Dear students and colleagues, 

It has been heart-breaking to see the devastation that has been caused by the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria.  We send our thoughts and condolences to all those who have lost loved ones or have been impacted by this disaster.

Within our own community, there will be students, colleagues and alumni with links to the region and I wanted to remind you that support is available.  

As is our normal procedure, our Student Health and Wellbeing team and People Services have already written out to all colleagues and students where our records show they have family or close links to Turkiye and Syria.

This is to offer practical and wellbeing support at this worrying time and includes a link to our Student Financial Support for any students who may be struggling to access funds in light of the disaster.  More information about the support available for students can be found on our Wellbeing pages. 

If you, as part of our University community, has not been contacted directly but is in need of support or advice, then please do not hesitate to contact the teams as follows:

• For students, support is available via our Chaplaincy team or our Welfare team 

• For colleagues, support can be accessed via our the Employee Assistance Programme 

Making a donation

If you want to help you can make a donation to the Turkiye-Syria Earthquake appeal.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has launched a Turkiye-Syria Earthquake Appeal to raise funds for those suffering the devastating effects of the earthquake. The DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities (including the British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International and Save the Children UK) to raise funds quickly, efficiently and safely. To find out more visit the DEC website.

We will update with new information as we receive it. Thank you once again for your continued support.

With my best wishes,

Dr Colin Campbell

Registrar, Newcastle University