Programmes and projects
Our projects bring immeasurable benefits to so many lives, and we rely on the generosity of our donors for all of them. We’re already making a difference worldwide – but we have the potential to do even more. By making a gift today, your kindness and compassion will help so many people transform their lives and rewrite their futures through the power of education and world-leading research. Please select a cause to make a donation or learn more.
OpenLearn
This pioneering platform provides high-quality, accessible, free education to people from all walks of life. With an extraordinary 12,000+ hours of free learning content available to anybody – and a remarkable 118 million visits since its launch in 2006 – OpenLearn is vital to learners who may otherwise have lacked the access, qualifications or confidence to pursue education.
Open Futures Fund
The Open Futures Fund is truly at the heart of the OU’s mission to make education accessible to all and is only possible thanks to your continued generosity. Together, we are breaking down barriers to education, stopping potential from going to waste and ensuring everyone – regardless of background – has the opportunity to pursue their ambitions.
Learn more about the Open Futures Fund, or donate to this project
Student Assistance Fund
Since 2020, the Student Assistance Fund has supported over 6,000 students with financial assistance, helping them through the toughest of times. During the global pandemic, the Fund supported many students whose lives were instantly turned upside down and faced the prospect of major financial instability, having to choose between funding their education or vital commitments like rent, mortgages, food and bills. Thousands of students received life-changing support.
Learn more about the Student Assistance Fund, or donate to this project
Disabled Veterans' Scholarships Fund
Our ambition is to harness the potential of the UK’s veterans by supporting the educational development of the 1 in 5 veterans discharged due to disabilities. Disability amongst veterans is unsurprisingly higher than amongst the non-veteran population. It is estimated that 24% of veterans will suffer an illness or disability that limits their physical activity, compared to just 13% of the non-veteran population. Unlike colleagues who make plans for retirement, their unexpected discharge from service life is also likely to mean that these individuals are less prepared for a new life outside of the military.
Students with disabilities
Over 30,000 disabled students are currently studying with us and with your continued support, we can keep breaking down the barriers to education and providing essential support for those who need it.
Learn more about students with disabilities, or donate to this project
The Black Students' Support Fund
For over fifty years, The Open University’s (OU) open access policy and unique distance learning model has helped to break down the barriers that prevent so many students from achieving their ambitions. Yet there is still much more progress to be made. Year on year, evidence demonstrates that for certain groups of students, especially Black students, the playing field is simply not fair. Inequalities still exist across higher education and unless action is taken now, the Degree Award Gap, which puts Black students at a stark disadvantage, will only widen.
Learn more about Black Students' Support, or donate to this project
Making studying while caring a reality
Around 6.5 million people in the UK currently care for a friend or family member, saving the economy £132 billion per year. Many miss out on education, take lower skilled jobs and put their own lives on hold to care for their loved ones. As a result they can endure higher levels of poverty, ill health and isolation than their peers. By supporting The Carers Scholarships Fund you will give the opportunity of education to those whose lives revolve around the people they care for. They give so much to their loved ones and society as a whole, they deserve to get something back.
Learn more about Carers Scholarhips, or donate to this project
Sanctuary Scholarships
People arriving into the UK seeking refuge from threats to their lives face many challenges, but they also have the opportunity to build a new life and a hopeful future for themselves and their families. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency statistics, at the end of 2020 there were 132,349 refugees, 77,245 pending asylum cases and 4,662 stateless persons in the UK. When a person has both the ambition and the chance to succeed, impossible dreams can become a reality. The Open University believes education should be open to everyone.
Learn more about Sanctuary Scholarships, or donate to this project
Wales REACH
Wales REACH is a transformative initiative connecting under-served Welsh communities with their rich cultural heritage. Taking place across five distinct, historically underserved communities across Wales, Wales REACH is a locally-led, community-driven programme helping residents explore the incredible stories of their homes, their ancestors and the history of their amazing country.
Floodplain Meadows Partnership
In 2006, the Floodplain Meadows Partnership, led by academics from The Open University, began a ground-breaking project to conserve, restore and protect Britain's floodplain meadows. In the intervening years they have made a great deal of progress and the Partnership is now widely recognised as a leading conservation initiative.
Learn more about the Floodplain Meadows Partnership, or donate to this project
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