12
Keele Key Fund update
The Keele Key Fund continues to provide opportunities , funded by alumni and other friends of the University , that support , maintain and enhance the Keele experience , both now and in the future .
Since the last disbursement of funds in March 2020 , we have been keeping regular contact with those successful applicants to see how they have adapted and progressed with their projects this semester . Although some projects have been cancelled altogether due to the pandemic , we were pleased that others were able to go ahead with some adjustments . We have the pleasure of updating you on two of those successful projects below , the Women ’ s Hockey Club and Music Union Society , both of which were able to purchase new equipment to improve their members ’ experiences .
The next round of applications to the Keele Key Fund will open to staff and students in semester two , and we hope to continue funding exciting and innovative projects , thanks to the generosity of our alumni .
New equipment for Women ’ s Hockey Club
We at Keele University Women ’ s Hockey Club are extremely grateful for the generosity of alumni , which has helped us to purchase new equipment . With the funds , we were able to buy 40 new hockey balls , meaning that we have a plentiful supply to take to training and matches . In addition to this , we were also able to buy 16 new sticks , allowing for greater accessibility within the club . These sticks will
be borrowed by our new members , meaning that they don ’ t have the added expense of purchasing new equipment in order to play .
The fact that we are able to offer this as a club puts us in a fortunate position and promotes our club ethos of inclusivity . We hope that this will encourage those that are new to
hockey to give it a go , so that we can grow and develop further .
We are so looking forward to taking on board new members , who will of course be using the brand-new sticks at our training sessions . Thank you once again for your kind donations , which helped fund our project .
New Instruments for Keele University Music Union
Keele University Music Union ( KUMU ) represents all the music societies at Keele from orchestras , to bands , to choirs . With funds from the Keele Key Fund , we have bought a cello , violin , clarinet , keyboard and tenor saxophone . All the instruments arrived at the start of October and we are just sorting out their distribution to our members . The initial idea for the instruments was that multiple students per semester could use them so we could increase people playing them in a multitude of ways . However , due to Covid-19 we have not been able to do this because of cross-contamination , so we are loaning the instruments to one student per semester .
Cello
The cello is being loaned to an exchange student who is interested in joining Keele Philharmonic Ensembles ( KPE ). By going abroad , it was not feasible for her to bring her own cello . Therefore , having access to a cello at Keele will enable her to take part in KPE virtual projects and other musical events .
Clarinet
This semester the clarinet is being loaned out to a student who has previously learnt the clarinet but never had one of her own . This enables her to continue her passion to play with all our ensembles and to increase her own ability .
Tenor Saxophone
Typically , most saxophonists start on the alto saxophone and therefore we always have an influx of alto players . We bought the tenor so that students can have the experience of playing the tenor instead of an alto – a lower instrument with different challenges . This helps the band