Your Purple Pennies causes: Helping disadvantaged students

In February 2023, colleagues across the University voted for three charitable causes to receive support from our new Purple Pennies scheme.   

Purple Pennies is a micro-donation scheme that allows you to donate the pennies from your salary towards charitable causes. It will launch on Monday, 27 March.  

The three causes supported by Purple Pennies will be:  

• Supporting Manchester’s cancer research  
• Helping disadvantaged students
• Wood Street Mission 

We will be publishing a spotlight article on each charitable cause this week, ahead of the launch of Purple Pennies on Monday, 27 March.  

Helping disadvantaged students  

What's it all about?

We know that our students have the power to change the world but some of our students need extra support to study at Manchester and fulfil their potential.   

Alongside university-funded support, donations from alumni, staff, and friends of the University provide financial support that helps students who face additional barriers. This include students from low-income backgrounds, care-leavers, students who are estranged from their families, and students facing immediate financial hardship.   

What difference will Purple Pennies make?  

All donations will directly support students by providing targeted financial support where it’s needed most across our student community.   

This could include growing the number of scholarships available to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and increasing the size of our hardship fund – which is facing higher demand than ever before. Together, your support will make sure that talented students can arrive, and thrive, at Manchester.  

Are there any other ways to get involved?  

Yes! We’ve already had great support from colleagues organising bric-a-brac sales, bake offs, and more, to raise funds. If you’d like to get involved, you can email the team at supporters@manchester.ac.uk.    

If you’d like to support this or any other cause you care about with a regular monthly donation, you can do so tax-free via our University payroll giving scheme. With this scheme a £10 a month donation would only cost you £8.

There are also a number of volunteering opportunities avialable. 

More information

Purple Pennies will launch on Monday, 27 March 2023.   

For further information on Purple Pennies please email people.reward@manchester.ac.uk.