'Your pledge is giving everyone hope during a difficult time.'

'Our academics and research teams have been on the frontline of tackling COVID-19, particularly by supporting the testing programme across the UK,' says Tom Kay, Legacy Manager at Birmingham.

'And for students, finding ways for them to continue their education with as little disruption as possible has been challenging, especially when our most vulnerable students have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Many have lost the part-time jobs they rely on and their parents/carers are facing economic uncertainties too. ‘Pathways to Birmingham’ and our other scholarship programmes have been more important than ever, allowing hundreds of students to come to Birmingham and follow their ambitions, as well as helping our current students to continue to thrive.

'Gifts in wills have supported both research and student support programmes this year, and demonstrate exactly how important the generosity of those who left a gift to Birmingham really is. In giving to the future of the University of Birmingham, those no longer with us are helping to ensure that students are not denied their opportunity because of background or financial circumstances. One particular gift for research will be critical to our response to COVID-19, to help prevent future health crises.

'Thank you for your continued support. Below you can see examples of what gifts in wills have made possible recently.' 

Tom and Nicola

Legacy and Endowments Manager, and Legacy and In Memory Officer

100% of your gift goes to your chosen cause

How gifts in wills have made an impact:

• A legacy gift is supporting the exploration of immunotherapy for treating brain cancer, led by Professor Paul Moss and Professor Colin Watts
• A gift for the Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER) will help find the very best ways to teach children with autism, and discover new ways to overcome their learning challenges
• A donation to scientific research will go towards our direct response to COVID-19 and infectious diseases
• Gifts for student support enabled more than 20 Access to Birmingham (A2B) scholars to start their studies, opening the door for those who might otherwise struggle to come to University
• A unique gift for energy saving research is supporting the work of Dr Martin Freer, Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute, to ‘shape the energy solutions of tomorrow’