Ejiro Okotie

Against a backdrop of Covid-19 and economic uncertainty, Sussex alumni have banded together to support current students.

In this extraordinary year, nearly £400,000 in donations – the majority coming from former students – has been disbursed to support Sussex students affected by Covid-19. In some cases, this has helped students who lost their jobs and could not afford to pay their rent or to buy food. In others, the funding has been used to provide additional mental health support, which increasing numbers of students have needed as the pandemic has continued.

We are immensely grateful to the hundreds of Sussex alumni who have stepped in to help students by making a gift this year, many of whom have done so for the first time. Earlier this month, the annual Sussex Fund telephone appeal came to an end, during which alumni pledged a further £170,000 in support over the next five years.

In the words of Ejiro, a Masters student:

“As a person with a disability, moving to a new country was challenging. Even more challenging was coping with the pandemic. I surmounted all these hurdles and completed my Masters with a Distinction because, at every time of distress, your financial help enabled me to pay for additional support, be it food deliveries or paying my rent. Your support was invaluable!” 

In addition to supporting students like Ejiro, alumni donations will also go towards funding the Article 26 Scholarship. Underpinning the University’s values of inclusion and kindness, the scholarship is for asylum seekers who have not yet received their refugee status. This can be an incredibly stressful time, in which applicants are caught in limbo – unable to work to support themselves or claim full benefits. The Article 26 Scholarship enables people in this situation to take a degree course at Sussex and start moving on with their lives.

Ben Loxton, our Regular Giving Manager, had this to say:

“Our alumni have shown extraordinary kindness and generosity throughout this year. At a time when so many people are themselves struggling, we are seeing a huge outpouring of empathy and support for our students, far beyond anything I could have predicted.

The telephone appeal raised twice as much as we had hoped, which is incredible, and means we will be able to help twice as many students in need. A huge thank you to everyone who has been able to give.”

To read more about the Sussex Fund, or to provide a lifeline to one of our students today, please click here.