Lecturer leaves legacy with charity aiming to inspire

An inspirational University of Sheffield lecturer who died from terminal cancer has launched a charity aiming to raise funds for research, hospice care and education which will hold its first event on Thursday, 28 February 2013.

Dr Tim Richardson from the University of Sheffield's Department of Physics and Astronomy, a member of staff from 1991 to 2012, passed away on 5 February 2013 after being diagnosed with cancer last year but the charity he created, called Inspiration for Life, is a vibrant legacy which will give something back to education and help people of all ages affected by cancer

The charity's first major event – a 24 hour science-a-thon featuring lectures on a wide range of subjects including asteroids, magic, extraterrestrial life forms, music, human rights, infinity, and more, will take place at the University’s Hicks Building on Thursday 28 February 2013 from 5pm until 5pm on Friday 1 March 2013.

World renowned experts from the University of Sheffield including Professor Richard Jones, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Professor Tony Ryan, OBE, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Science, Professor Dan Tovey, who helped find the Higgs Boson particle at CERN, and Professor Sir Keith Burnett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield – as well as many more – will be presenting interesting, entertaining and informative lectures for non-specialist audiences.

Tickets to the event are available on the door, with a minimum donation of £1 per lecture or £5 for the full programme.

Catherine Annabel, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Inspiration for Life, said: “Tim raised more than £8,000 for Children In Need with 24 hours of back-to-back lectures at the University in 2011, which we used as an inspiration for this week’s event.

"Inspiration for Life will allow health research funding, hospice funding and funding for education to be delivered as a result of the very varied range of charitable activities that University staff and students and others beyond carry out.

"There will be a range of activities aiming to promote lifelong learning, and encourage the public understanding of science – publications, lectures and other events. We’ll work within and beyond the University, linking up with schools and other organisations who share these goals.

"We'll also encourage students in Physics and Astronomy through the award of prizes each year for those who have provided inspiration for others, academic and otherwise."

Dr Richardson‘s inspirational diary and reflections on life, love, illness, education and meaning will shortly be published as an eBook. For When I’m Sleeping is written with his characteristic honesty and humour, and it is expected to raise more life- saving and life-enhancing funds.

For more information on Dr Richardson's story and on the charity please visit www.inspirationforlife.co.uk.

Additional information Inspiration for Life 24-hour lectures programme The University of Sheffield

With nearly 25,000 of the brightest students from 125 countries coming to learn alongside 1,181 of the world’s best academics, it is clear why the University of Sheffield is one of the UK’s leading universities. Staff and students at Sheffield are committed to helping discover and understand the causes of things - and propose solutions that have the power to transform the world we live in. A member of the Russell Group, the University of Sheffield has a reputation for world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines. The University of Sheffield has been named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2011 for its exceptional performance in research, teaching, access and business performance. In addition, the University has won four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes (1998, 2000, 2002, 2007), recognising the outstanding contribution by universities and colleges to the United Kingdom’s intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. One of the markers of a leading university is the quality of its alumni and Sheffield boasts five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students. Its alumni have gone on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields. Research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, Boots, AstraZeneca, GSK, ICI, Slazenger, and many more household names, as well as UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations. The University has well-established partnerships with a number of universities and major corporations, both in the UK and abroad. Its partnership with Leeds and York Universities in the White Rose Consortium has a combined research power greater than that of either Oxford or Cambridge.