With Higher education sinking into a deepening crisis as we head for Christmas and New Year, it’s time for reflection and fostering hope. Thousands of staff and students fear the new year as redundancies, cuts and financial peril take hold. Unsung staff are working through the Christmas holidays unpaid. Many students have seasonal jobs and lack time to study as exams loom. We all need to take stock now and enter 2025 with actions that offer equality and hope.