July 2010 – The graduation ceremony
It is a year since we started to fund raise in earnest and I go through the accounts. They 
make amazing reading and with gift aid and matched funding an incredible £45,228 has been raised in one year!! There are so many people to thank I’m wondering how to do this when I get a phone call from Sam Davies, Head of Development and Alumni.
Sam asks whether I would be prepared to talk about the Malagiri Project at the School of Education Graduation Ceremony at the Dome. The perfect opportunity to publicly thank supporters!
Thanking staff and students
I’m quite daunted by the prospect of getting up to speak in front of 2,000 people at the Dome. However, my nerves settle and the students give me a very warm reception. I talk about the background to the project, the importance of considering global citizenship in our work, thank the senior management team for their wonderful support. I also thank the staff and students for their terrific encouragement. It’s great to work for a university which can embrace a project so wholeheartedly. Graduating at this Ceremony is Richard Reardon, who undertook the first fund raising event and it’s lovely to be able to thank him publicly.