Enabling excellence
Find out how donations to the Sussex Fund provide sports scholarships at Sussex.
Louis Saunders
Time at university is not only about academic learning. Every year, we welcome students who show incredible sporting as well as academic promise. Your generous donations to the Sussex Fund support these talented individuals through a Sports Scholarship scheme.
Through the programme, gifted students are provided with the means to succeed in both their sporting and academic endeavours, regardless of their background or financial status. In 2022-2023, 23 students benefited from sports bursaries, which helped relieve some of the financial pressures associated with the need to travel and book accommodation for competitions, as well as training and purchasing equipment.
Beyond financial support, your donations also provided scholars with access to sports facilities, strength and conditioning sessions, one-on-one coaching from the team at SussexSport, parking privileges, complimentary memberships and performance support, as well as unique mentoring opportunities and attendance at workshops hosted by world-class athletes.
International Development student and Boccia player, Louis Saunders says:
"I feel fortunate to have been supported by the Sports Scholarships scheme. It has helped me forge a student-athlete identity that has not only boosted my performance but also made my time at Sussex a joy.
"The scheme enabled me to participate in the True Athlete Project’s mentoring programme. I learnt about becoming a mindful athlete, saw elite sport in a completely different light and could bounce ideas off two-time winter Olympian and Sussex alumnus, Laurence Halsted, who is Director of Mentoring.
"The scheme also provided me with free court-time to develop my Boccia skills. Overall, I am so grateful and proud to be a Sussex Sports Scholar. Fingers crossed I keep boosting my World Ranking, so I have the best chance of being selected to represent Britain at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games."
Another sports scholar is Psychology with Business and Management student and England Korfball player, Dominic Brooks. He says:
“I have been given a lifechanging opportunity to turn my dreams of playing Korfball for England into a reality. Without the generosity of those who give to the Sussex Fund, I would not be able to play the sport I love to the level that I do; I cannot thank them enough for everything.”