As a charity we work with companies, charitable trusts, and donors on a huge range of projects that support our students, our research, and our global community.
To discuss philanthropic support of these or any other project at the University, contact Terry Gibson, head of alumni and development, at: t.gibson@wlv.ac.uk
Find the Captain
University of Wolverhampton academic Dr Howard Fuller from the department of war studies, politics and international relations has been working to locate the shipwreck of HMS Captain, the pride of the Victorian navy that sank off Cape Finisterre, Spain on its maiden voyage in 1870.
Almost 500 sailors died when the ship capsized during a heavy storm, including the ship’s designer, Captain Cowper Phipps Coles CB RN, as well as the ancestor of one our own BA War Studies students.
An initial expedition in summer 2022 explored several wrecks suggested by local Galician fishermen using a multi-beam echosounder. One of the wrecks closely matches the dimensions of HMS Captain, and we are now fundraising to conduct further expeditions using remote operated vehicles, to confirm the wreck as the final resting place of HMS Captain.
For more information on the project, and to make a donation, visit: findthecaptain.co.uk.
Nursing badges
The Joan Argyle Shambaugh Nursing Bursary continues to support nursing students and new alumni as they train to join the nursing profession. With donations of over £60,000 so far, honorary Wulfrunians Mary and Gary Rauchfuss continue to support our trainee nurses in memory of Mary’s mother, Joan.
Joan was born in Warrington, but her family moved to Wolverhampton when she was very young and lived in Tettenhall. Joan met and married an American soldier who was stationed in England and they moved to America in 1947.
Mary Rauchfus, on a visit to the University, said: “My mother was born into a poor family in Wolverhampton and had five siblings. She wanted to be a nurse, but the family didn’t have funds to send her to school. She passed away in 2016 and we wanted to do something to remember her by. She was always so generous and was the first to give of herself so we thought that this would be an ideal way to honour her memory. She used to love Call the Midwife and always said she had wanted to be a nurse.”
Since their first donation in 2017, Mary and Gary’s support has helped more than 2,500 students, and we are grateful for their generosity to all of our nurses.
School of Architecture and Built Environment
The University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus, which turned a former brownfield brewery site into a national centre of excellence for the delivery of construction education and training, officially opened in October 2020.
Our School of Architecture and Built Environment (SoABE) is built on Europe’s largest specialist architecture and built environment campus, and with our National Brownfield Institute (NBI) opening in September 2022, provides a unique learning environment for students from around the world.
The importance of investing in the future of the construction industry has been recognised by local companies and industrial bodies like Wedge Group Galvanizing, Mercia Group, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and Quantity Surveying International (QSi), who have all sponsored rooms at Springfield.
Jeremy Woolridge, executive chairman of Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd, the first company to sponsor Springfield, said: “Our roots remain very much in this region, our head office and founding plant have been based in Willenhall for over 150 years and we are proud to be a supporting part of such an iconic local development.
“The Wedge Group Galvanizing Teaching Room will provide a state-of-the-art space for students studying a wide range of built environment degree courses including architecture, surveying and planning, helping to nurture local talent and encourage future generations”.
Speaking at the opening of the Mercia Room, Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Today is about celebrating the close collaboration between the worlds of business and academia – driving forward innovation that supports economic growth and job creation for the benefit of local people.”
Don Mead, CEO of Mercia Group, said: “This is a big milestone for the company. The response we’ve had from the University has been second to none, every direction they’ve pointed us in has benefited us massively”.
PERIOD DIGNITY @WLV
Periods Matter
Of the 19,000 students on our campuses, over 12,000 are female, and rising living costs mean that many students are having to make tough decisions about where to spend their money.
At its worst, when the choice might be between heating and eating, period products may sadly move further down the list of priorities. For these reasons, the University of Wolverhampton is:
• linking up with local charity Periods Matter to raise awareness of this need
• providing free products in bathrooms across our campuses for students and staff
In December 2022, alumni and staff generously donated almost £1,000 and dozens of boxes of products to enable us to support our students. If you can help our students by making a financial donation, or gifting products, scan the QR code to find out how.
