Major scholarships initiative launched Part of record alumni donation

Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience

Durham

Charles Wilson

Booker Group CEO

Alumni

Major Scholarships Initiative for Low-income Students as Part of Record £7.5 million Alumni Donation

We have received a transformative donation from Booker Group CEO, Charles Wilson (Geography, Grey College, 1983-86) and his partner Dr Rowena Olegario. Part of this huge £7.5 million donation will go towards launching the ‘Durham Inspired – North East Scholarships’ programme, which will support students coming in lowincome backgrounds from the North East of England.

North East Scholarships

An endowment of £2 million, which includes matched funding from a number of other generous benefactors, including the Ruth and Lionel Jacobson Charitable Trust, will be used to inspire and support exceptional young people from across the region to reach their full potential here at Durham, regardless of financial means. The North East Scholarships programme will support 20 students each year from lowincome backgrounds from the North East, empowering and enabling them to study for qualifications, while also pursuing vital leadership and development experiences offered at Durham. This builds on a number of North East focused scholarships currently available at Durham, including the Robert Young Scholarship, the St Nicholas Scholarships and the Brian Cooper Scholarship.

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Largest single donation

The North East Scholarships are part of a record £7.5 million donation from Charles Wilson and partner Dr Rowena Olegario – the largest single donation in our history. The donation will also establish the new Wilson Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship at the Business School and an endowment for our Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience (IHRR).

Research and business

The new Wilson Institute will provide entrepreneurs and leaders, especially in small and family businesses in the local region, with insightful and practical support to develop those businesses to their full potential. In addition the IHRR will now be able to increase its ability to produce leading, front-line research that helps professionals around the world to protect, save and recover thousands of vulnerable lives and communities every year around natural hazards.

We are also delighted to recognise the contribution that this gift will make towards University’s wider Durham Inspired Campaign, chaired by former Saatchi and Saatchi CEO Worldwide, Rob Senior, which seeks to support the next generation of inspired leaders through Durham University.

Find out more

Learn more about the impact that scholarships like this are having on students from the North East: Durham Inspired North East Scholarships Impact (see right). Durham University rooted in the local community Durham University Business School Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience