Recognising our supporters
With a rich heritage spanning over 130 years, the University of Greenwich has continuously championed educational innovation, striving to uplift local communities and break down barriers to learning. In line with our founding ethos, we remain dedicated to fostering inclusivity and facilitating access to education, both within our local community and across the global academic landscape. Acknowledging the weight of the decision to pursue higher education, especially amidst financial constraints, we recognise the pivotal role that scholarships and bursaries play in easing the burden and opening doors to an education without boundaries.
Outlined below are a selection of scholarships and bursaries generously established by individuals and organisations committed to supporting students at Greenwich.
John Maynard
This year we were delighted to announce a new fundraising agreement with Greenwich graduate John Maynard. The gift of £165,000 over four years from John supports student internships, PhD scholarships and new starters.
The new gift builds upon the successful History Research and Visionary Scholarships, which we launched with John’s support in 2020, and will support Greenwich students in three key areas:
- History Research Scholarship to support one PhD scholarship for each year
- Visionary Scholarship to support two students per year who apply to study at Greenwich via the Schools Outreach Programme
- Internships at Greenwich to support student employability via an internships programme
John graduated from Greenwich in 2017 with a MA in History following a long and successful career. He was a Co-founder and Finance Director of a multinational contact lens and contact lens solutions enterprise based in the UK. He first attended university in the late 1960s as a young man from a state school, living away from home for the first time. Returning to his academic career 50 years later has inspired John to give back to Greenwich as a donor and volunteer.
Internships at Greenwich
For 2023-24, John’s donation will support successful applicants from BSc Biomedical Science students, who are completing an approved Biomedical Accredited Placement, through a £1,000 bursary.
Jessica Sanders, Employability and Internships Manager outlines the importance of internships and placements for students:
"The 9-12-month placement within the NHS is pivotal for Biomedical students to secure a Certificate of Competence, accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science. This assists the students journey to practice as a Biomedical Scientist following graduation."
"Along with this, it is a great opportunity for the students to solidify their degree knowledge, gain real world experience, and enhance their transferrable skills."
The Employability and Apprenticeship team provide a range of services and tools for students throughout their time at Greenwich and for two years after they complete their studies, including careers advice, mentoring, internships, jobs fairs, and lots more.
History Research Scholarship
Sebastian Rose was the first recipient of the History Research Scholarship in 2020. His research focuses on a history of the telegraph in the region and the role of the Indo-European Telegraph Department.
Sebastian’s current research focuses on a history of the telegraph in the region and the role of the Indo-European Telegraph Department. His interests lie in connecting transnational micro-spaces of telegraph stations on the frontier of Britain’s Indian empire, to larger terrestrial and maritime trans-imperial and trans-regional networks. In particular, he is interested in analysing the agency and impact of local actors and ecologies in shaping and being shaped by telegraph infrastructure in Iran, the Gulf and the wider Indian Ocean world. Sebastian’s research also focuses on the political role of ‘technical experts’, analysing labour and work and its imprint upon the body, and the divergent systems and technologies of communication that functioned alongside telegraphy.
The continuation of the scholarship will enable more PhD candidates to undertake research that has an impact at a local, national, and international level.
On the impact of the award, Sebastian remarks:
“John’s support has been indispensable to my academic and personal development. Not only has his generosity meant that I have been able to pursue my PhD with financial and institutional support, but it has opened a space for me to push my research to new and exciting places. I not only have the time and resources to produce meticulous analysis in the archives, but also the assistance to share my research at conferences, workshops, seminars and publications across the world. I am extremely grateful for John’s assistance to me, and his continual support of young academics.”
Pictured: Sebastian Rose
Visionary Scholarship
Joshua Feria De La Torre and Isobel McKay were the first recipients of the Visionary Scholarship in 2020, awarded to first-year students who have overcome challenges to gain their places at university through the Schools Outreach programme.
"The scholarship Isobel received gave her the confidence to believe in her abilities. It was the first time that her hard work was acknowledged and rewarded, which then gave her the confidence to apply for a summer school and year in industry which led to her success in securing a job offer."
- Sally McKay, Parent of Isobel
Santander Universities UK
Hundreds of Greenwich students are enjoying a variety of unique international study and employment opportunities thanks to a partnership with Santander Universities, established in 2015. In October 2021, Matt Hutnell, Director of Santander Universities UK, and Remy Foucher, Santander Universities UK University Relationship Manager, met the University of Greenwich's Vice-Chancellor and CEO, Professor Jane Harrington to renew their commitment and discuss the significant impact of Santander Universities UK’s support across Greenwich.
The projects supported through the continued funding include:
- The Global Greenwich Scholarship
- Entrepreneurship
- Brighter Futures Grant
Brighter Futures Grant
The Brighter Futures Grants is a new initiative, developed in partnership with Santander Universities UK, aimed at providing students with funding to support their studies. The grants can be used for a variety of purposes including living expenses such as accommodation and bills, or on study resources such as laptops, textbooks and stationery to aid learning.
Global Greenwich Scholarship
The Global Greenwich Scholarship, funded by Santander Universities UK, supports undergraduate students at the university to take part in flexible study or work abroad programmes lasting from one to eight weeks over the summer break, in-country or virtually.
Santander offer 15 scholarships worth £1000 each to students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to take part in the study abroad programme.
On the impact of the award, Maya remarks:
"I took part in a 2-week Global Summer Programme to Athens, Greece with New York College Athens."
"This was my first time travelling in Europe (besides UK), so it was very exciting! Seeing and learning more about Greek philosophers and iconic landscapes, I got more insight about Greek mythology and the stunning views were amazing. I even learned a bit of Greek."
"I really had a lot of fun memories in this trip with the experience of the country and the people I met along the way. I'm glad I was able to participate in this opportunity. So, current undergrads of UoG! When you see the Go Abroad opportunity newsletter for the summer schools, definitely go for it and apply!"
Pictured: Maya Castel Andog, Third year BA Hons Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Extended-UGIC)
"Thrilled to share that I've been awarded the Global Mobility Summer School Abroad Santander Scholarship and successfully completed the programme! Grateful for the invaluable experiences and new perspectives gained throughout this journey.
Huge thanks to all who supported me along the way. Your encouragement fuelled my success!" - Abdur Rahman, Second year BSc Hons Computer Science
Santander x Entrepreneurship
Santander Universities UK provides £15,000 annually for entrepreneurship which includes the Enterprise Challenge and the Generator Bursary. The Generator Bursary supports students currently running a business or social enterprise, with a grant of up to £1250, to help their business to grow.
Enterprise Challenge
The Enterprise Challenge is an annual competition that provides mentoring, training and funding for entrepreneurial students who want to pursue an idea.
On Thursday 23 March 2023, the University of Greenwich’s student enterprise centre, the Generator, held the finals of their annual Enterprise Challenge competition in the Powerhouse building at the university’s Greenwich campus. Ten student and graduate businesses pitched their commercial and social enterprise ideas to a team of judges including Byron Cole, Peter Le Voir, Remy Foucher and Tiffany Chiu and an audience of over 100 guests.
Rachel Brown, Head of Enterprise and Innovation at the Generator said:
“What stood out to us this year was the number of applications that had a strong social purpose, whether they were in the commercial or social category. Many of the ideas we’ve been supporting students with from both categories have focussed on sustainable supply chains, ethical ingredients, and a desire to promote well-being. It’s clear to see that our students want to make a positive change in the world, and helping them to feel empowered through entrepreneurship is one way that we can help them to do that.”
Commercial Category Winner - £2000 Maraiah Andog (BA Business Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Year 3).
Manga Moo – a manga café that provides an extensive collection of manga (Japanese comics) to read while customers order food and drink.
Social Category Winner - £2000 Karolina Dzeilak (BA Business Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Year 3, as part of the Enactus society).
Bee Sustainable - a project aiming to increase bee populations through building bee gardens, developing educational resources and selling hand-made beeswax products.
Commercial Category Winner Maya said:
"I am looking forward to kickstarting this idea into a reality and I think mini me would be absolutely delighted over the rainbow that I have done it. It's one step forward to turning your dream into reality." "Thank you so much to the lovely judges from semi-finals who were amazing and really pushed and supported into refining my pitch and points, ready to go for the finals, and the wonderful judges for the finals who trusted in my potential."
Aziz Foundation Scholarship
The Aziz Foundation Scholarship covers 100% of postgraduate tuition fees to support British Muslims aiming to study at the University of Greenwich.
Scholarships will be awarded to British Muslims with the following career aspirations:
- Media & journalism
- Technology
- Sustainability and environment
- Law
- Policy
- Creative content
This year, the University of Greenwich became one of the Aziz Foundation’s Preferred Partners, having demonstrated a commitment to making higher education accessible at the postgraduate level to BAME students and those from lower socio-economic groups.
Through the partnership, the university will offer up to three new masters scholarships specifically for British Muslims to undertake postgraduate study.
The Aziz Foundation was set up as a family foundation in 2015 and has to date invested over £5.7 million in over 400 scholarships.
The scholarships directly align with the university’s determination to eliminate the degree awarding gap by 2030 – a goal that is incorporated within our new institutional strategy.
Programme Manager at the Aziz foundation, Dr Zain Sardar said:
“I am overjoyed that the Foundation will be working closely with an institution that has done so much for social mobility in the UK. We look forward to extending opportunities to British Muslims through this scholarship scheme, and contributing to efforts to promote social inclusion at the University of Greenwich.”
Mister Gees Foundation Bursary
The Mister Gees Foundation Bursary was established following a £25,000 donation that supports students studying the university’s MSc Water, Waste and Environmental Engineering programme. £5,000 a year will be made available for UK and international students to apply for the bursary to support towards their studies.
While discussing partner universities for the donation, trustee and Greenwich alumna Mary Thornhill, suggested the University of Greenwich where she graduated with a degree in Biology. We are grateful to alumni like Mary who continue to make an impact on current students.
On this new partnership with the University of Greenwich, Douglas Green, Founder of Mister Gees Foundation, says:
“The time has come to address the water management issues of tomorrow and hopefully by working with the University of Greenwich we can attract the next generation of graduates needed to seek those solutions today.”
The Mister Gees Foundation
The Foundation was established in 2017 by father and daughter, Douglas and Elizabeth Green, to support and encourage young people to study farming, sustainable fishing, and water management, particularly those who might otherwise lack the funding to do so without a great deal of assistance.
Alongside the Foundation, Mister Gees Foundation Limited, a not-for-profit company, operates a charity shop in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, with all profit going towards the Mister Gees Foundation. Please click here to read more about the Foundation.
MSc Water, Waste and Environmental Engineering at Greenwich
The programme is designed for graduates from a wide range of environmental engineering backgrounds who want to apply new sustainable strategies to increasingly complex problems.
For students on the programme, career pathways include areas such as desalination and water reuse, water resource engineering, environmental remediation, hydraulics, and hydrology.
British Community Council of Istanbul Travel Grant
The British Community Council of Istanbul (BCCI) Travel Grant provides undergraduate students studying History at the University of Greenwich the opportunity to travel to Istanbul to experience the past and present of Turkey’s largest city and the former capital of the Ottoman Empire. Throughout their degree, Greenwich History students have the opportunity to study the history of the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey, and this grant affords them the chance to see the sites and walk the streets that they will have encountered in their studies and research projects.
BCCI is a registered charity that supports British residents, visitors, and institutions in Istanbul, and which additionally provides grants to encourage the study of Turkey in the United Kingdom and educational links between the two countries.
Jonathan Collis, Honorary Secretary at the BCCI said:
“The British Community Council of Istanbul is the inheritor of historic funds which have assisted the education of those who would not otherwise be able to afford it. It is therefore heartening to see them being used to enrich the education of contemporary British students and at the same time to develop knowledge of the Turkish world. The trustees of the BCCI have themselves found their experience of Turkey immensely valuable, and are delighted that these opportunities are being offered at the University of Greenwich.”
"I received the BCCI Travel Grant in my third year of university which enabled me to travel to Istanbul in late May this year. A special part of the trip was attending a mother of pearl craftsmanship workshop in the 'Little Hagia Sophia' (named so due to its likeness to the iconic Hagia Sophia!). Under the guidance of a master artisan, I intricately crafted mother of pearl earrings, delving into a form of artistry I had never explored before. The workshop was only supposed to take two hours but the artisan took the time to help me create a beautiful pair of earrings (pictured). The workshop allowed me to delve into a form of artistry that I had never explored before, but one that has a rich history from the Ottoman era. This experience has not only enriched my understanding of history but also inspired me to further explore the art of storytelling within different cultural contexts which was the focus of my second-year project on the Ottoman Empire. Now I have graduated, I work as a trainee at the William Morris gallery and am further developing my understanding of how history is perceived and consumed by the general public."
- Tayyabah Tahir, BA Hons History and English
Lasting legacies
Our founders were philanthropists and visionaries who understood education's transformative power.
They invested time, money and influence to establish Woolwich Polytechnic, later Thames Polytechnic and now, University of Greenwich.
Their legacy is intertwined with yours and every member of our community. We all play a part in the story of this special place. Our commitment to deliver an 'Education Without Boundaries' ties us to our past, present and future.
We proactively support our students to achieve their ambitions because of, rather than despite, their backgrounds.
Below, we recognise the supporters who have joined us in leaving a legacy by remembering the university in their will, or who have remembered a loved one by establishing a scholarship or bursary in their name.
Celebrating 10 years of the Robert Holman Bursary
Robert Holman was born in 1949 and died from cancer aged only 56 in 2005. The Robert Holman Memorial Trust was established by his family in his memory. Rob was brought up and went to school in South London and returned to live there with his family when he began to work in London after university. Rob gained a degree in economics which led to a successful career as a Chartered Accountant and partner with Ernst and Young. His family felt that a bursary offered for subjects he was familiar with in an area of London he knew well would be a fitting way to honour his name.
The Robert Holman Bursary offers £1,500 to one second year and one third year student studying Finance, Financial Management or similar at the University of Greenwich and residing locally in Greenwich, Southwark or Lewisham.
Roneish Myers Robert Holman Bursary Recipient 2013/14
"Because of the Robert Holman Bursary I was able to fully focus on my studies, which contributed to me achieving a first-class degree."
William Hills Bursary
William Hills studied Mechanical Engineering at Woolwich Polytechnic – what the University of Greenwich was known as prior to 1970 – and was dedicated to the support and education of a new generation of engineers. Following his own studies, he worked for the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, eventually becoming the Chief Draftsman. It is through his work and generosity that, following his death, this bursary was made available.
The William Hills Bursary offers six students £2,000 each year of their 4-year Mechanical Engineering degree. An additional two awards are available for two students on year two of their BEng Mechanical Engineering degree.
RPS Karen Roberts Scholarship
IRPS Group Plc is a leading global professional services firm, working across six sectors: property, energy, transport, water, resources, defence and government services. Founded in 1970 by a group of Oxfordshire-based academics, they have since grown into a global organisation playing a leading role in raising awareness on the importance of balance to protect the environment itself and the welfare of the people living in it. Their donation is in memory of former student and RPS employee, Karen Roberts.
The RPS Karen Roberts Scholarship offers a £5,000 award to a student enrolled on the BA Landscape Architecture programme.
John McWilliam Bursary
John McWilliam OBE, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, was a remarkable man who was dedicated to the university for 20 years and was a surveyor by trade. One of his greatest achievements while working at the university was securing the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich as a university campus. He was awarded an OBE in 1996 for services to Education. After his retirement he became the vice-president of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. His memory will continue in the shape of this scholarship in a subject area he cared passionately about.
The John McWilliam Bursary offered five students £1,000 each year of study within the Faculty of Engineering and Science and the school of design.
Supporting Greenwich
The university offers a number of scholarships and bursaries to support Greenwich students to succeed, which you can read more about here.
Thank you to all our alumni and friends who support Greenwich by giving to a bursary or one of our other funds.
There are many ways in which you can get involved, from volunteering your time as a mentor or by sharing your case study, to donating to one of our crowdfunding projects or student funds.
Sophie Hassell-Richardson
Supporter Engagement Officer
Marketing and External Relations
Interested in supporting students at Greenwich?
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about supporting Greenwich, please email fundraising@greenwich.ac.uk.
