Student Hubs are pleased to announce legacy funding totalling up to £40,000 will be distributed to four organisations by Student Hubs’ Trustee Board, with successful recipients including Jacari; Student Action for Refugees (STAR); the UK Town and Gown Association; and the Young Trustees Movement. Our legacy funding is being distributed as part of our closure as an organisation from January 2025.
In November, following discussion with our Trustee Board, the Management Team at Student Hubs invited organisations which furthered our charitable objectives to bid for the funding which took into consideration: Student Hubs’ legacy; our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion; sustainability; social action; and active citizenship.
Student Hubs has awarded grants to:
- Young Trustees Movement: The Young Trustees Movement focuses on increasing the number of under 30s on charity boards. They run a variety of activities to support young people to apply for board positions and training sessions to support boards to accept and work with young people. The grant will go towards the delivery of a programme called Board Boost which focuses on supporting young trustees personal and professional development, in particular subsidising places for young trustees from underserved communities.
- UK Town and Gown Association (UKTGA): UK Town and Gown Association are a network membership organisation which focuses on strengthening the relationships between universities, students, and their university towns. They support practitioners from across universities, student unions, accommodation providers, and other public sector organisations. They run a range of activities supporting practitioners and students.
The residual funds of the organisation on closure will be shared between:
- Jacari, an organisation working focusing on children and young people from migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking communities. Our funding will support their tutoring work in Bristol with student volunteers, who are matched with students who have English as a second language.
- Student Action for Refugees (STAR), a student founded network charity which supports university students to engage with refugee support. STAR runs a variety of activities across the country with 38 groups and 222 student leaders, with a mix of student-led long term volunteering programmes and one-off events.
On awarding the funding, Student Hubs CEO Simran Dhanjal-Field said:
“It’s been a pleasure working alongside such fantastic organisations throughout Student Hubs’ history. It feels fitting that though our own work is wrapping up, we’re able to keep supporting other organisations within both the higher education and charity sectors to continue their great work, especially given how difficult funding can be to secure. We are incredibly excited to see how these organisations continue to champion Student Hubs’ mission and charitable objectives in the years to come.”
Chair of the Student Hubs Trustee Board, John Kirkland, said:
“Staff have been working for several months to ensure the legacy of Student Hubs, through a range of events and materials. This funding is a further way of ensuring that our impact continues long after our closure. ”
Statements from our funding recipients included:
“Receiving this legacy grant fund from Student Hubs marks a pivotal moment for the UK Town and Gown Association. It affirms our shared commitment to community empowerment and underscores the alignment of our principles with the remarkable work that Student Hubs have delivered for a number of years. We are dedicated to nurturing our local neighbourhoods and ensuring lasting impact. This support arrives at a crucial juncture for us, enabling continued growth and deepened engagement with our communities. We look forward to carrying forward the legacy of Student Hubs in fostering sustainable community engagement at a hyperlocal level and creating meaningful connections across the UK.”
Cooper Healey – Director – UK Town & Gown Association (UKTGA)
“We are delighted to receive this support from Student Hubs, an organisation that is very much aligned to our mission and values. It will contribute towards our goal of providing free tutoring for at least 80 young people who use English as an additional language at our partner schools in Bristol this year, delivered by our amazing team of student volunteers.”
Natasha Wooldridge – Fundraising and Supporter Engagement Manager – Jacari
“We’re immensely grateful for the donation. This will directly support three students to amplify their social impact via trustee and board roles by getting support through out Board Boost programme. These young people will not only benefit the organisation they are supporting but also the wider community. We’ll be sad to see Student Hubs shut down – thank you for all that you’ve done to champion youth social action!”
Claire Hill-Dixon – Co-CEO – Young Trustees Movement
“Although it is very sad to say goodbye to such a great organisation, we are really grateful for the generous donation from Student Hubs which will help STAR to continue to carry the torch for student social action into the future.”
Emily Crowley – CEO – Student Action for Refugees