Santander signs £450,000 deal with the University
SANTANDER has signed a new agreement with Loughborough University which has secured funding for a further three years in entrepreneurial, educational and employer initiatives for staff and students.
The official signing took place on Wednesday, October 16, between the Vice Chancellor Professor Robert Allison and Santander Universities UK director Matt Hutnell.
The agreement – worth £450,000 - was celebrated with a morning of events attended by staff, students and alumni of the university.
It was also held as an opportunity to thank Santander Universities for their continued support, and to show them the impact of their funding so far.
Also in attendance with their awardwinning tasty treats was local enterprise Bom Bom Patisserie – set up by alumna Dr Marta Oliveira Child - which has recently opened its second café in the local area.
As part of the event, a panel discussion exploring the theme of ‘Being your best self’ was held and chaired by Matt Hutnell, with successful Loughborough alumni and previous beneficiary panellists from the likes of Aston Villa Football Club and British Triathlon.
Kate Shone – who currently works at British Triathlon as their Olympic programme manager – talked about how being a recipient of the funding during her time as a student helped her: “The Santander scholarship not only helped towards my postgraduate study costs but also gave me the financial freedom to take full advantage of the work experience opportunities I was able to gain through Loughborough University.
“Without my MSc and the work experiences in the sport industry I gained during my studies, I would not be working in elite sport today. It was a catalyst for my successes to date.”
The additional funding will specifically support postgraduate scholarships, sports scholarships, entrepreneurship, employability for widening participant students, mobility awards, the university’s coach and volunteering academy, as well as the Student Union’s leadership development programme.
Representatives of the university also provided a tour of the enterprise spaces across campus to the Santander group following the event.
Professor Allison said: “Loughborough University is immensely proud of its relationship with Santander Universities and their generous support over a long period of time.
“Many members of our community have benefitted from Santander’s relationship with Loughborough, providing opportunities that would otherwise have not existed.
“This new agreement will continue to support a range of activities including advice and resources to businesses startups, developing innovative research, helping our athletes reach the top of their game for example. All are aimed at helping individuals develop into the leaders of tomorrow.”
Matt Hutnell added: “Santander is committed to supporting higher education as well as local communities across the UK. We are proud to continue our partnership with Loughborough University for a further three years and look forward to working together in providing even more opportunities which will benefit both students and the local community over the coming years.”
Santander have donated more than £2m to Loughborough over the last 11 years, which has impacted thousands of students and staff members at the institution.