Philanthropists Raoul and Catherine Hughes and Brian and Margaret Roper have received Bath University’s highest award for philanthropy being welcomed  into the Chancellor Lord Tugendhat‘s Roll of Honour.

The roll, launched in 2008 and now bearing the names of seven noted major donors to Bath University, will become a living archive and be displayed prominently within the university says Gavin Maggs, deputy director and head of major gifts, part of the team which was last month named The Times HE Outstanding UK University  Fundraising Team 2011.

The Hughes and Ropers  have contributed more than half a million pounds to scholarships, research, sport and the arts and their generosity was celebrated at the Chancellor’s Dinner during graduation week in early July.

Raoul Hughes (BSc Business Administration 1987 ), a founding partner of Natwest Equity Partners and partner and chief financial officer of Bridgepoint Capital Ltd, has with his wife supported two areas of research at the University. A postgraduate research studentship in the Department for Health will look at how society can use technology to enhance the lives of people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s; and a Research Fellowship within the School of Management’s Centre for Governance and Regulation will focus on improving UK pension reform.

Brian Roper is well-known to many as chairman of Roper Rhodes. In 2008 he was made an MBE for his charitable services to the community and in 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of Bath.

Gifts made by Brian and Margaret have made possible wide-ranging projects – from the participation of thousands of schoolchildren in the TeamBath School Club programme to the University’s Arts Programming and, last year, they established the Brian and  Margaret Roper Scholarship Fund. Their aim was to help 100 students from low-income backgrounds study at Bath who would not otherwise have had the chance to do so. The first Roper scholars are already reaping the benefits and completing their first year.

Lord Tugendhat said: “The Chancellor’s Roll of Honour has been created in order to honour, acknowledge and recognise the generosity of these donors. I am truly delighted that we have had the opportunity to do so tonight.”