Meet our Donors – “Working together to support those who need it” with Andrew and Savitha Calthorpe

Doing some good

When thinking about where philanthropy began, Andrew explained, “Philanthropy wasn’t something I really thought about many years ago. Since then, we’ve been lucky, we worked very hard and then an opportunity which changed everything came along. When we got to a more comfortable place, we took care of our kids and once they had the best chances in life our next question was, what can we do next? We started supporting Chester Zoo a few years ago and Manchester Met came along, and it seemed like a really great thing to do.”

Savitha thought deeply and shared, “My reasons for giving philanthropically are more spiritual. The culture I come from, Hinduism, extends back 12,000 years and through this time we’ve developed principles of how to live in harmony with everything around us. From my learning, I deeply believe that we are mere custodians of everything we have access to, material wealth, knowledge and clean water for example, as these things don’t belong to us, we should use them well and leave them behind for those who come after us. In my faith, we believe that good fortune in any way will not come into your home unless there is an exit for it – a plan to spread it onwards, so It’s important that while we can, we do some good.”

“There has to be a personal connection”

Whether they are supporting education at Manchester Met or as patrons of the arts, having a personal connection is important to both Savitha and Andrew. Andrew shared, “What’s really nice is that it feels like we are working together with Manchester Met to support those who need it. Although we’ve lived in Dubai all these years, Manchester is home.

“Similar to philanthropy, I never thought about collecting art when I was growing up. It wasn’t a part of my background or upbringing. I did always appreciate it, though I never considered the idea that I could collect it or could ever afford to collect it.

“When we found ourselves in a fortunate position over the years, we eventually decided that we really wanted to live with artwork. Savitha was interested in buying Indian art and I wanted something that connected us with the North West. As we live close to the Lowry it felt like the best place to start. At first, I thought I would buy a poster and have it framed and then I did a bit of research and realised that you can buy limited edition Lowry prints. It wasn’t long until it struck me to look at original paintings and now, we have a few.”

Passionately Savitha added, “Similar to the support we give to Chester Zoo and historical and heritage buildings, there must be a personal connection. I’m drawn to causes and artworks that connect with me in an emotional place. I believe investing in the arts is an important duty. If we have disposable income after meeting all our current and future needs, supporting the arts is vital. Creative expression is an innate and unique part of what makes us human, and it needs to be preserved just as it has been for hundreds of years through patronage and community support.”

“Investing in people’s futures”

When thinking about supporting those who need it at Manchester Met Andrew explained, “I didn’t go to university, it really wasn’t a thing to do when I was that age, but I feel that other people should take that chance if they can and if they want to. If something is stopping them, we can help overcome that.”

Savitha thoughtfully shared, “There isn’t anything that actually compares to giving to a cause that has such a long-term impact as scholarships - you’re investing in people’s futures. The support that one could give propagates forward, it takes on a life of its own, in the case of supporting a student at Manchester Met, they may, as a result, go on to achieve their aspirations, live a better life and in return positively impact several others.

“We wouldn’t see so many glorious buildings in the UK or have as rich a cultural heritage if it wasn’t for our ancestors supporting important causes. Often, they would give what they could to support society, giving to a hospital building, a University, a community centre or a church. It’s important to the greater community that if we can help, even if we feel it’s small, that we do.”

On behalf of our Scholarship recipients, we would like to thank Andrew and Savitha Calthorpe for sharing their thoughtful stories and the reasons behind their generous support of those who wish to pursue higher education. If you would like to find out more about how you can make a difference at Manchester Met, please visit: www.mmu.ac.uk/giving  or if you are a donor of Manchester Met and would like to share your story, please get in touch: [email protected]