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The third annual Quintin Hogg Trust (QHT) Celebratory Event was held at the University of Westminster’s Cavendish Campus as a further QHT grant worth £5.9m was announced recently for University initiatives for the coming academic year.

The event celebrated the University of Westminster’s partnership with QHT and the funding provided for various projects. Trustees had the opportunity to network with students and staff beneficiaries, gaining firsthand insights into the transformative impact of their support.

The celebration included as introduction by Professor Peter Bonfield OBE, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Westminster, who highlighted the Trust’s unique role as a grant maker. Liz Duff, the new Chair of the QHT Grants Committee, also spoke.

Student experiences were highlighted with contributions from, among others, Haile Jones, a Westminster Working Cultures (WWC International) Student Participant, who shared how the WWC scheme transformed his university experience also Dan Whyte, who captivated everyone with his incredible journey from prison to pursuing a Ph.D., thanks to QHT funding. Joel, a first-year student involved in a QHT-funded project entitled Performance at the University of Westminster, wowed the audience with a jazz performance.

Some of the Projects on the show included Community and Communities, which aims to strengthen the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) offering. The popular Westminster Working Cultures (WWC) programme, which enhances the employability of Westminster undergraduate students offering free short-term mobility opportunities worldwide and locally. The revived Soho Poly, rediscovered in 2012 by Dr Matt Morrison and developed with Professor Guy Osborn, aims to match students with mentors to co-create and manage vibrant, innovative community-facing events, supported by various grants including significant contributions from QHT.

(Re)Imagine or (Re)Use, a project where students will gain practical experience in working with a local social enterprise on a live community project, navigating stakeholder requirements, focusing on the circular economy and reclaimed materials in construction, while also acquiring valuable professional skills in architecture and hands-on building techniques, ultimately enhancing their portfolios and employability.

Liz Duff, Chair of the Grants Committee cuts the cake !
Learning sign language through VR technology (LearnSLVR), an innovative collaboration between the School of Computer Science and Engineering (SCSE) and the International University in Tashkent (WIUT), which aims to create an educational resource combining scaffolded instruction, gamification and advanced technologies to effectively support the learning of the British Sign Language (BSL) alphabet.

The QHT has recently announced that they will support new bids commencing in August 2024 to a total sum of £5.9 million over the next three academic years. The funding will enable the development of projects in areas such as employability, research and knowledge exchange, learning and teaching, equality, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing and student experience.