Sue Reece

AS 2018 comes to an end and the festive season approaches far too quickly, you may, like me, still be searching for those last-minute gifts for family and friends.

Despite the stress, this is a time of celebration and a great opportunity to reflect on the pleasure you get from giving.

Giving comes in many forms, and the gift that is often most precious is the gift of time.

That is why the thing I am most proud of this year is the time our students and staff give to support our local community, either through volunteering or fundraising.

Our chosen charity for 2018 was the Donna Louise.

Through a range of activities – including the gruelling ‘Tower to Tower’ challenge in May where our Vice-chancellor, Professor Liz Barnes, rowed and walked from Paris to London – the university has raised over £25,000.

Donations from our Christmas Carol Service also go to the charity, and at the service Chris Belyavin from the Donna Louise gave a poignant and heartfelt reminder of why supporting the work they do is so important.

He was, of course, slightly overshadowed by our wonderful nursery children singing and dancing to When Santa got stuck up the chimney!

It is, however, not just the big events that are important, but also the smaller, more localised acts that can make such a difference, to not only the beneficiaries but also to those who are giving.

Last year, nursing students from our Stafford Centre of Excellence arranged a collection of coats and blankets for homeless people via the House of Bread charity, and Stoke-based Brighter Futures.

This year the university chaplaincy is organising collections of toiletries to help homeless women.

There is much to be proud of. Often we try to put a monetary value on the economic impact that universities have in our cities and regions, but perhaps this is sometimes best turned on its head: it’s the added value we give, the support that money can’t buy, and our people giving of their free time that helps connect us.

The things that matter to you are the same things that matter to our university community.

So, as we wrap our last gift or ponder on our new year’s resolution, perhaps we should all think about the gift of time and the value of giving back.