank you very much for you support. Yourdonation does not only show your appreciationfor you previous study experience at thisuniversity but also helps outstanding studentsstay at university. All the efforts given by staff,students and alumni make the university top inthe world.

Alumni funding is different from other fundingbecause it is like help from family. I feelappreciated and warmly welcomed by beingawarded Alumni Funding, and I believe I will havea better performance by being encouraged bythis family support.”

“My research will fit within the climate changerelated research priorities of the MBS’s Technologyand Entrepreneurship Management and Policysubject area (specifically including the Tyndall Centrefor Climate Change, PREST/Manchester Institute ofInnovation Research) and the newly foundedSustainable Consumption Institute. The research willcomplement ongoing Tyndall research on carbonreduction in the transport sector, which does nototherwise include a personal vehicular transportelement and will build on the previous work ofPREST’s environmental sustainability andtechnological change project.

The University of Manchester is an idealenvironment in which to undertake this work, as it isfast becoming a centre of excellence for socialchange and policy innovation research, which is akey aspect of my research. The award money hasgranted me a degree of interdisciplinary freedomand independence not attainable under otherfunding programmes.

Thank you“Thank you very much for your donation. I will strivefor a high standard of research which will do creditto Your Manchester Fund and the University. In thefuture, I hope to continue policy innovation researchin a government agency or influential academicresearch institution.”

Jie Gao

Research Impact ScholarRegenerative Medicine - Advancing ourhuman potential

Dan Calverley

Research Impact ScholarCarbon Reduction - Putting our energies intothe environment

Research Impact - Your First Year PhD Scholars4

My Research:”My research looks at the distribution of green space, specifically trees, within high density urban housingareas. The quality and effectiveness of these areas are studied in order to determine their value to both thelocal people and as part of the natural environment. The main questions are 'what factors influence thedistribution of trees?', 'what effects do trees have on residents' health and well being?', 'how willvegetation cover affect residents and areas as climate change increases?', 'why do some areas have moretrees than others?'

My Research:In each area I have quantified the level of biodiversity; its ability toregulate the temperature of the surrounding area; its ability towithstand winter rainfall and summer drought; the level of use bylocal people; and its contribution to the local community. Theseresults will be used to inform guidelines for local authorities andsimilar organizations about how best to improve and regenerateneighbourhoods and urban parks. My Results will help toinform two new initiatives: the Ecocities project, a partnershipbetween the University and Bruntwood, which is intended toprovide a blueprint for climate change in Greater Manchesterand beyond, and the forthcoming Green Infrastructure Strategyfor Manchester and its subregion.

My Thanks:I used the funding to pay my university fees, rent and livingexpenses. I have also bought data and computer equipment.The money has meant that I do not need to work or teach tosupplement my income, so I have been able to concentratesolely on my PhD.

Thank you so much for supporting this scheme - it enablesme to explore how we can make Manchester, and thewider world, greener, more sustainable and moreresistant to climate change.”

My Research:“In my PhD I aim to challenge some of themainstream theories and understandings incontemporary international development. In myfieldwork I will interview people in rural Tanzania oftheir experiences and opinions of ‘development’ inorder to illustrate the diversity and complexity ofviews on offer. Overall, I hope to illustrate theimportance of first-hand experiences of differentforms of intervention, a point that is regularlyoverlooked with mainstream development.

Whilst undertaking research I have had to learnSwahili. I am often asked "unajua KiSwahili?""Doyou know Swahili?"and I usually respond:

"Ndiyo, ninajua kidogo lakini ninajaribu kujifunzaKiswahili kabisa, ninahitaji kuongea na kusikilizasana."

"Yes, I know a little but I am trying to learn Swahilicompletely, I need to speak and listen a lot."

My Progress:Recently, I made a fieldwork trip to Tanzania inNovember 2008 as a pre-fieldwork study and toimprove my Swahili, and I plan to spend a longperiod in Tanzania from March 2009, to undertakemy primary research. I have presented my work inthe form of a poster at the IDPM postgraduateconference in May 2008.

My Thanks:The funding has been extremely useful and hasenabled me to work full time on my thesis. Withoutsuch a generous grant I may have had tosupplement my income but this has not beennecessary and helps to explain why I was able topass my first year without any major problems. Thefunding has supported my everyday life and meantthat I have been able to attend numerous relevantworkshops and conferences. I have also managed tocover the majority of my flight to Tanzania withmoney I have saved over the past year.”

Swahili Phrases

1. Ninajaribu kufanya utafiti hapa. Ninahitajikuhoji wazee kuhusu maendeleo namaendeleo endelevu na kadhalika.

I am trying to do research here. I need tointerview older people aboutdevelopment, sustainable developmentand so on.

2. Sipendi hali ya hewa baridi.

I don't like cold weather.

3. Haraka haraka haina baraka.

(Roughly equals) More haste less speed.

Research Impact - Your Second Year PhD Scholars 5

Justine Hall

Research Impact ScholarSocial Cohesion - Studying our communities to strengthen society(supporting Carbon Reduction - Putting our energies into the environment)

Rob Ahearne

Research Impact ScholarWorld Poverty - Creating and sharingknowledge to help end poverty

Rob with Bwana Matunda (translates as “Mr Fruit”) who participated in an interview as part of his research fieldwork.

My Research:“I acquired industrial sponsorship at the beginning ofmy second year which has been a great opportunity.I’m working with Hyde Group Engineering and amnow able to apply my research in a real industrialsetting. My research group (North West CompositesCentre) has a global network of partner researchgroups in places such as the US and Australia. Thishas given me several opportunities to travel andmeet people working in similar areas, exchangingideas and improving my understanding of thesubject area.

My Progress:My research is looking into general aspects ofcomposite design, materials and manufacturing aswell as business implications for a company movinginto this area. Hopefully my work can be appliedwithin the sponsor company to improve productdesign, and improve understanding of materialbehaviour and manufacture.

My Impact:Over the past year we have designed andmanufactured some novel composite componentsusing new technologies. By the end of my research Ihope to achieve a sound understanding of thedesign and manufacture of aerospace components.

By working with Hyde Group I am also getting anappreciation of the business impact of research anddevelopment.

My Thanks:The money awarded to me from the ResearchImpact Scholarship has allowed me to continuestudying in an area which I have a passion for.”

My Research:“My research aims to identify appropriate ways ofoffsetting poverty in Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale mining communities. A main objective of thework is to analyze the efficacy of existing projectsintroduced into the country’s rural regions to reducethe expansion of such illegal mining activity, a sectorassociated with environmental degradation andsocial ills like HIV/AIDS.

My Progress:A major part of my third year has been spent in thefield in the western region of Ghana, where datawas collected for my research. The impact of myresearch on the participants (community members,mining communities, mining company officials,

mining industry governmentofficials and members ofnon-governmentalorganisations) cannot beoveremphasised. Boththe government ofGhana and large-scalemining companies arecurrently experimenting

with ways to effectivelyaddress communitydevelopment issues in small-scale mining communities. My

research couldnot bemoretimely.All

participating agencies contributed diligently in thecourse of my data gathering with a hope to use mywork to inform policy decisions.

However, perhaps a greater impact of my researchhas been on community members who have neverbeen afforded a neutral listening ear. My research,therefore, was viewed as a long awaited platform tovoice their concerns to both the government ofGhana and multinational mining companies.Evidence of this was observed when non-participating communities called on me to includetheir communities in my research.

My Impact: It is expected that my research will benefit the widercommunity by helping re-shape, streamline orpossibly redesign community developmentprogrammes in mining communities not only inGhana, but in the sub-Saharan African region as awhole.

From the scholarship funds I was able to purchase areturn flight ticket to Ghana and internal travels,accommodation and subsistence. I am veryfortunate to have received support to carry out myPhD project and I will channel all my energies intoproducing a high quality and creative dissertation.The scholarship fund really is a complete researchpackage (for individuals with the requisite academicand research abilities).”

Research Impact - Your Third Year PhD Scholars6

Jordan Rouse

Research Impact ScholarScience and Society - Promoting science andtechnology for the public good

Sadia Mohammed

Research Impact ScholarWorld Poverty - Creating and sharingknowledge to help end poverty

Did you know...

• The EU, in collaboration with aerospacemanufacturers such as Airbus, are aiming for a50% reduction of fuel burn and noise levels by2020. Proliferation of the use of lightweightcomposite materials is a major component ofachieving these targets.

Photo taken during a recent fieldwork trip

Did you know...

• Ghana is Africa’s second largest Goldproducer (after South America).

• The location of my research, which is theWestern region of Ghana has one-third of itstotal land area allocated to large-scale miningcompanies.

My Research:“My area of research is based at the Maternal andFetal Health Research Centre in St. Mary’s maternityhospital. My project investigates specifically how theplacental blood vessels are formed from stem cells,through the actions of various factors that areproduced by the specialized outer cells of theplacenta.

My Progress:I have been fortunate to present my work at twointernational conferences this year; the AnatomicalSociety for Great Britain Annual Meeting and theInternational Federation for Placental Associationsmeeting in Graz, where I received much interestregarding my findings and their implications for thewider study of placentology, fetal growth restrictionand regenerative medicine.

My Impact:My work has applications both in improving theplacental blood supply to an undergrown fetusimproving our understanding of normal placentaldevelopment and identification of therapeutictargets for treating complicated pregnancies.Working in an environment shared by clinicians andscientists at St. Mary’s Hospital we are in the uniqueposition that important findings can be implicatedmore quickly into the hospital’s clinics. Further afield,

the successful identification and manipulation ofplacentally derived stem cells may have importanttherapeutic applications in adult cardiovasculardiseases.

My Thanks:My scholarship has allowed me concentrate fully onmy research, and without it, it would not be possibleto complete my PhD. In addition to the fundingallowing me to carry out research into Maternal andFetal Health, I have gained confidence in publicspeaking having given presentations at aninternational conference as well as a university PhDshowcase. I am also currently supervising an MResstudent which is helping to improve my managerialand project design skills.”

My Research:“I am investigating how the brain supports the visualaspects of reading and how these underlyingsystems, when impaired produce a partial type ofreading disorder (Pure Alexia). Patients read singlewords by identifying the individual letters andmentally piecing them together to reform a wholeword; a condition known as letter-by-letter (LBL)reading. Recent experimental manipulations in ourresearch group have revealed that, if appropriatelyinvestigated, the impairment is also known to impacton non-reading tasks that use visual processingsimilarly to those of written word-identificationtasks.

My Progress:Testing has shown that when visual properties ofcomplex stimuli are manipulated the deficit in readingis mimicked in non-reading tasks ie. time taken toread/identify objects and discriminate patterncorrelates, confirming the hypothesis that Pure Alexiais not a reading specific disorder. I am now testingmore subtle aspects of object recognition.

My work is beginning to suggest that Pure Alexia ismore of a general visual problem, though notspecific to reading, does affect the word readingprocess. This will undoubtedly have implications formajor theories of how we read, but also for patientsthemselves in the form of speech and languagetherapy.

In one of our patients, not only her reading but alsoher performance on object recognition anddiscrimination tasks improved after reading therapyalso supporting the hypothesis of a generalizedvisual impairment.

My Impact:My work is currently being used as patient data tobuild upon a major model of reading inneuropsychological literature and I am collaboratingwith key researchers in Wisconsin, Arizona andCarnegie Mellon University in the US, who arestimulating our patient data in a computational

model of the brain and running our experiments. Iam positive it will have an impact on interventionsand theory of stroke related impairments.

It is hoped that acquiring understanding of theseconditions will help us explain the individualprocesses in normal reading, which has a whole hostof benefits for the scientific community. Our strongcollaboration with the NHS and speech andlanguage therapists will advance therapy which isused to help patients recover after brain injury. Myresearch guarantees transfer or knowledge to servicethe wider community by enhancing andimplementing the new therapy for patients afterstroke.

My Thanks:This funding has allowed me the opportunity topresent at The British Neuropsychological Societyand meet key people in my field. Thank you to all

who have donated and opened a window not onlyfor me, but for other scholarship recipients too.”

For more information on these and otherPhDs.

email alumnifund@manchester.ac.ukwww.yourmanchester.manchester.ac.uk

7

Jayne Fitzsimmons

Research Impact ScholarRegenerative Medicine - Advancing ourhuman potential

Daniel Roberts

Research Impact ScholarScience and Society - Promoting science andtechnology for the public good

Did you know...

• 1 in 5 pregnancies experience complicationsincluding: Spontaneous Preterm Birth (8%), Pre-eclampsia (5%), Fetal Growth Restriction (6%)

• In the UK, a baby is lost every two minutes as aresult of miscarriage, stillbirth or prematurebirth

• 40,000 maternal deaths occur worldwide dueto Pre-eclampsia

Did you know...

• Did you know that 150,000 people in the UKhave had a stroke?

• 250,000 are living with a long term disability,25% of which usually involves readingproblems.

“I am truly grateful for this opportunity to studyin Manchester; I count myself lucky. I wouldnever have managed to do it on my own. I hopeto have an impact, not only on an individualbasis, but on the whole nation, and, you neverknow, the globe!

There are limited numbers of virologists inUganda and outbreaks of viral diseases requireimporting expertise – I can help reduce this as Iwill be able to train people as a teaching assistantin Uganda. The scholarship will add value to mycareer and invaluable exposure to a number ofcultures as the University has students from manycountries.”

Gordon, from the Rukungiri District of Uganda,worked as a volunteer lecturer at MakerereUniversity, Uganda, and at various communicationcompanies such as Uganda Telecom and Gemtelbefore receiving the Global Outreach Scholarship tofulfil his ambition to study for an MSc atManchester. Gordon is delighted to be studying atManchester as many of his academic ‘heroes’, suchas Ernest Rutherford, worked or studied here.

After attaining his MSc, Gordon hopes to return toMakerere University to lecture in the Faculty ofTechnology as a full time member of staff, where hebelieves his time at Manchester will allow him toutilise his talent effectively in the area of RuralCommunication.

Gordon was a very popular guest speaker at theannual Alumni Dinner in London last year and evenreceived an invitation to visit the Lake District.

Thank you“I really thank you and appreciate your effort inmaking it possible for me to realise my dream. Theonly thing remaining for me is to excel, and ploughback the acquired knowledge into humanity andmake life better. I will try to implement some of theprinciples that seem so basic in the UK but couldgreatly improve life in Uganda and to help my owncountry in furthering its development.”

Equity and Merit Scholarships help talentedstudents from developing countries by providingfunds to cover their living costs during their studieshere, whilst the university waives the tuition fee infull.

Students supported by these scholarships arestudying on courses that are likely to be of greatestbenefit to their home country.

The University is working closely with partnerschools and agencies overseas, in Uganda andMalawi, to find students from the developing worldwith the academic potential to come to Manchesterstraight from school, or for postgraduate study. Dueto the success of the pilot phase of this programme,it will be made available to students in Rwanda forthe first time this year.

Since 2007, donors to Your Manchester Fund havecontributed towards providing opportunities to 15students from developing countries.

Global Outreach enablesstudents from the delevopingworld to study beyond bordersand fulfil their potential whilstdiversifying the talent pool atManchester.

Global Outreach 8

Global Outreach Scholars (l-r) Gordon Ariho, Ethel Nakakawa, Deo Mulindwa and Patricia Mugala

Gordon Ariho

MSc Communications EngineeringFaculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Ethel Nakakawa

MSc Medical and Diagnostic VirologyFaculty of Medical and Human Sciences

Bridging Hardship

Your Manchester Fund supports a wide variety ofprojects and programmes across campus to enrichthe academic and wider university experience forthe student body as a whole.

To date, projects such as Manchester RAG, theUniversity Counselling Service and Student Actionhave been funded to a total of £307,500. Mostrecently, the Library, Careers Service and DisabilitySupport Office have benefited from your generosity.

Andrew Spinoza, Chairman of the AlumniAssociation and Your Manchester Fund SteeringGroup, made a special visit to the University inOctober 2008 to officially unveil the £160,000Learning Enrichment package designed to enrichthe learning experience for students across campus.

This year, Your Manchester Fund has providedsupport to the library to create a social learningenvironment serving refreshments to studentsstudying throughout the day and on into theevening hours. The ‘Library Lounge’ is a verypopular addition with students and has evenfacilitated a change in waste management policy forthe library as a whole. As part of the changes in thelibrary, a significant investment has been made inrecycling facilities, replacing general litter bins withalternative, colour coded receptacles enablinglibrary users to recycle paper, plastic bottles, glassand cans.

In addition to the library space, Your ManchesterFund has purchased a minibus to transportManchester Leadership Programme students to andfrom volunteering projects in Manchester andsurrounding areas, helping to extend the scope ofprojects that the MLP can offer.

The Fund has also equipped the Careers Servicewith a podcasting facility which allows students tovisualise and experience potential employmentenvironments and get first-hand advice from today’s

business leaders in order to support theiremployment applications and decisions on futurecareers.

Learning Enrichment comes inmany forms – all positivelyenhancing the studentexperience at Manchester.

Bridging Hardship can mean the differencebetween a student successfully completing a degreecourse and having to end it prematurely because ofmisfortune. Any student, like any one of us, can behit by unexpected problems at any time, causingtemporary, but often critical, financial difficulties.

Our experience tells us that there are many reasonsfor unforeseen loss of an income source: accident,illness or death in the family, a sponsoring companygoing out of business, or a natural disaster. Political,economic and environmental crises occur every dayin the news and we can forget that this affects ourindividual students.

In 2004 we supported students affected by theBoxing Day Tsunami; in 2005 those affected by theKashmir earthquake and in 2007 we helped astudent extend their studies due to kidney failure.

Bridging Hardship offers ahelping hand to hard-hitstudents in order to see themthrough their studies atManchester.

“I really appreciate the support I have beengranted by Your Manchester Fund, it means a lotto me in many ways. The Bridging Hardshipaward has strengthened me not only financiallybut it has also boosted my enthusiasm anddedication to complete my dissertation and mydegree.”

Learning Enrichment 9

Khaqan Khan

Bridging Hardship RecipientMSc Human Resource DevelopmentFaculty of Humanities

Andrew Spinoza with MLP students and Your Manchester Fund supported minibus

“Calling alumni has been a revelation for me. Thepeople I have had the pleasure of speaking withhave been varied and interesting. It is heartening tofind that the majority of alumni support the workthat we do.

Personally I was attracted to the position by thecapacity for personal growth conferred byconversing with such experienced and successfulpeople. I believe the project has a positive impacton everybody involved – alumni, Your ManchesterFund staff, callers and most expediently by thescholarship recipients themselves. Being part of adynamic, progressive team of students, handpicked for their communication skills has been ajoy to partake in and contribute to.

I particularly enjoyed speaking with our Americanalumni. Every single conversation was worthwhile,and the interest and support for the scholarshipprogramme was admirable. Everybody wasfriendly; some even made the very generous offer

of accommodation overthe summer. I hope tovisit America thissummer and ifcircumstancesallow I lookforward tomeeting some ofthe people I hadsuch an enjoyabletime speakingwith.”

Most memorableconversation: A woman who washappy to talk whilstrunning a bath!

“I first started working for Your Manchester Fundas a student caller in 2006, so this is my third yearworking for the University. I’ve really enjoyedworking as part of an evolving team of studentcallers. I’ve learned a lot from training; this job isgreat for getting experience of a wide range ofskills.

My favourite aspect of the job is talking to alumnias they always have great stories about their timeat university and interesting insight into the worldof work.

I hope to continue to work as a student caller untilI graduate, as it’s a really rewarding job.”

Most memorableconversation:My mostmemorableconversation waswith an alumnawho was doingmy dream jobworking as aregional specialneeds co-ordinatorin primary schools.She gave me lots oftips and encouragedme to achieve mygoals.

Each year the University selects a team of around30 students from hundreds of applicants to engagein telephone calls with alumni. The aim of theprogramme is to increase alumni participation inthe work of the University by inviting contributionsto Your Manchester Fund, whilst updating alumnion current life on campus and seeking other waysto engage alumni in the University’s work. Thestudents are able to answer any questions posed byalumni, or to research the answer and relay theinformation back.

Our callers enjoy every conversation, which is oneof the reasons the jobs are so popular on campus.

“I believe becoming a student caller at theuniversity is truly one of the most rewarding waysto spend your time. It not only offers theopportunity to talk to many graduates whoprovide a great deal of inspiration, but also tohelp raise money for something so important insociety.

As The University of Manchester supports somany areas from providing scholarships to peoplefrom deprived areas, to medical andenvironmental research, I really do feel part ofsomething phenomenal. It is not until you meetthe people that have benefited from your effortsand the generous donations from graduates, thatyou realise just how important the work is.

It really gives me a huge ‘buzz’ to talk to peoplewho are so passionate about their university evenmany years after they have graduated. Everyconversation I have with an alumnus is totallyunique and some are more unique than others!

As part of the student calling team atManchester, I feel a part of something veryspecial indeed.”

Your feedback about the call

“I really enjoyed my telephone conversation withMark Webster. It was so refreshing to talk withsuch a polite, interested and informative youngman. Please pass on my thanks to him and goodwishes for success in his studies.”

Eleanor, Mathematics (1964).

Sophie Backen

BSc Mathematics Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

James Campbell

MBCHB Medicine Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences

Mark Yardley

BSc Business StudiesFaculty of Humanities

Your Callers10

New Government matched funding programmefor gifts to higher education – 2008 - 2011.

In August 2008 the UK Government launched aprogramme to encourage gifts from alumni andothers to support English higher educationinstitutions. For you as a former Manchester student– wherever you are in the world - this means we canadd at least a third to the value of any gift you maketo Your Manchester Fund, and potentially muchmore. For UK donors this 33% bonus will be appliedboth to the gift level and to the value of Gift Aidthat we can claim on your gift.

We will put the additional match to work in supportof your preferred priority. So if you want your giftand the additional match to support the full rangeof outstanding students highlighted in these pages,simply make a gift to the overall Your ManchesterFund. You can also earmark your support for one orother of the different types of scholarship/awardwithin the overall Your Manchester Fund.

There has never been a better time tostart or to increase your support foroutstanding students on campus.

Gift value after Gift Aid and Government match is applied

Donor Numberofdonors

Net annualcontributionfrom eachdonor

Net annualvalue of eachdonor’s gift toYourManchesterFund

Combinedannual valueto YourManchesterFund

NewScholarships/Awards madepossible

UK donorsgiving£10/month

2 £120

(£90 if higher rate tax payer)

£204 £408 A typical BridgingHardship Award(see page 9)

UK donorsgiving£20/month

5 £240

(£180 if higherrate tax payer)

£408 £2,040 Two additionalOpportunityManchesterScholarships (see pages 2 & 3)

Single UKhigher ratetax payer

1 £440 £1,000 £1,000 An additionalOpportunityManchesterScholarship (see pages 2 & 3)

Single UKhigher ratetax payer

1 £3,525 £8,000 £8,000 An additionalResearch ImpactScholarship(see pages 4 & 7)

Add a match and deepen theimpact of your giving

Why I give“The University has a special place in my heart. Inthe late ‘80s I studied hard at Mathematics,which I loved, and played hard in the Union, inhalls and around the city.

Most of the time it felt to me to be the best placein the world. There were a few occasions when itwas a tough place to be too, and I have neverforgotten the support that was around me fromthe University.

I feel strongly that students should be inspired,challenged and supported at The University ofManchester, just as I was. As an Alumni Donor, Ihave the opportunity to help make that happen.So I do.”

Matching Your Giving

Your Impact - The StatsYour Experience

11

Simon Sadie

BSc (Hons) Mathematics, 1990 2630 donors last year

6902 donors since October 2004

35 students callers

512 applications per year forstudent caller jobs

6 Global Outreach scholars

10 Research Impact scholars

79 Opportunity Manchesterscholars

We will be looking to incorporate your comments andsuggestions into our communications in theforthcoming year. Your views are very important to us.

If you have any suggestions or comments regardingthis newsletter and what you would like to see in thefuture, please take the time to participate in ourforthcoming survey, or get in touch with us direct.

Alternatively, please take time to share your opinionswith your caller.

ScholarshipType

HumanitiesEngineering andPhysicalSciences

Medical andHuman Sciences

Life Sciences

Research Impact 2 4 2 2

OpportunityManchester

27 20 26 7

Global Outreach 0 6 2 0

Total 29 30 30 9

What impact is my money having on my Department / Faculty?

The Your Manchester Fund aims to ensure all students from all backgrounds, ages and interests benefit insome way from the funds generated. Below is a breakdown of the types of scholars benefitting thisacademic year.

What changes are happening atManchester/where is my department now?

The University of Manchester has one of the largestestates in the country comprising;

15 sites

Over 300 buildings

299 acres (120 hectares)

In excess of 3,000 parking spaces

9,400 student bedrooms

The University is progressing its Capital programmeto create new high quality facilities. Thisprogression has involved the relocation of variousdepartments and schools to congregate the work offaculties together at set points across campus.

The Sackville street or ‘UMIST’ area is now known asNorth Campus and the John Owens area as SouthCampus. More than half the Southern Campus hasbenefited from the landscape and public realmworks on Oxford Road. The public realm is the workundertaken to advance footpaths, cycle routes,landscaping and lighting. These improvements aimto improve the relationships and linkages betweennew and existing University spaces and create moreof a Campus like feel for the students. A newlandmark University Square will be created outsidethe new University Place building where manyalumni lectures and events will take place in thefuture.

What are our Opportunity Manchester scholarsfrom previous years doing since leaving?The Opportunity Manchester Programme wasestablished in 2006 and continues to providefunding for students in their first years of study. Thismeans 2009 is the first year of graduatingOpportunity Manchester scholars and we aim to

follow up with our graduates once they have left tofeedback to you in due course.

What is happening in my department/ at theuniversity?Up to date information can be found via theUniversity’s website at www.manchester.ac.uk, andby typing the faculty name in the searchbox.Alternatively, request an information sheet from

your caller or see the Your Manchester website.www.yourmancnhester.manchester.ac.uk. Here youwill be able to find information about alumniactivities relating to schools and subject areas andyou will be able to register for events. The popularCockroft Rutherford Lecture will be held on 28thApril at the new University Place.

Your FAQs12

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