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Legacy for good
By: Emma Wigmore
Last updated: Thursday, 1 June 2023
Dave Nicholson, Principle Gifts Manager, Sussex
Legacy gifts to Sussex support scholarships, hardship grants, academic posts, new buildings and research centres. They can be truly transformative, helping the University to create opportunities for talented scholars and researchers and to enhance the student experience. In uncertain times, legacy gifts can provide students with financial security and help the University to continue its innovative research.
Dave Nicholson has been working at Sussex for 18 months. He’s not an alumnus, but he and his partner have still been inspired to leave a legacy gift in their Will to support the University.
Dave explains his reasoning for supporting Sussex:
“When I took up a role here nearly two years ago, I had reached a point in my career when I wanted to work at an organisation that chimed more with who I was as an individual and that shared my values and beliefs. Sussex proved to be a great move for me; the academics, staff and students that I’ve met and collaborated with have made my time here a real pleasure. Sussex is a special place.
“My partner and I feel passionately that education is a force for good in the world and that it should be accessible to all, regardless of background or financial resources. We’re from Northeast England and Northern Ireland and were the first in our families to go on to Higher Education. I was lucky enough to benefit from a scholarship, so we decided that leaving a legacy would be a great way to pay that forward and say thank you.
“We hope our gift will allow students to focus more on their studies and to experience all the wonderful opportunities that Sussex has to offer, rather than having to spend hours working to supplement their income.
“This type of giving, a bequest, is possibly one of the best means of making a truly meaningful gift. Even a small percentage of an estate can provide a significant amount that can be put to good use, and the University will support you in directing a gift towards an area of interest to you. We’re really glad we went ahead with this.”
Thank you to everyone who has chosen to support Sussex through a legacy. We are incredibly grateful for your foresight, generosity, and what your gifts will ultimately go on to achieve.
If you’d like to find out more about leaving a legacy, contact Adele Lees, Legacy Manager, for an informal chat.
E: a.lees@sussex.ac.uk
W: +44 (0) 1273 877704