Leaving a legacy that lasts for future generations

“It was important to me to support those who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to access Higher Education,” says Rick Payne (MSc Occupational Behaviour, 2008), who is leaving a legacy to Birkbeck in his will and has been supporting our students for 18 years.

He added: “I started donating very soon after I left as Birkbeck had been good for me. In addition, I have always been a believer in lifelong learning and Birkbeck has always hit the mark in delivering that.”

Rick chose to study at Birkbeck after taking voluntary redundancy from his career in finance, deciding instead to pursue his interest in psychology.

“I looked at studying a Master’s and Birkbeck was up there as a leader in its field in Occupational Behaviour and the attraction of evening study was another big draw,” he said.

“I very much enjoyed my three years at Birkbeck. It was suitably academic, very challenging and thought provoking. For me, Birkbeck was not only a great place to study, but also a place where I have made some amazing friends. A group of us still meet about two to three times a year.”

Rick also credits his studies at Birkbeck for his success in his future career, particularly with securing a thought leadership role at the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW).

He said: “The fact that I had done research and my academic background from Birkbeck helped me get the job, as well as providing the skills to do the job.”

Rick also spent time mentoring final-year Birkbeck students, helping them navigate their way to finishing their studies and into their future careers. He is still in touch with some of his mentees to this day.

Driven by the transformative impact of his experience, and his desire to share this with future generations, Rick decided to pledge a generous gift to the University in his will.

He said: “I wanted to be able to support future generations, but also to make sure there is investment in Birkbeck’s infrastructure and processes.”