Purple Wave runners support Equity and Merit Scholarships

27 Jun 2016

We all remember the huge success of the University’s ‘Purple Wave’ in the Great Manchester Run in May

Many staff and students from the University raised money in aid of a range of good causes, but we would like to highlight the efforts of a particular group who chose to support one of the University’s charitable priorities.

Staff in the International Office work with students who benefit from the Equity and Merit Scholarship Programme. This scheme supports exceptional individuals from the world’s poorest countries to study a Master’s degree in Manchester, which is not available in their home country. Coming from Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Bangladesh, these students have an ambition to make a difference to their country’s development.

The programme is jointly funded by the University (which pays the students’ tuition fees) and donors who support the students’ living costs and travel. In the Great Manchester Run, staff from the International Office and current scholarship holders ran together as ‘The Equity and Merit Runners’. They raised £620 in sponsorship.

Hannah Matthews, International Relations Intern, who was one of the runners, said:

“Runners (and non-runners) from across our division signed up to run with our current E&M students to support their efforts and pool the money we raised. I lagged behind some of our more athletic team members but we celebrated afterwards with a group meal, before our E&M athletes returned to their books to study for their final exams! The atmosphere was fantastic and the day surpassed my expectations. I’ve already signed up for #purplewave 2017.”