Barclays donation to help students affected by COVID-19 pandemic

The University of the Highlands and Islands partnership has been awarded £100,000 to help students who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donation, provided by the Barclays 100x100 UK COVID-19 community relief fund, will be used to support students experiencing financial hardship and to enhance the university's mental health services. It will also help to create 20 scholarships to allow students to continue their studies.

Barclays announced it had developed a £100 million community aid package to support organisations which are helping people and communities most impacted by COVID-19 in April 2020. £10 million of this funding has been donated through its 100x100 UK COVID-19 community relief fund, with the University of the Highlands and Islands being one of 100 UK organisations which have received a £100,000 donation.

The university applied for the funding in May, following reports from students who were experiencing financial hardship.

Alison Wilson, Head of Development at the university, explains: "Times are tough and we are very grateful to Barclays for their significant donation to directly help University of the Highlands and Islands' students who have been and continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It must have been a very difficult job for Barclays to choose between so many deserving projects and we are therefore delighted that our application was one of the successful ones. It's a privilege for me and my team to now be managing, along with student services and Highlands and Islands Students' Association colleagues, the allocation of these funds to make a real difference to many students right across the Highlands and Islands."

Highlands and Islands Students' Association President, Florence Jansen, said: "The Highlands and Islands have been disproportionately affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but our students have shown incredible resilience in the face of these challenges. This generous donation will enable us to work closely with the university to improve our services and better support our students throughout this uncertain time, as well as providing an opportunity for us to assist those that are not eligible for our current funding criteria. The entire HISA team is overjoyed at the awarding of this fund from Barclays and we really cannot wait to see the positive impact it will have across the University of the Highlands and Islands partnership."

Scott Stewart, Head of Barclays Scotland, added: "This crisis has had a significant impact across Scotland and we know this is an incredibly challenging time for many. We are delighted to be making this donation to the University of the Highlands and Islands. We have now deployed over £2 million in Scotland through the fund and we hope that our donations will allow organisations like the University of the Highlands and Islands to amplify their support and help more people as we lift out of this pandemic."