Fundraising and donations

“My career ambition is to work with energy or manufacturing in a sustainable way,” says George Modica-Cliff, a second-year student on the MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Composites degree. “I would love to create a solution to the world’s dependence on fossil fuels – one that is affordable and accessible to everyone.” 

It’s an ambition that is being supported by the Tamar Engineering Project (TEP), a national-first mentoring and scholarship programme that aims to nurture talent in a critically important discipline for the country. Developed in partnership with engineering alumnus Stephen Ball, former CEO of Lockheed Martin UK, the TEP covers 29 degree courses across engineering, computing and robotics and offers successful applicants a course fee waiver, a contribution to living costs, and personal mentoring from a senior figure in industry. And it is primarily aimed at those who come from key widening participation backgrounds, such as those who are first generation university applicants or in need of financial assistance. George was one of just three students to qualify for the TEP in the last academic year, after he enrolled at the University from UTC (University Technical College) Plymouth. “I was very excited and proud, and it confirmed that my decision to do a degree at Plymouth was the right one,” he says. “I felt lucky, as well as more confident, and it boosted my self-esteem.” 

George has been placed with Iain Priest, National Engineering Manager – Energy Recovery Facilities (ERF) at Viridor. And it was the chance to learn from just such a senior figure that inspired him to apply for the TEP in the first place. 

“Iain is a professional engineer, who understands the skills and competencies that are required for a career in engineering,” George says. “He is helping me to develop those skills and giving me insights into how employers think. Furthermore, he is giving me opportunities to visit his workplace and practise presentation skills.”

Rebekkah Duff has been building up to this moment for years – a chance to apply her medical skills and knowledge in a socio-economic setting where equal access to healthcare cannot be taken for granted.

Tackling health inequalities has been a motivational force for Rebekkah ever since she enrolled on the Bachelor of Medicine degree four years ago. Now, thanks to an intercalating bursary, she is undertaking the MSc Global Health (Remote and Rural) degree during her fifth year of study, before resuming her undergraduate degree in September 2020.

“The aim of me doing the MSc was to learn more about the ethics and logistics of global health projects and discover how I could become involved in the future,” Rebekkah says. 

“I am interested in humanitarian medical work but have become inspired from my early experiences of the course to consider how I could make a greater impact in alternative ways while also focusing locally.” 

The intercalating bursary provides funding to students to cover an extra year of study that will develop their skills in a particular way. For Rebekkah, the year enables her to build upon the voluntary work she has undertaken in Plymouth and New York over the course of recent summers, in particular working with teenagers from complex social backgrounds.

As part of the masters degree, she is volunteering with an organisation working with refugees dispersed across Plymouth, and has attended a women’s group where participants have the chance to act, sing and share their stories. For her dissertation, Rebekkah will interview a number of refugees about their experiences, as well as undertake a camping trip on Dartmoor for the remote and rural element of the programme.