Celebrating the Hg and Harrington Foundation Scholarships

To mark the next round of the Harrington Foundation and Hg Scholarships, the University hosted an event which saw students, alumni, mentors and industry professionals come together.

The University of Salford, the Harrington Foundation and private equity firm Hg have been working together since 2021 to provide the opportunity for people who may not be able to afford university to embark on technology-related degrees. This year, the programme has been expanded to include environmental sustainability for the very first time.

Graduates are almost four times more likely to become socially mobile than non-graduates, but the costs associated with Higher Education often put young people off studying. Many of these students have gone on to access and develop successful careers, opportunities they would not have had without financial support. 

The Harrington Foundation provides funding and support to charities driving systemic environmental and social change. Working with Hg, there is a combined mission to remove barriers to skills and education in sustainability and technology - helping talented students thrive in ­ fields that matter most for our planet and our digital economy.

The launch event featured two themed panels – technology and environment – each featuring Salford alumni and designed to help students explore career pathways and skills development in these dynamic sectors. Bringing a wealth of experience, the environmental experts were Hugo Tagholm (Executive Director of Oceana UK), Anisa Kabir Abdulfatah (Co-Founder of Organisation for Development Statistics & Evaluation), Richard Johnson (Chief Strategy Officer at The Now Work) and Xinyi Zhang (Salford Energy House PhD student). The technology panel included Ed Thompson (CTO and Co-Founder of Matillion), Hauwa Yakuba (Chief Digital Officer at Kugali Media), Charlotte Evans (Global Lead for Cybersecurity for R&I at Danone) and Suzanne Ellison (Product Director at Lloyds Banking Group).

Fiona Humphries, Managing Director of the Harrington Foundation, said: “We are so excited to be launching Salford’s first environmental scholarship. Salford is a place of huge opportunity and development. Environment is an area of focus for us as a foundation, but also an area of growing interest and career opportunities, so it made sense to launch this new scholarship.

“We want to create a best-in-class programme, including funding but also wraparound support such as mentoring and a paid internship in a relevant organisation. Salford is so fantastic at supporting students from a diverse range of backgrounds to thrive, and we’re delighted to play a small part in helping them to do so.”

One of the mentors is Paul Birks investor and co-founder of Skoyen Software, which acquires and invests in founder-led Software Businesses. He is also a Salford alumnus with a First Class Degree in Electronic & Electrical Engineering.

Paul said: “I was the first person in my family to go to university. I wasn't planning to apply, but life deals you a different hand sometimes. I was made redundant when I was 17, and was fortunate enough to receive a life-changing scholarship that enabled me to apply and thrive at Salford University.

“There are lots of reasons to give back to students who are studying vitally important subjects who are from non-traditional backgrounds like me.”

Some of the scholars talked about the impact on their lives. Michelle Denney, first year Wildlife Conservation with Zoo Biology student, said: “The scholarship is life-changing as I’m now able to focus more on my studies and have time for my family by stepping back from my part-time job. It’s a massive weight off my shoulders.

“It’s so important that everybody is on the same playing field – I’m a mature student so I have experiences, but I don’t have the monetary background – the scholarship makes everybody equal.”

And another scholar, Abdul Rehman, second year Computer Science with Cyber Security student, said: “The scholarship has helped me because it has given me mentorship – it has helped me connect with companies, as well as other people who have become great friends. Speaking to my mentor monthly ensures that I make the most out of university, and so I decided to join the Computing society and I’m now part of the committee.”

Ferhan Ali, final year Software Engineering student, said: “As a student, the scholarship helps me focus on my study rather than having to work part-time – I don’t need to worry about money so its helpful to take away some of the financial pressures.”

“When I first started university, I didn’t have any support or guidance, but by getting the scholarship I received a mentor, who showed me how to write a professional CV and apply to jobs – I got an internship in my first year as well as a placement and that was all because of the guidance I received from my mentor.”

Professor Annalu Waller, the Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the School of Science, Engineering and Environment notes the importance of collaborative and innovative partnerships like the one between the University of Salford, the Harrington Foundation, Hg and our alumni community,

“The University of Salford has a core mission of innovating to enrich lives. We know we can’t do that alone. We are very proud and grateful for the partnership we have with the Harrington Foundation. Their approach of listening to what our students need, providing not only financial aid but also vital industry connections, mentorship, and work experience is highly impactful and puts the needs of our students front and centre to their support.  Together we are genuinely breaking down barriers to opportunity - and it’s a joy to do so in partnership with our Salford alumni family.”