Oliver (Olly) Beswetherick was a very special young man who studied with us here at Birmingham and achieved a first-class honours BSc, the John Butterfield Prize for outstanding performance in his final Honours examination, and an MSc with distinction in Molecular Biotechnology, finishing his studies in 2019.
As well as excelling in the sciences, he also had a natural talent and a passion for music. Playing the piano was one of his greatest loves, and he was extremely gifted. You can hear Olly playing the piano on YouTube. Olly was a kind and loving person, with a great sense of humour, who stood up for what he believed in. Sadly, despite his successes, he battled with his mental health for many years and unfortunately lost his life to suicide in 2020, aged just 24. 
His family are determined to raise awareness in Olly’s memory to help other people who are struggling as he did. They very generously set up a prize in Olly's name and also donated a piano for students to use here at Birmingham. Their aim was to continue spreading Olly's light and positivity, while being honest about his struggles in the hope that other young people fighting with their mental health might seek help. It is so important to acknowledge that mental health struggles can occur at any time to anyone, no matter how outwardly happy they might appear.
The piano donated by the Beswetherick family has been placed in the multi-faith Chaplaincy. Alex Ferranti, who works at the Chaplaincy, says that the piano "has made a real positive impact to the lives of many of our students". It is particularly important as pianos are not widely accessible by students who are not enrolled in the Music Department.
A student who regularly uses the piano has been particularly impacted by it: 'As a foreign student coming from France for a year in England, I could not bring my piano with me in my luggage! Music being such an important aspect of my life, I was really missing it before I found the chapel to play in. I feel a real need to play the piano to be able to escape, sometimes to feel less sad because I am far from my family. I think that thanks to the piano, I am able to find a balance that suits me between my life at the University and my personal life in this new country.'
Many other students from similar backgrounds have highlighted their experiences of having their wellbeing improved by playing the piano, and the Chaplaincy are very grateful to the family for the wonderful and inspiring gift.
Olly's family travelled to Birmingham to meet the latest recipient of the Olly Beswetherick prize, Kamila Orzechowska. The prize is awarded for the best research project in Molecular Biotechnology, and Kamila said that the award has improved her self-confidence: 'I have been considering applying for PhD studies in the future, however, this achievement "pushed" me to do it sooner. I am very grateful I could meet Olly's parents and the founder of the award in person.'
The generosity of Olly's family in his memory has touched many students and will continue to do so for years to come. Olly really cared about helping people and it is wonderful that his spirit will endure at Birmingham.