Hello and welcome to another fantastic edition of Your Gift magazine.
Each year, I’m struck more than the last by the compassion and kindness of our giving community. As a collective who share our vision for a better University, a better city and a better world, your support is helping deliver purposeful work that has maximum impact.
Whether you champion scholarships for low-income students, groundbreaking Sheffield research, or you give your time to coach our newest graduates, the recognition and thanks you deserve goes beyond words.
“I
hope you enjoy reading about the remarkable work that supporters like you have recently made possible.”
2025 is set to bring both challenges and opportunities. Uncertainty across the sector means higher education is facing difficult choices. But with the backing of our incredible community of staff, students, alumni and supporters, Sheffield will continue to deliver worldclass teaching and research, and our commitment to outstanding student experiences will not falter.
Last year, thanks to supporters like you, we successfully launched our very first major fundraising and engagement campaign, ForgedinSheffield,ShapingtheFuture. Your ongoing commitment to our vision of a better tomorrow means this campaign has the very best foundations to make an even bigger difference going forwards.
ForgedinSheffield will see more students granted scholarships than ever before. It will deliver advancements in the understanding of devastating diseases. It will help us excel in areas where we’re already delivering excellence. Areas such as Summer Schools that inspire students to aim for university, and our sectorleading co-curricular student activities and makerspaces.
The campaign will also shine a light on projects where we’re working closely with the City Region, such as support for aspiring entrepreneurs and a number of exciting spin-outs and start-ups that will ensure technologies developed by Sheffield researchers attract investment and stay in the city.
This challenging time is therefore also an optimistic time. The University of Sheffield is a world-leading organisation where the brightest minds make meaningful progress. With you, our supporters, by our side we’ll achieve even greater success in our mission to advance knowledge and provide access to opportunity.
In this magazine, you’ll find stories from students and staff about the difference your generosity has been making recently. We all thank you greatly and look forward to seeing what comes next.
Professor Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor.
World-leading gene therapy centre opens in Sheffield
“This marks a new era for life-changing gene therapies in the UK. I’m so proud Sheffield is at the forefront.”
With your backing, Professor Mimoun Azzouz’s vision to turn lab discoveries into viable treatments has finally been realised.
“Fourteen years ago, my team developed a gene therapy treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Devastatingly, babies born with this genetic condition - the childhood form of MND - were faced with a life expectancy of just two years. For the first time, families receiving this heart-breaking diagnosis finally had hope,” explains Professor Mimoun Azzouz.
But Professor Azzouz faced a major setback when he was told there was no capacity in the UK to manufacture the life-saving treatment. Undeterred, he sought funding to establish gene therapy innovation hubs across the country. These would be dedicated to developing - and crucially - manufacturing new treatments for genetic conditions.
Pioneering treatments to transform lives Fast-forward to now and Professor Azzouz’s determination has paid off. With your generous support, Sheffield’s Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC) was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal in October 2024.
It’s not just SMA patients that will benefit. Gene therapy is a promising treatment for more than 7,000 rare and inherited diseases currently without a cure. This new facility is a huge milestone in the fight against them, accelerating potential treatment for millions of patients.
The GTIMC was opened by HRH, The Princess Royal.
Professor Mimoun Azzouz, GTIMC Director.
Emerging entrepreneurs
There’s a growing spirit of entrepreneurship across campus and your support is helping to nurture it.
Business bootcamps, collaborative projects, start-up funding. These are just some of the ways students are being given the tools they need to turn their commercial ideas into a reality thanks to donor funding for the University’s Emerge: Be Enterprising initiative.
Sustainable start-ups
Take Future Greens. Set up by four bright young graduates, this sustainable start-up uses anaerobic digestion to generate energy from local business’ waste matter. Using a self-designed reactor, the technique offers a cost-effective, carbon-negative alternative to conventional energy production.
And with potential to transform other small urban spaces into clean energy centres replicable across the UK and internationally, the thriving business has recently secured six-figure backing from investors to grow the company further.
This is just one example of the socially responsible businesses being set up with your support that are in turn, boosting the region’s reputation as a vibrant SME hub.
sheffield.ac.uk/entrepreneurship
SME Summer Internships
How donor funding for student placements is boosting the region’s small businesses.
The region’s growing number of SMEs and start-ups are driving innovation and boosting the economy. But many face challenging resource barriers when it comes to creating opportunities for young people.
Enter SME Summer Internships. This progressive donorfunded initiative offers paid internships for students within local microbusinesses and charities. And it’s bringing real benefits for both the organisations and the young people involved.
The students get valuable work experience and contacts. And with fresh ideas, new expertise, and a future talent pipeline, the organisations get so much more than just an extra pair of hands over the summer months.
“Our interns brought enthusiasm and interest, and challenged us to think differently. They worked hard, and made extremely valuable contributions to our current projects.”
Engineering Consultant, ICMES-UK.
Your donations are fuelling vibrant new businesses like Future Greens.
New insights into the Old Bailey
A fascinating archive of the iconic courtroom’s historical records wins an illustrious award following a donorfunded revamp.
The Old Bailey Online is a vast historical archive, featuring records of 200,000 criminal proceedings that passed through the iconic London courtroom between 1674 and 1913.
When it launched in 2003, the site pioneered the digitisation of historical records at this scale. Now, more than twenty years later, it’s been awarded the prestigious 2024 Mary Dudziak Legal History Prize by the American Society for Legal History for continuing to break new ground in the field of digital legal history. The esteemed global prize comes directly as a result of the site’s recent major overhaul which was funded by alumni and supporter donations.
Co-founded by Robert Shoemaker, Professor Emeritus of Eighteenth-Century British History and today managed by the University’s Digital Humanities Institute, the expansive database now offers a more accessible and sustainable insight into London’s iconic courtroom for scholars and social historians globally.
oldbaileyonline.org
Can A I help diagnose types of heart disease?
Grateful patient Rena Dyer left a gift in her Will that’s now being used to fund a vital study into Coronary Artery Disease.
Despite having to travel many miles to Sheffield for treatment while unwell, Rena Dyer was profoundly moved by the care she received from consultant Cardiologist and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tim Chico.
Her gratitude led her to leave a gift in her Will worth £10,000 to support his work as part of the University’s South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub. Rena’s generous legacy donation is being used to fund vital research into improving the speed and accuracy of coronary artery disease diagnoses. By combining data from
smartphones, wearables, and sensors with existing NHS data, AI can help predict new ways to tackle the UK’s biggest killer.
“This is an especially appropriate use of Rena’s kind donation. Instead of attending hospital for tests - which was difficult for Rena - patients use wearable technologies at home to help diagnose their condition.”
Tim Chico,
Consultant Cardiologist and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine.
sheffield.ac.uk/sydhh
New advancements in hearing loss therapies
“Hearing
loss is the most common sensory disorder. A report from WHO indicates that by 2050 almost one billion people will be affected.”
Professor Walter Marcotti, Professor of Sensory Neuroscience.
Pioneering research powered by donor gifts is set to slow - and even preventhearing loss.
Age-related and congenital hearing loss are debilitating conditions that affect hundreds of millions worldwide. From appreciating music to being able to communicate with loved ones, the sense of hearing is key to daily life. Without it, lives are impacted exponentially.
Severe or profound deafness in children affects the development of spoken language and the ability to read. Hearing loss occurring later in life often leads to social isolation and depression; and when untreated, midlife-acquired hearing loss represents the largest modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia.
New hope for millions
Now, there’s hope on the horizon. Leading specialist Professor Walter Marcotti and his team at Sheffield are making major advancements in this area. By identifying key molecular targets within the ear, they’re developing innovative gene therapies that can prevent and slow down the progression of hearing loss. The research represents a crucial step towards improving the quality of life for patients everywhere.
The power of philanthropy
Generous donations from the Geoffrey and Dudley Cox Charitable Trust and alumnus Graham Elliott haven’t only accelerated the pioneering work. The gifts have been fundamental in the team attracting additional investment - a transformative £540k grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Professor Marcotti’s research is just one of many exciting projects happening at the new Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (see page 3).
sheffield.ac.uk/hearing
Removing barriers for PhD students
How donor funding is breaking down barriers for promising scholars.
The work is challenging, the hours are long, career progression can be slow and it’s often underfunded. Yet PhD students are the lifeblood of our University’s vibrant research community. Helping those from all backgrounds to thrive now is integral to future progress, scientific advancements and societal change.
Take Professor Katie Field’s (pictured back row centre) soil science research group. Her study into the interactions of plants with soil-dwelling fungi has potentially huge implications for tackling the climate crisis.
“Advancing my research wouldn’t be possible without the hard work, knowledge and dedication of my team of PhD students. Knowing they’re being supported in their careers by this gift is a huge boost to them both personally and professionally.”
Katie Field, Professor of Plant-Soil Processes.
Working alongside Professor Field is a team of dedicated PhD students. Together they’re helping to unlock the secrets of fungi and its impact on the Earth’s global ecosystems. But financial challenges mean many are missing out on vital opportunities to develop.
No longer missing out
Funding from The de Laszlo Foundation is changing that. The gift is enabling PhD students to attend the international conferences that are so crucial to an academic’s career journey. As well as honing presentation skills and expanding networks, the conferences are where new collaborations are forged that advance their research. And vitally, they’re the spaces where these future leaders can develop their reputation amongst peers.
Nathan Howard (pictured third from left) is part of Professor Field’s team, and said: “I presented my PhD work at several international conferences and gained valuable feedback which helped me to develop my thesis and my first research paper which was published in Current Biology. Without support from The de Laszlo Foundation, I wouldn’t have been able to attend and have those valuable discussions with experts that helped me evolve my ideas and hypotheses.”
A generous gift means PhD students aren’t missing out on opportunities to develop in their academic careers.
Treatment hopes, forged in Sheffield
On the brink of major breakthroughs in neuroscience thanks to you.
Thank you to every supporter who has helped SITraN make remarkable medical advances:
The Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) has been supported by donors, fundraisers, charitable organisations and philanthropists for over 15 years. From its opening in 2010 to today, over 5,000 people have been inspired to make a gift to this team of talented researchers.
With the promise of new treatments for incurable conditions like MND, Parkinson’s and dementia, this small but mighty research centre has sparked the imagination of people around the world. From sailing the Golden Globe Race and tackling triathlons, to our very own fundraising event the Big Walk - over 1,200 people have fundraised and helped SITraN go from strength to strength.
The results speak for themselves. Under the leadership of Professor Dame Pamela Shaw, SITraN has garnered national and international acclaim, including a Queen’s Anniversary Prize. And through over 120 clinical trials, dedicated researchers have made astonishing discoveries.
> The first ever drug clinically proven to slow progression of a form of MND
> Crucial pre-clinical work to develop a gene therapy for babies with SMA - a previously fatal genetic condition
> A breakthrough stem cell therapy for aggressive MS that achieved remission in 80% of patients
> An innovative AI tool that is helping doctors to analyse speech patterns to identify early signs of dementia
> Pioneering drug screening work leading to the repurposing of a liver disease drug to treat people with Parkinson’s
What’s next for Sheffield’s leading neuroscience centre?
SITraN has become a victim of its own success. With triple the number of researchers compared to when it opened, labs are cramped and demand for equipment is high. Some are even working through the night.
Now, thanks to a fundraising appeal which is approaching its £10 million target, a new era for SITraN is on the horizon. Its cutting-edge building expansion will fortify Sheffield’s existing reputation as a centre of medical innovation and crucial discoveries:
> Over 700m2 of new lab space, including two super labs, a cell hotel and a multi-omics lab
> An advanced therapy suite dedicated to testing new gene therapies
> Teaching space to foster the next generation of clinician-researchers
> A patient suite to welcome volunteers for clinical research
Every gift to SITraN will help create the facilities our researchers need to speed up projects that are on the verge of new breakthroughs. For the one in six people who will develop a significant neurological disease in their lifetime, progress can’t come soon enough.
“The Sheffield approach is to bring together talent in one place. There’s a cross-fertilisation of ideas between scientists, but also the clinicians that are delivering medical care, the research nurses who are supporting patients in the trials, and the hospital teams. It’s unique and successful. And we’re proud to say we are genuinely world-leading.”
Chris McDermott, Professor of Translational Neuroscience.
To lend your support, visit sheffield.ac.uk/giving or email giving@sheffield.ac.uk
SITraN’s expansion will accelerate breakthroughs in treatment for incurable conditions like MND, Parkinson’s and dementia (artist’s impression).
To sign up for the Big Walk on 27 June 2025 and help raise money for SITraN, visit sheffield.ac.uk/big-walk
Thank you to everyone who took on the Big Walk 2024. 418 of you covered over 10,000 miles and raised more than £126,000 for MND research.
City Connections: paying it forward
In a full circle moment, curator Rebecca Raven (History and Sociology, 2018) recently welcomed students to the museum where she works in London. It’s all part of City Connections, which brings together students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds with Sheffield alumni working at organisations across London and the North. Here, Rebecca shares an insight into her experiences on the programme as both a student, and now as an alumni volunteer. City Connections is
You could say that City Connections is the reason I have my dream job today. I took part as a student, where I had a lovely chat with an alumnus who worked at the Leeds Royal Armouries. He suggested I apply for a volunteering position. That led on to a paid role, and the rest is history!
I come from a proud working-class background and was the first person in my family to go to university. I’m so lucky to have wonderful parents who always supported my aspirations. I was the only person in my year to go to a Russell Group university, and they were both very proud of that.
People like me didn’t have adults around us who worked in jobs we might be interested in going into. City Connections really does give you that insider look into careers that you wouldn’t get anywhere else.
Visiting corporate alumni businesses made me realise for definite that I didn’t want to work in those sectors! It gave me the push to pursue museums as a career.
Showing students around the Museum of the Order of St John where I work was really really special. My favourite part was when I turned the lights on in the medieval crypt and everyone went “woooow”.
Helping students from backgrounds like mine go out and get their dream jobs is so fulfilling. I always think of the selfless help I’ve received from others and just want to pay that forward.
sheffield.ac.uk/alumni/city-connections
800 Students
60 Alumni businesses
600 Alumni volunteers
Rebecca on her graduation day in 2018.
Inside the G20
Students had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the summit of world leaders in Brazil thanks to your support.
A group of eight ambitious students recently had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of attending the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Working alongside the Global Policy journal from the heart of the conference’s International Media Centre, the students made valuable analyses of the global issues being discussed. Their insights were published in real-time blog content and post-event policy briefings.
Launch of Octagon Records
Alumni have funded a first-of-its-kind record label run by students for
students.
Aptly named after the campus’ iconic building, newly launched Octagon Records is helping the next generation of Sheffield creatives break into the music industry. Students are building links within the city’s thriving music scene, developing skills and even publishing their own music through the label.
It’s been game-changing for aspiring music marketing manager, Mia (pictured). “I’ve made music videos, attended masterclasses, organised gigs and met industry professionals. It’s allowed me to explore opportunities and discover where I can see myself working. I’m so inspired and incredibly grateful,” she said.
@octagonrecordssheffield
The experience was hugely inspiring for MSc Finance and Accounting student, Shengyao (pictured far right):
“Attending the G20 has profoundly changed my mindset and will have a lasting impact on me. It’s given me a more global perspective, enhanced my ability to communicate effectively and improved my networking skills. Knowing my ideas were valued has really improved my confidence too. It wouldn’t have been possible without your kindness and I’m so grateful for this opportunity.”
Every step of the way
From classroom to career, your generosity is helping students thrive at every stage of their educational journey - no matter their background.
“After one of my taster lectures, I came out, looked at myself in the mirror wearing my new Sheffield hoodie and thought: ‘Now I can see myself here as a student’.”
Adam,
Summer School participant 2024.
A journey of opportunity
As generous supporters of that mission, you’re powering these vital ingredients to student success at every step along their journey.
> You’ve helped develop outreach and access initiatives for disadvantaged and underrepresented young people. Like our Summer Schools that help those unsure about applying realise that university is for them.
Our donor-funded Summer Schools help students from all backgrounds realise that university is for people like them.
> You’ve funded travel bursaries for students to easily attend open days, interviews and academic taster events. Without this help, they’d miss out.
> You’ve provided more life-changing scholarships and hardship grants to a wider range of students, easing stifling financial burdens and helping them to participate fully in university life. This year alone, over 400 new students received a donor-funded scholarship!
> You’ve given your time to career and employability projects like City Connections (see page 10), empowering a vast diversity of students to achieve success in their lives and careers after graduating. sheffield.ac.uk/forged/student-success
“My scholarship has given me the freedom at university that everyone desires without the constant worry about money. I feel so lucky to be given this opportunity to make my family proud.”
Amaarah, Biomedical Science student.
A legacy in our lifetimes
Supporting Sheffield today is all about where it might lead tomorrow for Dr Graham and Brenda Siddall.
In keeping with this philosophy, Graham and Brenda’s planned gift in their Will has resulted in an ambitious named scholarship that reflects their personal passions and generous foresight.
Local roots, global impact
Although the couple now live in the Pacific Northwest, Graham grew up as the son of a steelworker in Darnall and Attercliffe.
The new Siddall Sheffield Scholarship is set to become an esteemed equivalent to other prestigious programmes. It will attract the brightest US talent to experience cutting-edge technical innovation in Sheffield. Much of it will take place at the University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), built on the very streets where Graham played as a child.
With an injection of transtatlantic talent working in the local area, regional development is a key focus of the initiative, as Graham explains: “If you’re a graduate of the University, or were born and bred here like me, there are few better ways to give back to the city than to help make it a more desirable place to live and work.”
Sheffield’s reputation for training future
“It’s easier to focus on the present and not plan for the future. But planned giving through a legacy gift has enabled us to have a lasting impact beyond our lifetime on causes we care about.”
Dr Graham and Brenda Siddall.
engineers in advanced manufacturing inspired the Siddalls to make their kind gift.
Sheffield’s sporting stars
The University of Sheffield has a long line of sporting stars who reach the highest levels thanks to the support they receive from donors like you.
Elite Sport Performance Scheme (ESPS) scholarships empower student athletes to maintain sporting momentum while meeting the academic demands of their degrees. The funding and support that comes with the scholarships is enabling the University’s most outstanding young sportspeople to participate at otherwise unreachable levels, including the Olympics and Paralympics.
Competing at the highest levels
GB women’s water polo star, Alex Robinson (Geography and Planning, 2024), said of her time on the ESPS programme:
“It’s amazing to be able to compete at the highest level and be a part of Team GB’s success at the European and World Championships. It just wouldn’t have been possible without my ESPS scholarship. I’m so grateful to those of you who donate and make this happen.”
The most recent ESPS cohort saw 25 young athletes join the programme, which is split into three categories - Level 1, Level 2, and the Catalyst Award.
These award packages offer student sports stars a variety of helpful support measures, including a £1,000 grant, access to free physiotherapy, and lifestyle and mentoring support. Catalyst Award students receive a free year of accommodation.
Other ESPS alumni
Wheelchair Basketball Paralympian
Joy Haizelden (Health and Human Sciences, 2020)
Field Hockey Olympian
Hollie Pearne-Webb MBE (Economics, 2013)
Table Tennis Paralympian
David Wetherill (Biological Chemistry, 2012)
Olympic trampolinist Bryony Page (Biology, 2015) is just one of the elite athletes supported to the top of their game by the ESPS
Hannah’s story: The impact of a scholarship
Scholarships help students who most need financial support to thrive at university. For Geography student Hannah, it’s been gamechanging, and she wants to let you know how grateful she is.
It’s no exaggeration to say my scholarship has made my dream of coming to university a reality. It’s been a fresh start and a chance to reinvent myself.
Studying Geography has been a welcome challenge and a joy. Learning about climate change and sustainable development has been eye-opening. I’m now even more passionate about pursuing a career that makes a difference.
The scholarship has given me so much more than just financial support. Knowing that so many alumni believe in me enough to support my education pushes me to work even harder and dream bigger for my future.
I’ve been able to throw myself into my studies and join student societies without having to worry about money. I’m so grateful. It just wouldn’t have been possible without that help.
New friendships, hard work and - above all elsehaving a good time sums up my time at uni so far. I’m excited for what’s yet to come.
To everyone who made this possible - thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Want to hear more about how your generosity impacts students like Hannah? Share your phone number with us at giving@sheffield.ac.uk and receive a call from a student.
“Your generosity has made such a difference, and I’ll always carry that kindness with me as I work toward my goals.”
Hannah, Geography student.
