In 2021 members of the OU family were invited to mark the launch of the Open Futures Fund by making a gift to support a unique set of scholarships and bursaries to help open up education and provide crucial financial support to help those who desperately wanted to access higher education.

Alongside donating to the Open Futures Fund, donors were given the opportunity to include two very special messages within The Open Futures Fund Commemorative Book – firstly to share their favourite OU memory and the second, a message to future students.

The Book was the University’s way of celebrating the launch of these life-changing opportunities provided by donors through the Open Futures Fund, whilst being a lasting testament to the generosity of the OU family and an inspiration for future students.

A copy of the Open Futures Fund Commemorative Book is held in the University’s archives and a second copy is on public display in the Betty Boothroyd Library at the OU’s Milton Keynes campus for members of the OU family and public to browse through and enjoy the messages from 1,640 alumni, staff and students. You can now also view an electronic version of the Book online.

The donations made in support of the Open Futures Fund launch, and the Book, have provided four further scholarships, helping future students to transform their lives and rewrite their futures.

Thank you to all those who have contributed, allowing the Open Futures Fund Commemorative Book to take its place in OU history and help keep education open to all.

The Open Futures Fund Commemorative Book By Numbers

• 120 pages within the book

• 1,640 members of the OU family included messages in the book.

• 27 images from the OU Digital Archive spanning over 50 years of OU

• 4 scholarships provided