Steve was born in 1957, in the Cheshire town of Crewe. He grew up in a community where most of his peers would go on to work on ‘The Railways’. He, however, found a real love for Biochemistry while studying his A Levels and it was his interest in this subject that led him to Sheffield.
Steve’s time at Sheffield wasn’t always easy, and he struggled with settling into life away from home. He would visit Crewe most weekends in his first year of university, and had to take a year off from his studies after his second year of exams. However, despite these challenges, on his return he was determined to finish his degree and graduated with a BSc degree in Biochemistry in 1979.
After graduating, Steve found job opportunities hard to come by and decided to interview for a job washing cars at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. He was told that he was overqualified and so was offered a role as an Expeditor in the purchasing department instead. This opportunity led Steve on a successful career path at Rolls-Royce, later Bentley Motors, until he retired at the age of 57.
Before he died, Steve was passionate about affording today’s students the same opportunities that he had been given. In his Will he left a gift of £10,800 to support student scholarships. This gift will help multiple students to enjoy the full university experience without the pressures of financial stress.
Juliet Sijo is one of the students that Steve’s kindness has helped. You can read her thank you message below:
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the University of Sheffield has been able to award more scholarships to students from a widening participation background than ever before. In the academic year 2023/2024 we have awarded over 400 new scholarships to talented students who face financial barriers.
The support we receive has never been more vital, as many families are facing greater financial difficulties. Gifts to scholarships will enhance the University’s ability to encourage and support talented students from non-traditional university backgrounds to apply to university – and will help us to enhance their experiences and give them the means to take full advantage of everything a university experience has to offer.
We are so grateful to Steven for thinking of University of Sheffield students and leaving such an impactful gift in his will. Steve’s gift will mean that his legacy will live on through the students that he supports, now and long into the future.
Leaving a gift in your Will or making a donation now
If you would like further information about supporting the University now or in the future, please contact David Meadows. David is our Senior Philanthropy Manager for Legacies and a Sheffield graduate himself. He would love to have a confidential chat with you about supporting the University.
Telephone: 0114 222 1073
Email: d.meadows@sheffield.ac.uk