The Alumni and Supporter Engagement Office are launching their 2021 Summer Telephone Fundraising Campaign. Taking place from 31 May to 20 June, this campaign is focused on raising funds to support students at Reading and offers an opportunity for us to stay connected to you.
For over a year now, we have all lived through a period of uncertainty, change and, for many, a year of crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the UK is opening up again and slowly returning to something resembling normality. The more fortunate of us are hoping that life starts to get back on track, but unfortunately, for many students, it will not be that simple.
Our students have proven that they are resilient and resourceful, but no one could have planned or prepared for the impact of COVID-19. Many students undertake paid work to see them through their studies, but part-time work has been largely unavailable due to lockdown. Some students rely on their families for help, however many families are still feeling the effects of the last year, leaving them unable to financially support their children as they may have done before.
For many students the future is unclear, and they don’t know how they will afford to pay for the rest of their time at university. It is more important now than ever to ensure our students have the support that they desperately need, so they can finish their university studies and are not forced to drop out.
To help plan for the future and make sure no student’s ambitions are disrupted by the difficulties of the pandemic, we are launching our 2021 Summer Telephone Fundraising Campaign. Our campaign will be focused on supporting students at Reading, because the challenges they are facing are still far from over. We are committed to ensuring our students are supported as much as possible, and for that, the financial support of alumni, such as yourself, is vital.
During the campaign, current students at the University will be ringing our alumni community hoping to speak to you about your time at Reading, what you have gone on to do since graduating, to update you on some of the vital projects we are working on, and to seek your support for the Student Support Fund.
Christine, a master’s student at the University, tells CONNECTED why she has chosen to be part of this campaign:
“I really like the way the University supported us as students studying from home during the pandemic. A lot of the professors went above and beyond to stay in touch with us and kept us on track with the course, making sure we felt comfortable asking questions and not missing anything.
“I decided to support this campaign to do what I could to help my fellow students during such a difficult time.”
We hope you will be able donate generously to help ensure all students at Reading can complete their studies and make the most of their time at university. All donations you can give will truly make a difference to the students who need it the most.
Our Summer Telephone Fundraising Campaign will run from 31 May to 20 June. If you would prefer not to receive a call, please email giving@reading.ac.uk or call 0118 378 8006.
