Launched in 2019, Birmingham In Action brings together charitable projects from across the University, to tackle challenges facing this generation and the next.
Four years on, so many alumni and friends have taken action on causes close to their hearts.
A huge thank you to:
• More than 10,000 alumni and friends across 70 countries, who have made gifts to support life-changing scholarships and research breakthroughs
• Nearly 7,000 volunteers, who have given guest lectures, gathered key research data and mentored more than 4,000 students and recent graduates
How you helped Lamyea's dreams take flight
Aerospace Engineering student Lamyea Ahmed is supported by the Pathways to Birmingham (P2B) programme, which is mostly funded by donors.
'I fell in love with the idea of being a pilot. When I discovered my eyesight wasn't good enough, I thought, why don't I design the aeroplane instead?
'My parents had to move house part way through my A-levels and my new teachers didn't know my capabilities. I remember feeling that perhaps I can't go to university and aerospace engineering may be too big a dream.
'My excitement was reinvigorated when I learnt of P2B. The workshops and online tutoring calmed my doubts.
'P2B meant I could buy a laptop that was able to run the complex software needed for aerospace engineering, and helped me pay for accommodation over the summer, so I could take up an amazing internship.
'I also met many alumni and mentors through P2B, who gave me tips and tricks to acing interviews and navigating university life. I will definitely volunteer as a mentor myself.
'This is a truly life-changing programme.'
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Bright minds in Birmingham
- Over 1,000 Pathways to Birmingham scholarships
- Alumni mentors for 4,000 students/recent graduates
- Over 50 Masters and PhD students funded
- Grants by the Alumni Impact Fund to support projects by students, groups and sports clubs
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Birmingham in our environment
- A sci-fi lab in a forest, which can see the future of climate change — plus learning kits for schools
- 125 alumni volunteers are helping prevent wildfires
- Helping identify pollution in rivers around Guangzhou, the Himalayas and Hong Kong
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Global health in Birmingham
- Cancer breakthroughs, from better tests to improving survival rates
- Reducing the number of women bleeding heavily in childbirth by 60%
- Finding new ways to treat infectious diseases
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Driving innovation in Birmingham
- Giving STEM students the skills to improve our world, from solar power to engineering medicines
- Helping young entrepreneurs get started
- Improving clean energy, from large-scale electric vehicle charging to cheaper heating for homes
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Fulfilling lives in Birmingham
- Support for students recovering from addiction
- Providing Sanctuary Scholarships to those who need them most
- Supporting those students caught up in the cost-of-living crisis