Wearing Pins with Pride – Supporting the University of Reading
Release Date 10 June 2011
The University of Reading is proud to be one of the UK higher education institutions celebrating University Donor Pin Week (13th -19th June), a national initiative aimed at raising awareness of charitable support for higher education.
This year University Donor Pin Week is part of Universities Week, a national campaign which aims to highlight the essential contribution and impact of our country's universities.
Universities are charitable bodies, and they can use donations to accelerate the groundbreaking research and discoveries that continually improve and shape the world we live in.
The University has given donor pins to its Reading Pioneers, supporters who kindly donate £1,000 or more each year, and Blandford Club members, who make a regular donation by direct debit.
The generosity and commitment of donors allows the University of Reading to offer financial support to talented students who would otherwise be unable to benefit from higher education and plan for the future with a greater degree of certainty. It also enhances Reading's ability to find answers to some of the most important questions facing societies today, such as those concerning the issues of climate change, cardiovascular health and corporate leadership.
Donors have been encouraged to wear their pins during this week to demonstrate the value of supporting the University and encourage their peers to join them in helping Reading to build on its successes as one of the top 200 universities in the world.
Blandford Club member Basil Longy (BSc Agriculture, 1958) said: ‘My wife and I consider ourselves privileged to have been given the chance to contribute to the expansion of higher education among deserving young persons who might, without our help, have been unable to have the opportunity. University life can do so much for the character quite apart from its role in imparting knowledge. I shall certainly wear my university donor pin with pride!"
The last five years have seen philanthropic support for the University increase considerably. More than £25 million has been pledged to support work across a wide variety of projects.
Reading is one of many universities to give donor pins to its supporters - Bristol, Birmingham, Bath and Warwick are amongst many others. They will also be inviting their donors to make a special effort to wear pins. In this way we hope to raise visibility of the influential community which philanthropically supports the work of universities in the UK.
If you would like more information please contact the University's Stewardship Manager, Shanti Windsor on 0118 378 8268 / email: s.d.windsor@reading.ac.uk