The Impact of the Campaign
IT IS A REAL PLEASURE to be able to reflect on how far we have come since we launched the King’s Campaign on 1 December 2018.
When the Campaign started we had a list of activities that we hoped philanthropy would provide, recognising that we could not rely on the College’s endowment alone. We needed to upgrade our estate, improve communal facilities, and most importantly to broaden our efforts to remove barriers for disadvantaged students and greatly improve our support systems for students having difficulties.
We set our target at £100 million, which many told us was unachievable. But we never doubted that we would succeed as we knew that our NRMs and friends have a deep love and commitment to their College and if they could help, they would.
By the time I retired as Provost in 2023, the Campaign was almost at its goal thanks to your generosity and the untiring efforts of the Development Office under Lorraine Headen’s direction, and it has been brilliantly brought to fruition under my successor Gillian Tett. Not only have we achieved a total sum of well over our target, and attracted generous support for the great majority of our aims, but we have also been helped by your generosity to enhance our students’ experience and the College’s environment in ways which we had not imagined were possible – the Summer Research Programme, the Futures Tutor, environmental initiatives, including the wildflower meadow and the photovoltaic panels on the Chapel roof, the Entrepreneurship Prize and E-Lab, the Silk Roads Research Programme, the expansion of our Research Fellowship programme and our extensive support available for mental health interventions for our students.
The success that we have had is down to you, our supporters. Your philanthropy has been transformational and is needed more than ever these days; without it we would struggle to give our students the best possible environment to prepare for their future careers. The video below shares a snapshot of the impact of the Campaign from those whose lives have been transformed by philanthropy.
The College is most grateful for your support. Thank you all so much.
Professor Michael Proctor FRS
Provost, 2013 - 2023
Making a real difference
The most important achievement of the King's Campaign is not the amount raised, but what we've been able to do thanks to the generosity of alumni and supporters.
Bringing the most talented students to King's from around the world
The annual Quantedge-Cambridge Refugee Scholarship, set up in 2020, enables students from areas of conflict to undertake a one-year MPhil. The current Quantedge Scholars come from Ukraine and Syria.
For the past six years, a graduating student from Yale has been able to join the King's academic community and do a one-year MPhil, thanks to the Reiter King's-Yale Fellowship
Ensuring the best supervision teaching
The small group supervision system lies at the heart of Cambridge teaching. Among gifts given in the Campaign to maintain teaching excellence at King's, a donation from Tessa and Adrian Suggett (KC 1985) to set up the Senior Tutor Fund is allowing the Senior Tutor to direct money as needed to improve undergraduate teaching.
Providing an all-around educational experience
Opportunities to take part in sports, music and the arts, and to have new cultural experiences, are as important a part of a Cambridge education as academic study. Prizes to celebrate music of all kinds in King's, legacy gifts supporting the College's sports teams, funds to enable students to go to the theatre, travel grants and much more are enabling the College to deliver an all-around education.
Alumni gifts to a new Boat House, new training equipment, racing fees and three new boats for the Men's and Women's Crews have all helpled drive recent record results for the King's Boat Club.
Making music
Music and music-making is at the heart of King's. The Hartley Rogers CBSO Scholarships allow aspiring student composers to compose a substantial new piece and hear it workshopped by the renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; while the Susan Tomes Music Prize established in 2024 by pianist Susan Tomes (KC 1972), is recognising the positive impact that music of all kinds can have on the College community.
Combatting hardship
The Supplementary Exhibition Fund (SEF) was one of the first funds established by King's back in 1886. Each year it's called upon to support hundreds of students — undergraduate and graduate — to supplement maintenance costs and for extra help to cover all sorts of circumstances. It has often made the difference between students being able to stay at King's and complete their degree or not. The many donations, large and small, one-off and as regular annual giving, from alumni and supporters around the world to the SEF have meant that as demands on the fund grow, we're able to meet them.
Building essential skills
Increasingly, students in the Humanities need to be comfortable wiht data, coding and digital approaches to research; skills which they can bring to their tripos study, but that will also carry forward into future research or employment.
Supported by the Chaffield Shaw Trust, a Digital Humanities Programme open to both undergraduate and graduate King's students, is now in its second year.
Supporting estranged students
Studying at Cambridge can be especially challenging for students who don’t have the support of a family network, or somewhere to go over the holiday periods. The Turing Brewer Fund, set up by Peter Brewer (KC 1992) and Vanessa
Smith, provides bursaries to help with financial struggles and to ensure these students have somewhere to live during the holidays. The support can be a true lifeline.
The money that King’s uses to support access students like me allows me to stay in Cambridge over the holidays. Without this, I would be homeless.
Help PhD students with childcare costs
Personal experience of what it's like to struggle with childcare costs when doing a PhD encouraged an alumnus to establish the Childcare Support Fund for Graduate Students, helping students with limited financial means to juggle the demands of a PhD with caring for young children.
Supporting student mental health
Last year more than 95% of student appointments with the College Nurse were for mental health-related issues. The challenges facing today's students are often huge, and the call on resources growing all the time.
The King's Student Welfare and Mental Health Fund, set up in 2017 thanks to a legacy gift, is enabling the College to provide a strong programme of care and activities, including specialist advice and therapy not available through central University services, so that our students can access the help they need, when they need it. Since then it has been one of the areas most supported in the College's annual telephone fundraising campaign.
Helping with daily life
Sometimes it's the struggle to fund the smaller things that can make all the difference to a student’s time at King’s. Funds such as the Reavley Equipment Fund are there to
provide money for anything from replacing a stolen bike or a broken laptop to a drawing set for engineers to photographic equipment for those undertaking fieldwork.
Preparing students for life after Cambridge
The graduate job market is increasingly tough, and students need to be better equipped than ever for life after Cambridge. A new part-time Futures Tutor, supported by a gift from an alumna, is now helping with careers advice and coaching to support students in their personal and professional development.
When I was contemplating the end of my time at Cambridge last year, the Futures Tutor had a huge impact in helping navigate the often daunting task of deciding and preparing for what's next.
Enable thriving startups
Each year the Entreneurship Prize funded by Stuart Lyons (KC 1962), helps turn creativity and know-how from King's students and alumni into sustainable commercial and social benefit.
The growing interest in entrepreneurship led to the King's E-Lab founded by Malcolm McKenzie (KC 1977), and a gift from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation is helping expand its scope and activities, benefiting students in King's and across the Cambridge community.
Encouraging the brightest and best
Through the generosity of alumni, friends and supporters more than half the total raised in the King’s Campaign has gone to supporting our students in multiple ways. A major £33.6m gift kicked off the Student Support and Access Initiative (SASI), and it has gone on to transform lives. Game-changing philanthropy has had an impact in many other ways too.
Supporting the journey into higher education
Opening of the IntoUniversity Middlesbrough Centre, March 2025. Photo by Dave Charnley
Opening of the IntoUniversity Middlesbrough Centre, March 2025. Photo by Dave Charnley
Starting effective intervention early
King’s has long been a pioneer in widening access and in recognising the importance of giving opportunities to young people whatever their background. In spring 2025 the College partnered with education charity IntoUniversity to open a new education centre in Middlesbrough, one of the most deprived areas in the UK. The centre offers after-school academic support, mentoring with local university students and professionals, in-school aspiration-raising workshops and enrichment and work experience opportunities, and became a reality thanks to philanthropic support, advice and connections from a number of King’s alumni.
Helping A-level students get their grades
The decision of a group of alumni from the Class of 1977 to fund 'post-offer, pre-A-level' tutoring and mentoring to offer-holders from disadvantaged backgrounds means that each year more promising candidates have their best chance to get their grades and come to King's
Giving offer holders an early introduction to Cambridge
The residential Bridging Programme, set up with a gift from the Chaffield Shaw Trust in 2019, gives new students from traditionally low attainment schools the chance to spend time in College before term begins and prepare for the transition to life and study at Cambridge — helping them to feel a bit more ready to start their courses.
Can a gift change a life?
In 2018 we launched the Student Access and Support Initiative (SASI), which has gone on to be transformational in ensuring King's is open to all the best students, whatever their background. Here, five students talk about what donor-funded support at King's has meant for them.
Zaheda Hussain
is now in her final year of reading Classics. But a few years ago, realising her dream of studying at Cambridge seemed a remote prospect.
'King's has had a transformative impact on my life. From a young age, I've faced challenges that tested my resolve, forcing me to develop a resilience and perspective beyond my years. I started working at 15 to support my family as a young carer.
I've always strived to build a future shaped by my own ambition. I missed the grades required for my offer, but King's recognised the determination behind my efforts and offered me a place alongside the opportunity to take part in the Bridging Programme.
King's is more than just a college — it's a community and a home. The support that the College provides for access students allows me to stay in Cambridge all year round due to my estrangement from my family. Access and outreach initiatives are so meaningful to me; I volunteer to support them, and witnesss the real change the College's work can bring. It's this dedication to opportunity and inclusion that makes King's truly inspiring.'
ore than 50% of funds raised during the cmaign have gone to student access and support initiatives
Tom Matthew
read Human, Social and Political Sciences. Before staring his degree in 2020 he took part in the Bridging Programme, and is clear about the difference it made to his time at King's.
'Cambridge is a unique place — an extraordinary concentration of world-leading expertise and endless quirky traditions. I'm from a small town in Devon, which I love, but Cambridge once felt a long way away in almost every sense.
The support from King's gave me the chance to join the Bridging Programme, which helped me build the confidence and academic skills to thrive, even in an environment I wasn't used to. It made Cambridge feel like a place I could succeed.
I now work at Brunswick Group, advising the leaders of some of the world's largest and most influential organisations on how to engage constructively and impactfully with environmental and social challenges. The opportunities I've had since graduating are rooted in the education King's made possible.'
he Bridging Programme, a week-long residential course running just before the start of a student's first term at King's, wasset up in 2019. It's now helped more than 60 students from widening participation backgrounds get ready for the transition to life and study at Cambridge.
Grace Hattersley
is now in her sixth and final year as a medical student at King's. Along the way she's been supported by a variety of donor-led funding, which has often been instrumental in helping decide which clinical research route to follow.
'Within medicine, research participation is extremely important; but dedicated time and organised funding to support this is very limited. Often, students are required to self-fund opportunities completed in spare moments around lectures and placements. I was therefore particularly grateful to receive the Gatsby Summer Research Programme grant, which supported me to undertake focussed research on the role of epigenetics within the placenta between my third and fourth year - work which has recently been submitted for publication.
Through this opportunity I not only solidified my interest in bioinformatics research, but also realised my interest in obstetrics as a future speciality. With the support of the Cuss Family Clinical Studentship, I was able to explore this interest further through an elective placement in Singapore. Without such funding, such an experience would have been unobtainable.'
The Cuss Family Clinical Studentships were established in 2024 by Francis Cuss (KC 1972) and his wife Rosalind, to support King's medics in the challenging final years of clinical school.
John Palmer
arrived at King's to read Natural Sciences in 2021. At school, Cambridge was never on his radar. Now, four years later, he's doing a a PhD in Plant Sciences.
'My fascination with plant scinces began during my undergraduate years, when I discovered the extent to which plants can adapt to their surroundings. Taking part in the Gatsby Summer Research Programme as a Gatsby funded student, I had the chance to work hands-on in the lab for the first time, exploring how we can use molecular tools to better understand plant genetics. The experience gave me confidence to apply for a PhD. And now as a PhD candidate funded by a King's studentship, I'm investigating how plants form symbiotic relationships with fungi to improve nutrient uptake.
As someone who grew up in a small town in the north-east of England, the idea of studying at Cambridge or building a career in academia once felt far beyond my reach. The support I've received from King's has made this a reality.'aduate students supported by donatedstudentships are key to the research culture of the College as well as teaching, mentoring and inspiring undergraduates.
Dusan Vajagic
completed his undergraduate degree in Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at King's this summer. He came here from Serbia, and would have been unable to take up his place at Cambridge without a full scholarship.
'We have excellent universities in Serbia, but I wanted to study at the best. I knew Cambridge was the place to go, with excellent teaching and research opportunities unlike anywhere else. The fees for international students are extremely high, and it's only thanks to the full funding scholarship that I was able to come to King's. I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to helping others, through both clinical psychology research and intervention. Now I'm about to start the new MPhil course in Foundations of Clinical Psychology at the Department of Psychiatry.'
full King's College Scholarship, supported by a number of donors, is enabling Dusan to move through to graduate study and fulfill some of those academic ambitions.
Enhancing our environment
Gifts of all sizes have led to visible changes around the grounds of King's, from new works of art to state of the art accommodation for students and researchers
State of the art accommodation
A cornerstone gift to the Campaign meant that we we have been able to build new Passivhaus-standard accommodation out on Cranmer Road and at Stephen Taylor Court on Barton Road. For the first time King's is now able to offer to accommodation to every student who wants to live in College, and have more provision for young researchers and their families.
New works of art commissioned
A striking new sculpture by Antony Gormley is celebrating the life and work of Alan Turing, thanks to a gift from Roger Evans (KC 1964) and Aey Phanchet. True, for Alan Turing stands at the heart fo King's between the Gibbs Building and Webb's Court. It represents an important addition to the College's permanent collection.
Maintain the fabric of the Chapel
The upkeep of one of the world's most important medieval buildings is a major demand on the College's resources. Gifts play a vital part in both the every day maintenance of the Chapel and the big restoration projects. The generosity of friends of the Chapel, including donors from the US, has enabled a range of important conservation work to take place.
Put more women on our walls
In 2022-2023, King's marked 50 years since women were first admitted as undergraduate students. The anniversary led to the commission of new art by the College, supported by Pauline and Trevor Gazard: 50 photographic portraits of King's women, including Fellows, students, alumnae and staff, by award-winning photographer Jooney Woodward, resulting in a permanent change to the balance of visual representation of women on the College's walls.
Image credit: Errollyn Wallen (KC 1999) © Jooney Woodward for "50 Portraits: An Exhibition"
Empowering minds
Our academics engage in top-flight research, individually and collaboratively; and small group teaching inspires students to explore and question their subject to the full.
Thanks to your support, we have been able to establish 15 new Research Fellowships, bolster the College's teaching strengths, and create a new £5m fund for new MPhil and PhD graduate studentships.
Sound and Detention
Dr Kate Herrity held the Mellon-King's Research Fellowship in Punishment from 2020 to 2025. Her work focuses on sensory criminology and in particular on the impact of sound on people in prison spaces.
Years before returning to higher education, I signed up for a
rare opportunity to visit HMP Wandsworth as part of a work
training initiative. The disorientating effect of lingering at the central control point – the notorious ‘central star’ - with its swirling soundscape, disembodied shouts, screams, bangs and jangling eluded my attempts to understand it.
When I came back to do an MSc, I wanted to revisit my curiosity. What does living and working in these spaces do for how we understand incarceration, its effects, and how this can impact on peoples’ life trajectories?
Prison environments are characterised by clangs, bangs, stinks and stickiness. Neurodivergence, mental health issues - as well as a host of physical health problems - are over-represented in the prison population of England and Wales. These conditions are strongly associated with sound sensitivity. Yet the relationship between this consistent source of distress and outcomes for those in prison is under-researched and ill-understood.
The prison population of England and Wales currently stands at just over 88,000; and government figures project that this will go over 100,000 by 2029. Many people, particularly those on short sentences, come back to prison repeatedly, making an examination of these questions along with innovative new approaches to questions of welfare and criminal justice more vital than ever.
For my PhD I spent a year with a community in a local men’s prison, interrogating the soundscape and its meaning for the prison social world. I wanted to understand the role of
sensory experience in prison, and on vulnerable groups especially.
The Mellon-King’s Research Fellowship was game-changing for me and my research – it gave me the time, space and support to write Sound, Order and Survival in Prison,
which won the British Society of Criminology’s annual book prize.
The subfield of sensory criminology, which I’m now developing, helps us to theorise about the role of
sensory experience in all manner of criminological issues from the experience of violence to postcolonial justice. What happens to our understanding of the impact of warfare and creation of ecologies of fear, for example, if we foreground
the sounds of drones, the smell of burning, the sense of impending dread engendered by hostile attack? How does lingering memory of these facets of experience forge a sense of national identity in their aftermath?
The Fellowship enabled me to complete two ambitious co-editorial projects exploring these ideas further, one on Sound and Detention, and the other an International Handbook of Sensory Criminology.
I also regularly liaise with policy makers and practitioners to heighten awareness of the impact of sound for those in prison spaces, as well as working with prisoners to develop strategies to alleviate the impact of the prison environment.
If we can understand what the prison environment does to
people, then maybe we can change it – and start to break the cycle of re-imprisonment that does so much social harm.
Expanding King's research capacity at all levels
Inspiring future researchers
The philanthropically funded Summer Research Programme is giving undergraduates in STEM subjects a chance to see if further research or a career in academia could be for them. More than 60 students from less advantaged backgrounds, who wouldn't be able to take up an internship without financial support, have participated since the Programme began in 2021. They experience a summer of reserach at Cambridge working alongside Fellows and senior academics, learning new techical skills and often are inpsired to go on to graduate-level study.
In addition to the gift from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation supporting STEM students, a legacy from Ian Fleming Wright has established a parallel Summer Research Programe for the Arts and Humanities.
Building bridges
An innovative Silk Road Research Programme established in 2020 through a philanthropic donation is widening multi-disciplinary research into the history and cultures of the Silk Roads countries, and includes new graduate scholarships and Research Fellowships.
Establishing 15 new Research Fellowships
Colleges are unique environments for research, creating the places where minds from different disciplines meet and conversations and collaborations start. Thanks to donor support, we've established new Research Fellowships in fields ranging from economic history to computer science. The posts drive teaching and are expanding the world-class research taking place at King's. Among those are the Mervyn King Research Fellowship, the Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship in molecular bioscience for young African researchers, and the Enactor Alan Turing Fellowship and PhD programme, now in its sixth year.
Into the Deep
Dr Nile Stephenson is the first Roger Evans and Aey Phanachet Research Fellow in Co-Evolution and Symbiosis. His work focusses on how the ecological dynamics of coral reefs change as a result of climate change.
Nile Stephenson is talking about what it’s like to see a dead coral reef. ‘One moment you’re diving beside
a living, vibrant ecosystem – one of the most complex you can imagine - then you turn the corner of the reef,
and everything is gone. No fish, the water is murky, just bleached coral. It’s heart-stopping.’
One of the consequences of climate change are more frequent and intense underwater heatwaves. These can have a devastating impact on fragile coral reefs, causing mass mortality. This is well-documented; but what’s less well understood is what happens on a wider ecosystem level when the corals die.
‘The reef is a hyperdiverse, enormous ecosystem with lots of organisms interacting with one another. We know that marine heatwaves destabilise this, but we don’t know what happens when species x dies as a result; what does it do to species y? They might not be impacted by the heatwave, but by other species loss - loss of the sharks, or the fish. If we can learn more about what happens before, during and crucially after coral mortality events, and how recovery takes place, then we’ll be better able to inform restoration programmes and conservation.'
A key aspect of Nile's work is looking to better understand the connections in a dynamic full ecosystem such as a coral reef, and what happens when a reef bleaches; not just in the near ter but how that converts into different temporal scales, over decades and millennia.
He uses a range of mathematical models and field techniques, integrating spatial maps of coral reefs, behavioural data on sharks, and environmental data. His research area is in the Seychelles, where he works with the Save our Seas Foundation conservation group.
'When you dive there, it's a strange, alien world; it's far away and hard to acces, a true wilderness that few people are lucky enough to get to see,' he says. ' But it's also a wilderness that's dying in front of you. We have to find out more about how we can help these very complex, critically important systems recover.'
King's has a strong tradition of funding and encouraging early-career academics, and one of the priorities of the Campaign has been to support and develop more top-flight research at King's. 'The research environment at King's is really strong. It's a hub of concentrated ideas, and in talking to other Fellows you end up thinking about the same problem in a million different ways - it's incredibly useful.'
There's also the opportunity to inspire the next generation. 'Supervising is hugely rewarding. It's very easy when lecturing about things like climate change for students to leave quite dispirited - it's a depressing subject!'
It's important to be able to discuss with my students what we're able to learn and what we're doing about it; that there are things we as scientists can do and that there is hope.
Getting to £100 million
Since the King's campaign began, alumni, friends and supporters have given £105 million to the Campaign's four priority areas: encouraging the brightest and best, empowering minds, protecting and enhancing our heritage and fostering innovation. These were some of the milestones along the way.
2018
King's Campaign public launch
The goal is £100 million, an ambitious target many doubted we could reach
A £33.6m gift from an alumnus creates new accommodation and establishes the Student Access and Support Initiative (SASI). Today access and outreach activity has been transformed, with a game-changing range of programmes for students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds in place. The first cohorts benefitting from SASI are now graduating, many with Firsts, and going on to a wide range of career paths or graduate study and research.
Fundraising in the Campaign silent phase began in 2011
2019
Supporting refugees to pursue graduate study
The Quantedge Foundation
Kahshin Leow and the Quantedge Foundation create an annual MPhil studentship for students with refugee status. The Quantedge-Cambridge Refugee Scholarship has now supported five graduate students from areas of conflict around the world.
2019
Bridging the gaps
The Chaffield Shaw Trust
A gift from the Chaffield Shaw Trust sets up the residential Bridging Programme, to help prepare access students who have made their A-level offer grades for life and study at Cambridge. Over 60 offer holders have now taken part in the Programme.
After my A-levels I took part in the Bridging Programme run by King's and it was the best thing I could have done. Theose few days changed everything; I felt so much more prepared for life and study at Cambridge.
2020
New research opportunites for undergraduates
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and David Sainsbury
A £300,000 gift launches a new Summer Research Programme aimed at inspiring talented science students from disadvantaged backgrounds to consider going on to a PhD and further research. Since then 61 students have been supported to take part.
The Summer Research Programme is crystallising the idea, felt keenly at King's, that not only graduates and Fellows, but also undergraduates, can contribute meaningfully to research.
2020
Fostering Innovation
The ground-breaking King's Entrepreneurship Lab is established with a foundational gift from alumnus Malcom McKenzie, in order to foster innovation and provide entrepreneurial and career skills. The E-Lab is now a rapidly growing ecosystem helping student innovators and entrepreneurs to get projects off the ground.
2021
Lighting the path to a greener future
A £3.5 million legacy gift to the Chapel helps fund the restoration of the Chapel roof and installation in 2023 of 438 new solar panels. The panels will reduce the College's carbon emissions by 23 tonnes each year.
2022
Removing financial barriers for students
A donation of £60,000 from a former PhD student seed-funds a new Childcare Support Fund to help graduate students manage childcare costs alongside their studies.
Alumnus Tom McAuliffe establishes the Medical Student Hardship Fund, ensuring that King's mdical students can focus on their studies without constant financial stress.
Francis and Rosalind Cuss establish the Cuss Family Clinical Studentships to help medics in their final clinical study years.
These studentships make a real difference in levelling the playing field for students from lower income backgrounds and improving access to Medicine; they've already made a difference to me and my family.
2022
Enhancing College teaching
A new Turing Fellowship is established thanks to a gift from e-commerce platform Enactor. The full-time College Teaching Officer post is adding to the College's teaching strengths in Computer Science and builds further on the legacy of King's alumnus Alan Turing.
2023
50 Years of Women at King's
Alumni and supporters give more than £100,000 to support a range of programmes and initiatives marking 50 Years of Women at King's since they were first admitted in 1972. A collection of 50 photographic portraits of King's women created as part of the anniversary year is mow installed in the Portrait Gallery, making an important addition to the College's permanent art collection.
2024
Launching the first Giving Day
Annual giving makes a difference
The College's first Giving Day raises £175,000 online from 332 donors. Since the start of the King's Campaign, £2.8 million has been raised through the Giving Day and annual Telephone Fundraising Campaigns, from over 1700 donors.
I enjoyed when the students phoned for the annual fundraising campaign - I felt we were able to help each other. I don't have a lot to give financially but I did give a donation!
2024
New Research Fellowships
A gift of $5 million from Roger Evans (KC 1964) and Aey Phanachet endows two named Research Fellowships aimed at developing important fields of study that are currently restricted in their scope.
The College's research capacity is further boosted with the establishment of a new Research Fellowship in Economics thanks to a gift of £1.75 million from Mervyn King (KC 1966).
2025
£100 million target reached
Supported by philanthropic donations, King's parters with IntoUniversity to open a new education centre in Middlesbrough, providing academic support and mentoring for young people in one of England's most deprived areas.
2025
Expanding support for entrepreneurship
In May 2025, a £6 million gift from David Sainsbury and the Gatsby Charitable Foundtion brings the King's Campaign to its £100 million target. The gift supports an Executive Director for the E-Lab and the creation of a much-needed new flexible space in Chetwynd Court.
Protecting and enhancing our heritage
King's is hugely privileged to have buildings of unsurpassed beauty and architectural importance, and an extraordinary cultural heritage. We have a responsibility to protect what has been entrusted to our care and make it fit for the next generation, and philanthropic support is essential to this.
Thanks to your gifts we have been able to carry out restoration work in the Chapel to renew the roof, install solar panels and enhance the lighting and sound; enable the Choir to maintain its exceptional musical standards; get a major project to restore the interior of the Gibbs Building underway; and add to the resources of the Library and Archives.
The Gibbs Building
The iconic Gibbs Building turned 300 in 2024. Sitting at the heart of King's, it's more than just a historic building. Over the years it has been a place of creativity, discovery, innovation and endless conversation. And for generations of King's students, its where their first nerve-wracking admissions interview took place, where supervisions happen, and where lifelong connections and memories have been made.
As part of the the 300th anniversary, we launched a project to renovate Gibbs and make it ready for the next 300 years. Alumni have contributed gifts of all sizes and got us underway on what will be a huge task over the next 5 years.
In 1966, in my first year at King's, I found myself in an upper floor of the Gibbs Building at the Chapel end overlooking the Front Court. The sun was flooding the lawn. I was sitting in the window seat with the windows wide open, listening to Sydney Brenner recounting his work in elucidating the structure of the building blocks of life, while the sounds of the Verdi Requiem echoed out from the Chapel. For a lad from a northern grammar school this seemed like heaven!
Supporting the Library and Archives Collections
In 2025 we were able to acquire the Delilah appers to add to the collection of documents relating to Alan Turing held in the College Archives. The papers consist of more than 40 pages of unpublished project notes written by Alan Turing and Donald Bayley during the Second World War. They are now digitised and part of the Turing Papers online archive, freely available to scholars and students all over the world.
A selection of the Delilah papers by Alan Turing and Donald Bayley
A selection of the Delilah papers by Alan Turing and Donald Bayley
One of the great treasures of the Library is a Shakespeare First Folio from 1623, one of only four in Cambridge. Thanks to a gift from Fanny Gerber in memory of her husband Lloyd D Raines (KC 1972) we were able to digitise the book and make it available online in time to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Folio's publication.
King's Library, which has been in existence since the College's foundation in 1441, has extensive holdings of rare books, antiquarian music and manuscripts. Your support has enabled us to fund the important post of rare book cataloguer, and undertake conservation and interventive work on rare books and manuscripts dating from the 15th century.
This sublime space
When you are the current custodians of a building more than 500 years old and of unique architectural importance, the responsibilities are considerable; but fortunately so too is the support from alumni and friends of King's College Chapel around the world.
Two years ago the seventeenth-century carved wooden panels behind the Chapel's stalls, where generations of King's Fellows have sat for services, underwent a vital six weeks of restoration; addressing historic woodworm, accumulations of discoloured wax, and years of dust on the surfaces. The resulting visual changes are subtle but the beauty of the panels is now much more evident. It's just one of the conservation projects funded by the legion of donors to the Chapel - in this case a legacy from Christopher Minns (KC 1962).
Maintaining the Chapel - its fabric and its furnishings, and the larger scaled needs identified in quinquennial inspections - is a major demand on the College's resources, and support from donations is hugely important.
We're very substantially reliant on philanthropy to do the big projects. The smaller gifts and regular donations to the Chapel are every bit as important as the major contributions. They underpin a huge amount of the work needed to maintain the Chapel and its daily life.
Support from the Pilling Trust and legacy donors including Robin Boyle (KC 1955), Adrian Cadbury (KC 1949), and the Cadbury family, enabled the full restoration in 2016 of the Chapel's famous organ - the first since the 1930's - and contributed to a much-improved sound system. In 2022 a new interior lighting scheme was installed thanks to a gift from Ian Jones (KC 1980). The scheme addresses today's requirements for the services and concerts held in the Chapel, while remaining aesthetically pleasing in the context of the unique architecture.
In 2023, two legacy gifts provided cornerstone funding for one of the largest projects of recent years. John Cambridge (KC 1949) left a bequest in his will for 'the maintenance of the Chapel'; and Maurice Burnett (KC 1941) a legacy to be used for the preservation and restoration of the Chapel. These along with many other contributions enabled the College to restore the Chapel's lead roof, and, while the infrastructure for the roof was in place, to install 438 photovoltaic panels. These now make an important contribution to the Chapel's energy needs and are a key part of the College's carbon reduction strategy.
Philanthropic support from alumni, friends and supporters is vital - it means that along with looking after the fabric of the Chapel, we can continue to offer beautiful liturgies, ensure the excellence of our choral music, and ensure this unique space remains as sublime as ever
'This place inspires powerful emotions,' notes the Dean. 'The building's architectural majesty, the extraordinary musical quality of the Choir and the inspirational dignity of the services are admired and loved by millions of people around the world.'
Since the start of the Campaign, more than £12 million has been given to the conservation and upkeep of the fabric of the Chapel, from regular gifts to legacies and major donations.
With One Voice
For millions, Christmas only really starts each yaer when a young chorister steps forward to sing the first notes of Once in Royal David's City, and the live broadcast of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College Chapel begins
Established in 1448 by Henry VI to sing a daily service in the Chapel, King's College Choir is one of the most renowned and best-loved in the world. The 16 Choristers and 14 Choral Scholars produce music of a consistently astonishing level – but as the musical landscape becomes more challenging, continued excellence is only possible through support from alumni and friends across the globe.
"It's a very different world now from my predecessor Stephen Cleobury's time. The changes in teaching of music in schools means that many of the undergraduate candidates for the Choir arrive at King's with just as much ability, but much less musical experience," says Director of Music Daniel Hyde. "Everything takes longer and we rebuild the Choir to a greater extent each year now; but thanks to support from our marvellous donors we still get the same exceptional result."
We simply couldn't do this music, at this standard, without philanthropy
Support for the Choir has ranged from funds to help Choristers and Choral Scholars in financial need with money towards fees and tuition, to renewing the traditional stiff white Eton collars. The Choir Library in one of the most important – yet invisible – resources, and small gifts are invaluable in going towards its upkeep. Gifts also enable the Choir to tour in the UK and internationally and fund the additional educational elements that are always built into the trips.
Without [the Choir library] we can't operate. It's an incredibly valuable part of the whole education process and it takes huge amounts of time and effort to maintain
For many alumni, hearing the Choir is the link that ties them back to King's. For former Choristers and Choral Scholars, this can be particularly powerful. "I have always been passionate about choral music, but singing every day in the extraordinary acoustics of the Chapel under the direction of Philip Ledger and Stephen Cleobury added an extra dimension which has stayed with me to this day," says Ian Jones (KC 1980). "The Choir always strives for perfection, and this attention to detail and the subtleties and nuances of interpretation are a testament to the skills of the many musicians involved."
I was delighted to be able to contribute something to the Chapel and Choir which might, in some small way, help to continue this centuries-old tradition of exceptional music-making and worship in this glorious building
Since the start of the Campaign, more than £5 million has been given in support of the College Choirs.
Making ideas happen
King's has long been synonymous with innovation, but in recent years efforts to weave this spirit into the heart of College activities has received new attention. Established in 2021, the King's Entrepreneurship Lab (E-Lab) aims to encourage Cambridge students, alumni and the community to think entrepreneurially and to equip undergraduates and graduates, from across disciplines, with the skills to be innovators in whichever career path they pursue
The seeds of the E-Lab were planted when in 2014 a gift from Stuart Lyons (KC 1962) founded the annual King's Entrepreneurship Prize for the development of business ideas that can be converted into sustainable social and commercial benefit.
It involved students and alumni as competition entrants, judges and mentors, and its success led to a growing interest in the College in entrepreneurship as a discipline.
'Then in November 2020, we held our first digital event with Mervyn King as the keynote speaker' recalls Dr Kamiar Mohaddes, Fellow in Economics. 'There was this alumnus who kept popping up in the chat and seemed very interested – especially in the lively disagreements between the economists on the panel! Afterwards he got in touch to ask what more he could do in this space.'
The gift from Malcolm McKenzie (KC 1977) enabled the establishment of the E-Lab in King's in June 2021, with Fellows Kamiar Mohaddes and Professor Thomas Roulet as Co-Directors. The first residential course for King's students in September 2021 was a major success, and shortly afterwards a further significant gift from David Sainsbury (KC 1959) and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation enabled the E-Lab to scale up and open its programmes to other Colleges, being not only cross-Departmental but cross-Collegiate.
'We're creating a really divers community of entrepreneurs and innovators,' says Kamiar. 'Having the E-Lab base in the Turing Room [in the Gibbs Building] at King's is incredibly important. People know that they can come by to learn from a range of people from all walks of life and that there's always someone here to exchange ideas or help with a contact or just provide some encouragement.'
With expanding activities, more space is needed. A further gift in 2025 from David Sainsbury and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation will create a new flexible space for the E-Lab in a revitalised Chetwynd Court.
We want to get more people inspired, to learn new skills, to be exposed to new ideas. If we can do more of that, share what we teach here and give something back to society in that way – that will allow us not only to challenge the status quo, but to reimagine the world
A Lasting Difference
A love for King's and the passions of our donors live on through legacy gifts, benefitting the College and its students and research helping to preserve its world-class heritage for generations to come.
Ian Kane (KC 1966), a quiet and reserved alumnus, was a familiar face at many different King's events over the years. Ian had told the College that he was leaving a gift in his will but it was only after head death in 2024 that King's truly understood the extent of his generosity; he became one of the College's largest legacy donors.
Ian's commitment to giving back to King's was fuelled by the gratitude he felt for his education here and its inclusiveness, and his gift will now provide for generations of students to come.
Often legacy gifts reflect lifelong academic interests; when Professor Willian Righter (KC 1960), an American research student at King's in the 1960s, died he left his estate to his wife Rosemary with a request that after her death, the residue should come to King's to establish a Research Fellowship. This bequest has now recently enabled the creation of the William Righter Research Fellowship in Philosophy and Literature at King's.
Many legacy donors feel strongly about the Chapel and Choir, leaving gifts of all sizes to help conser the Chapel fabric and furnishings or maintain the great tradition of the Choir and the education of the choristers. Others want to give to particular areas of support. Recently King's was able to help a brilliant undergraduate economist stay to do PhD research thanks to a graduate studentship legacy from Allan Wells (KC 1948); and in 2016 a legacy from Ducie Brian, the widow of King's alumnus Michael Vaughan Brian (KC 1937), went to setting up the Student Welfare and Mental Health Fund which has proved so critical in enabling the College to provide wellbeing resources.
Legacies can come in many different forms, from gifts of shares to life assurance policies. Satirist and actor John Bird (KC 1955) left a gift to the Future Fund, and subsequently his family have arranged for royalties from his estate to be directed to King's to support the Supplementary Exhibition Fund (SEF), making it a legacy gift that keeps on giving.
In many cases legacy gifts are left without any restrictions for their use, allowing King's to support whatever needs arise.
For many alumni and friends of the College, leaving a legacy is a way to give back to King's. During the King's Campaign, in addition to the £105 million raised, over £36 million was promised in new legacy pledges from more than 360 new legators; and £20 million in legacy income was realised both from pre-existing and new legacy pledges. These gifts make an extraordinary difference to the College.
The Campaign in Numbers
£105
Million
Raised during the Campaign
£2.75
Million
Raised through the annual Telephone Fundraising Campaigns and King's Giving Day
£4.6+
Million
Raised for the Supplementary Exhibition Fund and student hardship
£5
Million
Raised to support new MPhil and PhD studentships
£50
Million
Raised for student support
£36
Million
Pledged in future legacies
*not counted in Campaign total
6500+
Donors
1000+
New donors
338
New legators
15
New
New Research Fellowships created
£5+
Million
Raised to support the Choir
£9+
Million
Raised to support innovation
Thank you
The King's community has always been pioneering, seeking to defy expectations. The King's Campaign is a case in point: when Mike Proctor, my predecessor, first announced plans to raise £100 million, the target seemed impossibly bold. However, thanks to the incredible generosity of our alumni and friends, we have not only hit that target but exceeded it, and this is now providing invaluable support for students, research, our Fellows and our buildings.
An incredible 6500 people made a gift to King's during the Campaign. We had donation from (almost) every part of the world, and from every King's generation, from the newest graduates to alumni who are now looking back over 70 years of connection to King's. Your gifts have come in every size and every one of them has made a difference. Thank you!
In keeping with the King's spirit, however, we are not sitting still. On the contrary, we are keenly aware that we need to keep finding ways to champion our mission of "Education, Religion, Learning and Research" and to go further, particularly in widening access for UK students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is not easy. Government funding for research is being cut. Many students are facing considerable hardship, not just at undergraduate level but graduate level too. Academic pay is slipping. Some of our most iconic buildings, such as Gibbs, are badly in need of renovation - and the entire estate requires decarbonisation.
However we also know that we have a wonderfully loyal community and we have seen from the success of this Campaign just how much can be done. So as we celebrate our £100 million milestone, we want to say, once again a huge thank you.
When Henry VI founded the College in 1441, he presented it as a bastion of calm intellectual reflection amid a world engulfed by political and social turmoil - and urged his successors to protect the College as a haven for curiosity, reason and tolerance; without this, he declared, our societies would become "like a ship adrift in a storm."
Six centuries later this is more true than ever. So we are profoundly grateful for all you are doing, in whatever manner, to help us in this mission. Here is to the next six, sixty and six hundred years!
Dr Gillian Tett OBE
Provost
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