From enabling students to compete on the international sporting stage to supporting their charitable work closer to home, the Greatest Needs fund has helped some fantastic causes this year.

Thanks to the generosity of the donations to our Greatest Needs fund, Royal Holloway students have been able to see their clubs and societies thrive this year. Unrestricted and flexible, it allows the university to allocate funds where they can have the greatest impact, including postgraduate scholarships, employability initiatives and for students with disabilities, as well as many student-led projects and initiatives.

One of the beneficiaries was Geology PhD student and sports scholar Ivan, who was able to compete in ice hockey at the World University Winter Games 2019 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, thanks to the funding. The university version of the Olympics, this international event draws thousands of student athletes from 58 countries to perform at the highest level and Ivan’s selection to represent Great Britain was a great honour. Ivan’s team beat Sweden, one of the top five teams in the competition, and saw Royal Holloway represented on an international stage, increasing awareness of the excellent sporting opportunities available at the university.

Another project funded was the independent staging of an original play 00:00 (Zero Hundred Hours), led by third-year Drama and Philosophy student Rebecca. Performed in the pavilion at the Packhorse student pub on three consecutive nights last December, 00:00 followed the lives of workers employed by Network Rail as part of the ‘Specialist Cleaning Team’. The play examined the impact of railway suicides, exploring mental health, society and masculinity in modern Britain. The production team worked closely with the Samaritans and Network Rail to create an accurate and urgent portrait to both raise awareness and inspire change. A portion of the ticket sales was donated to the Samaritans.

The Community Action group of student volunteers received funding to support their food recycling initiative. One hundred students packed gift bags of donated goods for local isolated elderly people, taking food that would otherwise be wasted on campus and delivering it to charities that used it to feed the homeless and needy. The project increased student knowledge about food waste and how they can encourage change in their own lives.

A second project led by Community Action is the Community Research Hub, a pilot venture enabling students to implement the skills they have obtained at university to tackle real-world problems. By working with charities and small organisations which are often resourcepoor, the Community Research Hub enables students to volunteer in project work that supports their own development as well as providing valuable assistance to small businesses and charities.

Students also received support to represent the university at the Model European Union competition in Strasbourg (MEUS) last April. A week-long simulation of the EU’s legislative process, the MEUS gave students the opportunity to work on their diplomacy, improve their public speaking and learn how to write a UN resolution – all excellent transferable skills for future employers.

For more information, or if you would like to make a donation, please contact the Regular Giving and Legacies Manager on 01784 414478 or email development@royalholloway.ac.uk.