The University of Nottingham

The Haydn Green Charitable Trust has donated £1.5m to the University to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.

The substantial gift will build on the achievements of the University’s Institute for Enterprise and Innovation (UNIEI), which, since its launch in 2000, has become a key national centre for entrepreneurship education.

The gift was made in loving memory of the late Haydn Carrick Green, a successful Nottingham businessman who died suddenly in 2007. In honour of the endowment, UNIEI is to be re-named The Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The gift was presented by Hardev Singh, on behalf of the trustees of The Haydn Green Charitable Trust, at a celebration to mark the event attended by The Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, trustees and special guests.

UNIEI was founded at Nottingham University Business School and now helps hundreds of students every year — at undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA level — to develop the entrepreneurial skills that will enable them to thrive as business leaders. The gift of £1.5m will build and develop that work in the years to come.

Mr Singh said: “The trustees believe that they must help to build innovative and entrepreneurial structures within charitable or voluntary sectors by collaborating or by providing financial assistance to those organisations, which are working towards similar goals. The trustees are also very grateful to Professor Nathu Ram Puri of The Puri Foundation for the invaluable advice and tremendous effort he has put in to help us and the University to launch this institute, after all The Puri Foundation has tremendous experience of setting up structures to help others.”

Professor Puri, Honorary Freeman of the City of Nottingham, said: “Haydn was a dear friend and I am delighted to help and advise the trustees. I was already in discussions with the University for a similar initiative and was pleased for it to be taken up by The Haydn Green Charitable Trust.”