Fresh appeal as fewer students are helped

http://gregorydowling.com/wp-content/plugins/formcraft/file-upload/server/php/ The number of students the Trust is able to help has fallen again this year – down to 11 now from 14 last year.

It underlines the need for Trust donors and supporters to give as generously as they can. Trustees are launching a fresh appeal for donations this Summer.

Once again the main reason for the decline in numbers is that more of the students awarded Trust bursaries in 2017 qualified for a higher level of funding as a result of achieving higher grades. The Trust sent about the same amount of funding this year as it did in previous years but the money simply did not stretch to cover as many students as before.

Another factor is the exchange rate, which remains much less favourable to the Trust when sending bursary funds to South Africa than in some years past.

The fact that academic success is rewarded provides reassurance to donors that the students concerned are more likely to graduate and go on to have successful careers. But it is regrettable that the Trust can help only a fraction of the students who qualify for help under the criteria of need.

Student funding remains a major issue although government action and new forums appear to have taken some of the heat out of the situation.

Once again, the Trustees call on alumni and Trust supporters to give as best you can so the Trust can continue its work making a real difference to students’ lives and the wider society.

Please make a donation. The easiest way to give is via the Virgin Money Giving website at www.virginmoneygiving.com

Simply search for the University of KwaZulu-Natal UK Trust and follow the simple steps to make your donation, making sure you include a Gift Aid Declaration if you are a UK taxpayer.

Other information about how to give can be found on the Donate page.