On the 8^th March 2024, Redbrick Newspaper (est. 1936) began a fundraising campaign. After the financial repercussions of COVID-19, the consequent loss of long-term sponsors, rising print and maintenance costs, and further years of financial neglect, Redbrick required imminent financial action in order to continue.

Redbrick Newspaper is one of the oldest student newspapers in the country. The multi-award-winning publication was founded in 1936 as ‘Guild News’, before serving its community for a further 87 years. Currently boasting over 220 writers, editors, editorial-assistants and photographers, there is huge engagement behind the publication. Similarly, Redbrick Newspaper’s online readership has been last recorded at 40,000 new visitors to the website every month. Despite, the success of the organisation, Redbrick Newspaper has a history of being financial insecure due to receiving no long-term funding from the Guild of Students or the University of Birmingham.

At the start of the year Editor-in-Chief, Alex Taylor, recognised the unsustainable finances of the publication. Consequently, committee this year have worked to achieve several sponsorship deals, held ticketed events, reintroduced merchandising, and made effective infrastructural changes: such as optimising daily maintenance costs. These developments will financially transform Redbrick in the long-term, while even allowing for printed editions to irregularly continue; something most funded student newspapers are no longer able to do. However, before these changes come into effect, short-term financial aid was required.

After posting and publicising a GoFundMe, £3,500 was raised within the first week. Considering recent attacks to Birmingham cultural landmarks, such as the closure of the Electric Cinema, this immediate patronage illustrates the cultural importance Redbrick Newspaper has to Birmingham. The extraordinary communal backing of the publication, and further publicisation of Redbrick’s fundraising initiative, is partly thanks to the support received from generous organisations and individuals such as the Birmingham Dispatch and Former Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street. The further support from members, students, University of Birmingham staff, generous individuals and Redbrick alumni spanning decades has been monumental, with every patron who left their name being listed below.

To date, Redbrick Newspaper’s fundraising initiative has raised over £5,000. This, paired with the necessary infrastructural changes implemented throughout the year, will secure Redbrick a further 87 years of serving its community.

Interestingly, University of Birmingham’s Guild of Students have also generously agreed to fund this final printed edition of the academic year.

Abi Whitehouse
Abigail Herbert
Adam Schembri
Adam Toms
Alan Kearns
Alex Taylor
Alexander Chantrell
Alexandra Taylor
Alison Smith
Amy Lakin
Amy O’Neill
Andrew Jolly
Andrew Olson
Aneesa Ahmed
Anna Smith
Anthony Gibbons
Bethany-Jo O’Neill
Catrin Osborne
Charlotte O’Keeffe
Chris Hall
Christopher Morley
Cynthia Bower
Dan Hunt
David Evans-Powell
David Smith
Eleanor Bergin
Eleanor Wordsworth
Ella Wright
Ellie Atkinson
Emily Wallace
Erin Perry
Erin Santillo
Eva Weltermann
Gemma Elgar
Geoff Parker
Gwydion Elliott
H Cornwell
Halima Ahad
Hannah Coles
Hannah Gadd
Hannah Ledlie
Helen Crump
Helen Crutcher
Helen Gale
Holly Carter
Holly Ochiltree
Ilina Jha
Imogen Lancaster
James Evenden
Jane O’Keefe
Jason Taylor
Jess Parker
Jessica Gunn
Jimmy McLoughlin
Joe C
Joe Meakin
John Wimperis
Jonathon Willis
Josephine Scott-Taylor
Josh Herman
Judith Smith
Judith Yates
Julie Taylor
Kamila Geremek
Kara Griffiths
Karen Moss
Kerrie Myers
Kevin Fitzpatrick
Kirstie Sutherland
Laiba Nawaz
Laura D’Olimpio
Laura Fairbanks
Lee Dargue
Leslie Hurst
Leya Iqbal
Lisa Alberici
Louise Bagley
Luca Love
Lucas Simpson
Luke Charnley
Luke Kennard
Lydia Don
Lyle Bignon
M T Garfoot
Makedah Simpson
Matt Moody
Matthew Robert Andrews
Megan Douglas Monaghan
Megan Stanley
Mia Lapwood
Michael Maynard
Morwenna Kearns
MS AD Ford
Natalie Fahy
Nicola Scott
Nikk Effingham
Olivia Basterfield
Olivia Boyce
Olivia MacArthur
Paul Scott
Phil Jones
Pippa Kline
R C Chant
Raphael Sheridan
Rebecca Mitchell
Rhys Lloyd Jones
Richard Moore
Richard Shaw
Robbie Hawken
Rosalyn Alice Cossins
Russel Jones
Ruth Wareham
Sahar Jamfar
Sam Denyer
Samantha Andrews
Samuel Lear
Sebastian Bevan
Serena Murphy
Shannon Carey
Sharon Wheeler
Sian Allen
Simon Felton
Simon Pitfield
Sofia Salazar Studer
Sophie Utteridge
Stephen Anderson
Stephen McCullagh
Steve Hewitt
Teresa Peppercorn
Toby Fenton
Tom Clews
Tom Cutterham
Tom Leaman
Verity Stokes
Weronika Bialek
Will Sharpe
Will Wade
William Baxter
William Butterfield

And 45 anonymous individuals

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