Golden moments of 2024-25
Photo credit: Mike Powell.
This year, alumni donations through the Annual Fund have supported 100 projects across the University. We are grateful to our alumni community for making this impactful work possible.
Summer of women’s sport
Women’s Football and Women’s Rugby at the University of Exeter have both received generous support from the Annual Fund.
Women’s sports are thriving after England’s summer successes in the UEFA European Championship and Rugby World Cup in 2025. The achievements of the Lionesses and Red Roses have ignited a new generation of players and fans.
Both sport societies at Exeter pre-empted the success of the two tournaments and used funds from the Annual Fund to create two new development teams.
Poppy Leitch, Programme Lead of Women’s Rugby for the University and Exeter alumna, shared how many were inspired by the World Cup noting that this was illustrated when they welcomed 40 women to their first development team meeting who had never played rugby before.
The victories of England’s Lionesses and Red Roses prove what’s possible when women’s sport is supported. Thank you to all who support the Annual Fund for helping us keep this positive momentum alive at Exeter.
Photo credit: Mike Powell.
View of Botallack Crown engine houses seen on a hike of the South West Coast Path near St Just, March 2025. A fabulous site to see the legacy of Cornish mining.
Visit to LME offices in December 2025 with fellow MSc students and Oscar.
The Camborne Women’s Team at awards night, March 2025, with the champion’s trophy.
Jack leg drilling into a concrete block at King Edward Mine at IMG training.
Early morning training at King Edward Mine in January 2025 with views of the hand steel blocks and an engine house.
Early morning training at King Edward Mine in January 2025 with views of the hand steel blocks and an engine house.
Early morning training at King Edward Mine in January 2025 with views of the hand steel blocks and an engine house.
Early morning training at King Edward Mine in January 2025 with views of the hand steel blocks and an engine house.
Student Start-Ups
The Student Start-Ups (SSU) programme, an extra-curricular offering at the University is open to any student who wishes to develop a business idea and is designed to educate and empower students to harness their skills and knowledge to create positive change and impact.
Through the lens of venture creation, the programme invites enquiry and exploration giving students the toolkit and encouragement they need to turn ideas into action.
The Alumni Annual Fund has been vital in enabling the presentation of these grant awards to student ventures. 224 entrepreneurial students participated this year and 45 grants were awarded to student and graduate-led businesses totalling almost £30,000.
Business and Management student Tomiwa Adeoye was one of six exceptional individuals recognised for their achievements on the Student Startups programmes this year. Tomiwa, won the Social Impact Award for his venture AfroExeExperience which is bringing Afrobeat and Ampiano live music nights to Exeter for the first time.
Tomiwa Adeoye winner of the Social Impact Award.
Tomiwa Adeoye (Business and Management, 2025).
Sustainable halls of residence
Thanks to the Alumni Annual Fund, students have benefitted from sustainability initiatives such as refill stations on Streatham Campus giving them access to high quality, eco-friendly laundry detergent and dish soap for free. This helps our community to cut plastic waste, lower its carbon footprint and promote sustainable habits.
Through using the refill stations students are not only saving money, they are becoming more conscientious about their plastic consumption fostering a sense of collective responsibility.
The refill stations are a key part of our sustainable halls of residence initiative. This programme also includes "Gift it, Reuse it," a scheme that allows outgoing students to donate unwanted items for incoming students to collect free of charge. This year more than 15,000 items were donated by departing students which saved a staggering 3511kg from landfills.
We are very grateful to have the support from Alumni Annual Fund supporters to help us to foster a greener community and lead meaningful action against the climate emergency
More than 15,000 items were donated by departing students which saved a staggering 3511kg from landfills.
View of Botallack Crown engine houses seen on a hike of the South West Coast Path near St Just, March 2025. A fabulous site to see the legacy of Cornish mining.
Visit to LME offices in December 2025 with fellow MSc students and Oscar.
Jack leg drilling into a concrete block at King Edward Mine at IMG training.
The Camborne Women’s Team at awards night, March 2025, with the champion’s trophy.
Early morning training at King Edward Mine in January 2025 with views of the hand steel blocks and an engine house.
To read about other projects that have been supported click the button below:
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