Changing lives

Find out how donations are funding care leaver support at Sussex.

Kacey Woolford, female student smiling at the camera

Kacey Woolford

Your donations to the Sussex Fund, and support from the Rudd Family Foundation*, are transforming lives and we are hugely grateful for that.

Your support helps our care leaver students, meaning they can focus better on their studies, devote more time to their social life with their peers, and increase their sense of belonging. We believe all students, including care leavers, should have the opportunity to thrive during their time with us and giving to the Sussex Fund is a really meaningful way of supporting this.

Your gifts provide our care leaver students with cash awards, gym membership, a transition gift to help over the summer months, as well as a graduation gift that will cover gown and hood hire, a guest ticket and a photography package, which ensures that they can celebrate their academic achievements with their peers.

Kacey Woolford is a first year undergraduate and care experienced student at Sussex. She is the first in her family to go to university.

“A lot of the things you need at uni cost money, so I feel really lucky to have had such amazing financial support here at Sussex. I definitely feel it’s helped me settle in and to make friends. Without the additional help I would have really struggled.

The support that I’ve received genuinely has enhanced my university experience so far. Thank you to the Rudd Family Foundation and to all the alumni who give to the Sussex Fund – your generosity really has changed a life.”

Research shows that those with care experience have significantly poorer educational and life outcomes than the general population on average. At Sussex, we believe that background should never be a barrier to education or success. We are proud, with thanks you your support, to offer a range of support to give our care experienced students access to better opportunities, helping them overcome any challenges they’re facing, ensuring they’re able to settle in well to university life and giving them an equitable chance to flourish academically and personally.


Ways you can help: