The University of East Anglia has almost doubled its fundraising goals after raising £53m for the Difference Campaign in just three years.
Since its launch in 2013, the ambitious campaign has widened opportunity and funded ground-breaking research thanks to donations from philanthropists, alumni, businesses, trusts and foundations.
Scholarships have been awarded to more than 545 students who
otherwise might not have attended university.
Vice-chancellor Prof David Richardson said: 'Philanthropy makes a tangible difference to people's lives and the success of the Difference Campaign has far exceeded our hopes and expectations.
'We're very grateful to everyone who has supported us, and continues to do so. We look forward to helping more students fulfil their potential and funding future research and arts projects, thanks to our donors' generosity.'
Students who have benefited include Jay Aldous, a fourth year medical student from Thetford.
He said: 'There really aren't words to describe how amazing it feels to have someone invest in your future.'
Maisie Chadwick, a scholarship student from Leeds studying geography and international development, added: 'I've been given the opportunity to learn, meet new people, face new challenges and, ultimately, become a better person. I hope that one day I can help someone as much as I've been helped.'
The next phase of the campaign will provide 500 more scholarships across the university, and the campaign aims to reach £100m by 2021 – almost double its original target.
Encouraging entrepreneurship is another strong focus, and the new funding will help expand the support offered to students and recent graduates with business ideas through the innovative UEA Enterprise Fund, which will enable them to make their ideas a reality through a combination of grants, investment and expert mentoring.
Vital research into human health and well-being will also continue to grow thanks to new funding, with a focus on identifying how cancer cells develop and the way our diets affect our health. And, as UEA is known for its pioneering environmental and scientific teaching and research, The Difference Campaign will fund a new suite of multi-disciplinary labs, creating a new generation of young scientists, and provide new PhD and fellowship posts that give opportunities to talented young researchers.
UEA's reputation as a creative hub will also be strengthened, with scholarships for each of the 30 places on its world-renowned Master's in Creative Writing Prose Fiction course, enabling the voices of talented writers to flourish at UEA.
'We're very proud of our top 15 position in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide and our top 100 world ranking for research excellence,' added Prof Richardson. 'We believe passionately in making a positive difference to people's lives, whether it's by extending the opportunity for gifted young people from low-income backgrounds to study, or by undertaking research that will ultimately improve people's lives. The Difference Campaign has enabled us to make a long-lasting impact, something we can now continue to do.'
For more information, to make a donation or to watch the campaign video, go to www.uea.ac.uk/difference. Alternatively, email giving@uea.ac.uk, or call 01603 593776.
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