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After cycling the length of Britain this summer, the Life Cycle 2 team from The University of Nottingham have successfully raised over £250,000 to widen access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The total raised was a fitting reward for the 12 members of staff who endured headwinds, punctures and falls during a 1,100-mile journey on behalf of ‘Nottingham Potential’, a package of interventions designed to transform the lives of young people.
Led by Vice-Chancellor Professor David Greenaway, the team spent 14 days in the saddle, with the specific aim of providing scholarships and bursaries to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and supporting projects targeted at changing opportunities for young people, helping more into further and higher education.
Public Support
During the journey, which stretched from Cape Wrath in the north-west of Scotland to Dover on the south-east coast of England, the team was also joined by members of the public, who lent their support during a community day.
47 volunteers accompanied the team throughout the Lincoln to Nottingham leg, while over 100 people walked or cycled around University Park Campus raising £5,000 towards the final total.
After reaching the fundraising target, Professor Greenaway said: “I am very proud of what the Life Cycle 2 team have achieved in raising more than a quarter of a million pounds for Nottingham Potential.
“The generosity and support of those who donated to the cause has been outstanding, and we know how strongly people feel about educational disadvantage. Contributors to our challenge believe the brightest and most able students should have opportunity, regardless of their background. The funds raised will help transform lives.”
Future challenges
Following the success of Life Cycle 2 — sponsored by Lucozade, Gleeds, Santander Universities and UPP — it seems that the Vice Chancellor already has one eye on the next challenge.
He explained: “There are many other causes which would benefit from the awareness raising a challenge such as Life Cycle brings with it. And the team is always ready for a new challenge, so watch this space!”
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia; according to the Sunday Times University Guide 2012, ‘Of all the British universities, Nottingham has embraced internationalism the most.’ It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK by application numbers, and ‘the world’s greenest university’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fundraising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…