Reuniting Churchill alumni inspired to endow a new student bursary
College reunions are a chance to return to Cambridge, reunite with friends, relive fond memories, and enjoy a lovely dinner back at College. For Churchill’s class of 1977–81, it also provided an opportunity to reflect upon the life-changing impact that studying at Cambridge has provided them and the importance of giving back to the next generation of Churchillians.
During their reunion dinner, Churchill's class of 1977–81 pledged to raised enough money to endow a full undergraduate bursary in perpetuity. The College received more than £97,000 in donations and pledges in the space of five months and with some of the donations matched through the College's annual telethon, the endowment has reached over £110,000.
The 1977–81 Bursary will support a UK or EU (under present regulations) undergraduate, by providing £3,500 per year to go towards living costs and will be means-tested and awarded to those whose parental income is less than £25,000. The bursary is a welcome addition to the existing means-tested bursaries that Churchill is able to offer students.
Churchill College and its members are passionate about supporting the College's widening participation initiatives to increase the diversity of applicants — ensuring that the very highest-achieving students, irrespective of their social or economic circumstances, are able to benefit from the life-changing experience of studying at Cambridge.
Our cohort has perhaps a unique responsibility in that we benefited from Cambridge at a time when the cost of doing so was modest... greatly facilitating so many first-generation University experiences. I wanted to help provide the much-needed financial means for disadvantaged candidates to overcome the new and growing economic barriers.
While there is no shortage of good causes needing our support through donations I felt it was hard to think of one so close to our own lives where a little could go such a long way — as the beneficiaries live their lives and add value to our society.
All our personal means are limited and it is collectively, through the participation rate in fundraising initiatives, that we can have an impact and that was what inspired me to give a hand in helping the College make our reunion campaign a success.
Thanks to the support of over 120 alumni from the class of 1977–81, the first bursary should be awarded in the next academic year.
Churchill College is particularly grateful to Peter Hughes (1977), Anne Morrison (1978) Simon Henry (1979), Niall McLeod (U79), Shaun Parker (1980) and Susie Clements (U81) who championed this cause amongst their cohort.
About Churchill College
Receiving its Royal Charter in 1960, Churchill College, is the national and Commonwealth memorial to Sir Winston Churchill. Churchill is an outward-looking community not bound by tradition but driven by a passion for innovation and creativity. It pioneered the entry of women to all-male colleges and continues to seek and welcome talented students who might not otherwise aspire to come to Cambridge. Its academic membership is complemented by strong links with industry and a network of over 7000 alumni throughout the world, all of whom are united by a dedication to academic excellence, innovation and leadership.