Student Francis Okereafor thanks our supporters

A major milestone has been reached in the University’s Women of the Future Appeal - with more than half of the £500,000 target being raised within three months.

Thanks to the generosity of staff, alumni, friends of the University, corporate and local supporters, the Chancellor’s Appeal stands at more than £280,000, which will help women from all over the world to study for Masters degrees at Essex.

Donations have included gifts ranging from £30,000 from Santander Universities to an alumnus whose donation of over £50 comprised loose change collected over the last year. Contributions have also come from alumni in the UK and overseas, as far afield as Brazil, and former members of staff and their families.

The Appeal was launched by the University’s Chancellor Shami Chakrabarti in June, to raise funds for 25 Masters scholarships to support talented and ambitious women who are willing to challenge convention and push boundaries across the world.

Shami Chakrabarti said: “Raising over £280,000 within three months of launching the Women of the Future Appeal is an outstanding achievement. It is testament to Essex’s drive to make the world a fairer place. Please continue to lend your support so we can change tomorrow.”

Speech and Language Therapy postgraduate student, and Santander scholarship recipient, Maria Miranda, who is helping to fundraise for the Appeal, said: “Supporting the Chancellor’s Appeal has been my way of doing my bit for our collective future and giving other women like me a much-needed chance. And in the process, I also learned a few things too.”

The Chancellor’s Appeal will continue to seek donations from University supporters for the next year, and a number of activities are planned by the University philanthropy team. The Appeal also provides an opportunity to showcase the impact of Essex’s female leaders from across the University community, with case studies of staff, alumni and students posted on the Appeal’s website and updated regularly.

Executive Dean (Faculty of Humanities) Professor Lorna Fox O’Mahony said: “I am a proud supporter of the Chancellor’s Appeal and its bold message to encourage those with a willingness to push the frontiers of knowledge. Our fundraising achievement is a success for us all.”

Trudy Kilcullen, Chief Executive of the Jack Petchey Foundation, which has supported the Appeal, said: "Jack Petchey CBE, an honorary Doctor of the University of Essex, strongly believes in giving back to society and making the world a better place. Through the Foundation, young women have shown themselves to be great achievers.He supports the Women of the Future Appeal because it reflects a shared ethos with the University in our ambitions for a better world."

Head of Philanthropy Lynsey Dawson said: “I can’t thank our supporters enough for the phenomenal response to our Chancellor’s Appeal, it’s been truly inspiring. The Appeal continues over the next year with a range of exciting activities and I encourage everyone to get involved where they can.”

The Chancellor’s Appeal is the first of its kind in our University’s history and builds on Essex’s charitable status. Every year the University receives generous donations from supporters in cash and kind, enabling us to establish scholarships for students, fund activities to enhance the student experience and support delivery of our world class research.

Find out more about our Women of the Future Appeal, #changetomorrow.