Like many people of my generation, I was the first person in my family to benefit from a University education in the days when Student Grants were free. Sadly those days are gone.

I intend to walk 23 miles across the Peak District with hundreds of other participants on the 28 June 19.

We are fundraising for student scholarships to give as many students as possible the opportunity to study at the University of Sheffield. Scholarships are vital to reduce barriers for bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to have a university education. Students who are from lower-income backgrounds often have to turn to loans to cover the cost of living, which can leave these students with debts £50,000 or more. Fear of these debts can discourage both prospective undergraduates and bright graduates from pursuing further study.