Charitable donations to the University of Birmingham almost double in a year as giving to UK universities reaches record high

Gifts to the University of Birmingham are continuing to transform lives as charitable donations have topped £10 million in a record year for philanthropic giving to UK universities, according to a new report. Despite the tough economic times, the annual Ross-CASE survey, a comprehensive report on higher education philanthropic giving in the UK, has revealed that UK institutions received £774 million in donations in 2011-12, an increase of 14% on the previous year. The University of Birmingham has followed this trend with gifts rising by almost 50% over this time period. The University has a long history of charitable giving and is continuing to change lives as a result of the generosity of alumni and supporters who gave more than £10.4 million to the University's Circles of influence fundraising campaign in 2011-12, surpassing the £5.8 million mark received the previous year. To date, £121 million has been raised towards the £160 million target through collective giving from alumni, staff, students and friends. Together we have: Awarded 338 scholarships to exceptional students who would otherwise not have been able to attend university via our Access to Birmingham (A2B) scheme which forms part of our sector-leading widening participation progamme Improved breast cancer survival rates by 30% Funded more than 200 children to take part in the trial of a Burkitt's Lymphoma treatment (Africa's most common childhood cancer) that has little or no toxicity, unlike chemotherapy, yet ensures maximum impact.