Roy Minshall Bursary launched to support visually impaired undergraduate students

18 Sep 2025

Faculty alumnus Roy Minshall, who was blinded by glaucoma at age 15, has left a generous donation which will support visually impaired students across the Faculty.

Philosophy alumnus Roy Minshall, who sadly died recently, was blinded by glaucoma at 15 years old. His deep sense of curiosity led him to join the University as a mature student, despite the limited support available for students with disabilities at the time.

Roy’s determination and perseverance, as well as the kindness of his classmates who helped him to take and read notes, enabled him to thrive. He graduated with a BA in Philosophy in 1987 before starting a MEd in Adult Education, which he graduated from in 1991.

Roy’s neighbour and executor Tony Neild shared that Roy had a unique ability to inspire, forming strong friendships and becoming a pillar of his community. In keeping with his academic curiosity and passion for learning, Roy decided to leave a generous donation to the University to help support other visually impaired students during their time at Manchester, ensuring that they too can pursue their ambitions with confidence.

The Roy Minshall Bursary will support undergraduate visually impaired students starting this academic year. It will assist up to 10 undergraduate students on eligible programmes each year throughout the duration of their degree and will cover tuition fees as well as providing £5,000 living cost support per year.

To qualify for the bursary, students will have a DASS-registered visual impairment uncorrected by glasses (e.g. blindness or partial sight); be undertaking their first undergraduate degree; be assessed for fee status as a ‘home’ student; and be enrolled on one of the eligible undergraduate programmes in the Faculty of Humanities.

Where there is significant demand, preference will be given to students who are care experienced or care leavers.

Professor Jackie Carter, University Academic Lead for EDI Disability, said: “It is such a privilege to be able to announce this scholarship programme to honour Roy Minshall’s legacy. To enable visually impaired undergraduates to receive support from this generous gift in his name is a wonderful recognition of the need for Disability inclusion to open up opportunities for studying.

“I am grateful to all those who have worked so hard to make this happen, and proud that the University is at the forefront of providing opportunities for visually impaired students. A special thanks to Roy’s dear friend Tony Nield for helping make this happen.

“We hope the students who follow in Roy’s footsteps enjoy their learning as much as he evidently did."

The Faculty is incredibly grateful to Roy for his generosity and belief in the power of education, and hope that this bursary will continue to make the University a more inclusive and diverse space.