Santander Universities partnership renewal
News
Santander Universities renews decade-long partnership with BSU
Tuesday, 9 April, 2024Bath Spa University has renewed its partnership with Santander Universities for another three years, to support staff, students and alumni with annual funding opportunities.
Bath Spa University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sue Rigby and Head of Business Development Hannah Whiting welcomed Matt Hutnell, Director Santander Universities UK, and Remy Foucher, Education and Social Impact Director, to Sion Hill campus to celebrate the renewal of the agreement and tour the Emerge studio created with Santander Universities’ support.
Now in its tenth year, the partnership allows students and alumni to receive funding towards enterprise and entrepreneurial initiatives/projects, and access part-funded internships opportunities with local SMEs.
The University also has two Santander Scholars, as part of the Santander Universities Scholars Programme. Exclusively for their partner universities, the initiative aims to break down barriers for students who are most likely to face challenges when attending higher education.
The initiative, which supports 100 full-time current undergraduate students, provides £30,000 funding (£10,000 per year) for three years to support them through to graduation in 2025. Alongside funding, the scholars also benefit from training and professional development opportunities. Each scholar also has a dedicated mentor to guide them through the programme.
Bath Spa University also offers The Brighter Futures Grant, in partnership with Santander Universities. 10 selected applicants each receive £1,000 to help support them throughout their time at university.
Annabel Garner, a student at BSU, said: “I applied for the Santander funding to take part in an event in my hometown, Mudeford Arts Festival, in 2023. I’d visited every year since I was young but never imagined I’d be there selling my own art! The £500 startup funding enabled me to make prints of my work, buy a card machine and pay the deposit to sell on the day. Since then, I have used my new contacts and profits to take part in several more art markets, including the Bath Christmas Market. The funding has built my confidence in my art and helped me find a pathway I feel confident continuing. I've also made a website to allow me to sell my work on a wider scale. Thank you, Santander, for making it happen!”
BSU student Ella Smith commented:
“The funding from Santander Universities allowed me to gain invaluable experience designing a new Arts Map for the Royal United Hospital in Bath. Being able to get involved with projects outside of my degree has led to great networking opportunities and boosted my confidence with respect to employability once I graduate.”
Through the Santander Universities funding received to develop Emerge in 2020, Bath Spa University has developed a unique, vibrant multi-disciplinary residency studio which provides a space for individual sustainable, professional growth alongside developing resilient, equitable communities and networks that thrive and grow beyond the boundaries of the University walls.
Emerge and its residents play an important role in forming and shaping the local creative and cultural ecology. This connection is vital for Bath and the wider region to become an easier place to build a resilient creative career and to help the region to retain and nurture its talent in the longer term, positively impacting the local economy as well improving BSU’s graduate outcomes. Without the initial investment from Santander, this wouldn't have been possible.
Commenting on the partnership, Hannah said:
“We are delighted to renew our partnership with Santander Universities for another three years. Not only do current students and staff benefit from the funding opportunities granted by the partnership, but our creative incubator EMERGE, set up with funding from Santander Universities, continues to provide BSU alumni with space to further develop their creative practice.”
Matt Hutnell, Director at Santander Universities UK, added:
“At Santander we are committed to supporting education, employability and entrepreneurship. We’re proud to continue our partnership with Bath Spa University and provide even more opportunities for students, staff and the local community to develop skills to help them achieve their full potential.”
Find out more about the Santander Universities partnership on our website.