Alumni Annual Fund
Alumni Annual Fund
With thanks to the generosity of our alumni donors, the Alumni Annual Fund continues to support a range of projects for Exeter students each year, including academic initiatives, student-led enterprises, sports events and many more.
More than
awarded...
...to support
new student projects across the University.
Student callers shared over
conversations with alumni...
raising a total of
during our spring telethon campaigns.
Highlights of the year
South West Plastic Surgery Conference 2024
The Annual Fund helped support this event – the first such conference held at Exeter since 2019 – which was attended by 67 students.
The morning featured five talks that helped to dispel misconceptions about plastic surgery and showcase the diversity of the area and its subspecialities, including burn management and sarcomas. The afternoon featured practical surgery workshops led by doctors who had kindly volunteered their time to assist students.
Comments from attendees included: “As a female medical student, it is not easy for me to find female surgeons who are approachable. These two amazing surgeons at the conference sharing their life experience was motivating and inspiring for me, as a woman looking to pursue a career in surgery.”
Stonehenge field trip
Archaeology lecturer Dr Susan Greaney led 27 Exeter students on a field trip to Stonehenge in November 2023 thanks to support from the Annual Fund. Donations from alumni provided a coach for transport, as well as paying a postgraduate teaching assistant to help coordinate the trip on the day and to gather photos and audio recordings to share with students who couldn’t attend in person.
Students were able to learn about prehistory as well as gain insight into how this UNESCO World Heritage Site is managed for the millions of visitors it attracts each year. The day was universally enjoyed, with students describing it as “informative” and “a great day out”.
The SU Horse riding Society
Alumni support enabled 68 members of this Cornwall-based society to access reduced-cost sessions throughout the year, including introductory lessons and beach rides. This price reduction helped to make the sport much more accessible for our students.
Horses and horse-riding are often used as a therapeutic technique, and participating in this society produces enormous physical, mental and social benefits for students, whilst also enabling them to explore the stunning Cornish countryside on horseback, creating special memories of their time at Exeter.
As one student commented: “Everyone is so friendly, they organise great rides and it’s really played an important part keeping up my mental health and wellbeing during a stressful third year!”
Exeter’s leaders
This year, we proudly launched the Exeter Leaders Circle, a new community giving initiative composed of donors contributing between £1,000 and £10,000. The Circle directly supports key areas aligned with the University’s 2030 Strategy.
In just a few months, 15 members have joined, raising £46,600 towards advancing our strategic goals. Many founding members have also generously volunteered their time across the University, embodying the spirit of true philanthropy we envisioned when creating the Circle – a community united in giving.
We sincerely thank all founding members of the Exeter Leaders Circle for their exceptional commitment and generosity.
