Discover - The Alumni and Friends magazine
2026 online edition
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A legacy of giving
How gifts in wills are shaping Plymouth's future
Engineering Opportunities
Ten years of transforming potential through the Tamar Engineering Project
Growing knowledge, protecting health
How philanthropy is powering pioneering liver research
Explore. Dream. Discover.
It's more than just our motto - it's a living, breathing embodiment of the extraordinary spirit I see here everyday.
Professor Richard Davies
Vice-Chancellor
Your year of impact
How you support students through the Plymouth Fund
Every academic year at Plymouth begins with potential, ambition and bright students ready to transform their futures. But for many, getting here - and staying here - demands that they overcome significant challenges. That’s exactly where you, through the Plymouth Fund, make all the difference.
By supporting the Plymouth Fund, you ensure students have what they need before they arrive, as they settle in, and through every pressure of term time.
Here’s how you walk alongside them throughout their entire student journey.
By supporting the Plymouth Fund, you ensure students have what they need before they arrive, as they settle in, and through every pressure of term time.
Here’s how you walk alongside them throughout their entire student journey.
For some students, the biggest barrier to university is simply the cost of getting started.
Without family support or financial security, early term preparations can feel impossible.
For student who have been in care or are estranged from their family, arriving at university can be overwhelming. Many turn up with only a few belongings and nothing like the essentials needed to set up a safe, comfortable space.
Because you support the Plymouth Fund, care leavers can kit out their bedrooms and kitchens with bedding, cookware and the basic items that make a room feel like home. You give them dignity, independence and a strong start.
Without family support or financial security, early term preparations can feel impossible.
For student who have been in care or are estranged from their family, arriving at university can be overwhelming. Many turn up with only a few belongings and nothing like the essentials needed to set up a safe, comfortable space.
Because you support the Plymouth Fund, care leavers can kit out their bedrooms and kitchens with bedding, cookware and the basic items that make a room feel like home. You give them dignity, independence and a strong start.
“I had the benefit of a grammar school education, and it changed the course of my life.
I know the power of education to open doors. When I meet our students, I’m struck by their determination and resilience. Many simply need a financial helping hand to access the same opportunities that I had.
Supporting the Plymouth Fund is my way of helping in a small but meaningful way.”
A message from Professor Richard Davies, Vice‑Chancellor
I know the power of education to open doors. When I meet our students, I’m struck by their determination and resilience. Many simply need a financial helping hand to access the same opportunities that I had.
Supporting the Plymouth Fund is my way of helping in a small but meaningful way.”
A message from Professor Richard Davies, Vice‑Chancellor
Because of you - and the Plymouth Fund - students make it through the year. Your support turns uncertainty into stability, and possibility into reality.
- Students who thought university was out of reach arrive in September because of you.
- Care leavers start their university journey with comfort and confidence because of you.
- Students facing hardship stay on their course and protect their future because of you.
You don’t just support education. You support potential. Thank you for everything you make possible through the Plymouth Fund.
The Legacy of Giving
How gifts in wills shape Plymouth’s future
A legacy gift is one of the most powerful ways to support the University of Plymouth. It allows donors to make a lasting contribution that reflects their values, supports future generations, and continues to change lives long after their own lifetime.
For many, it is a meaningful way to give back to a place that shaped them, or to honour someone they loved.
Legacy gifts are uniquely transformative. They create opportunities that would not otherwise exist, open doors for students who face barriers, and strengthen the University’s ability to support talent wherever it is found.
For many, it is a meaningful way to give back to a place that shaped them, or to honour someone they loved.
Legacy gifts are uniquely transformative. They create opportunities that would not otherwise exist, open doors for students who face barriers, and strengthen the University’s ability to support talent wherever it is found.
Growing together
How our campus continues to evolve with sustainability at the heart of everything we do.
Over the past six decades, our campus has evolved in ways that mirror the growth and ambition of the University itself.
Over the past six decades, our campus has evolved in ways that mirror the growth and ambition of the University itself.
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News Round up
Catch up with our latest news from the University of Plymouth's press office.
Growing knowledge, protecting heath
How philanthropy is powering pioneering liver research
Driving discovery together
How your support is transforming Brain Tumour Research
Turning family determination into hope for the future
How one family is raising awareness and funds for a deeply personal disease
Tamar Engineering Project
Ten years ago, with the generous donations of forward-thinking engineering companies, the University of Plymouth launched the Tamar Engineering Project.
It began with four students and a simple but powerful idea: that talent exists everywhere but opportunity does not.
A decade on, the mission remains urgent. The UK continues to face a shortage of engineers and too many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds still see the cost of university as an insurmountable barrier.
It began with four students and a simple but powerful idea: that talent exists everywhere but opportunity does not.
A decade on, the mission remains urgent. The UK continues to face a shortage of engineers and too many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds still see the cost of university as an insurmountable barrier.
The Claire Chick Nursing Fund
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Claire Chick Nursing Fund.
Following the sudden and tragic loss of Dr Claire Chick - a much loved lecturer and tireless advocate for student nurses - your generosity is building a lasting legacy in her name and shaping a bright future for the nurses who will care for all of us.
The fund will provide:
• Hardship support for students facing personal challenges that could derail their studies
• Travel assistance so students can reach clinical placements across the region without financial strain
• Opportunities for development, opening doors to extra training, conferences and enrichment that build skills, confidence and career prospects.
• Hardship support for students facing personal challenges that could derail their studies
• Travel assistance so students can reach clinical placements across the region without financial strain
• Opportunities for development, opening doors to extra training, conferences and enrichment that build skills, confidence and career prospects.
Claire dedicated her career to championing student nurses, especially those facing difficulties. Because of you, her commitment will continue to change lives for years to come.
Thank you for honouring Claire’s legacy, and for investing in the future of our nurses.
How to get in touch
We'd be delighted to talk to you about your support, and the difference it makes for our students and research. Whether you'd like to discuss your current giving, explore new opportunities to get involved, or simply ask a question, our team is here to help.
