Our community of supporters

About our donors, and why they donate

Behind every scholarship, every restored window, every student opportunity stands a donor who believes in our mission.

Our supporters are as diverse as the College itself – recent graduates making their first gift, established professionals giving back, and generous benefactors creating lasting legacies. What unites them? A shared connection to this place and a commitment to keeping it thriving for generations to come. Each year, we face a funding gap of 40%. This means that two out of every five pounds we spend comes from the generosity of our community. Your donations – whether £25 or £25,000 – directly support our students, preserve our historic buildings, and ensure the College remains a place of excellence and opportunity.

Meet our Donors

Profile 1: Starting Early

Elias – a recent graduate making his first gifts

Soon after graduating, Elias became one of the College’s youngest Regular Donors.

“My commitment to supporting Churchill
College began during my student days.
I was part of the telephone campaign,
which allowed me to engage directly with
alumni and see the incredible impact their
generosity had on the College community.
After graduating, I felt the duty to
continue giving back by making regular
donations myself.

I firmly believe in education as a powerful
platform for social mobility, a belief
shaped by my own family’s experience.
Supporting Churchill College makes me
feel proud and fulfilled, knowing that my
contributions help create opportunities
for students from all backgrounds. It’s
incredibly rewarding to give back to a
community that gave so much to me, and
to play a small role in fostering excellence
and equity for future generations.” – Elias Bedmar

Profile 2: Ongoing support

Tony – building a regular contribution

Tony became a regular donor to the College in 2005 and has been making regular monthly donations ever since. His longstanding philanthropy to Churchill College is motivated by a wish to support current and future students in their course.

Donating a manageable amount each month adds up to have a truly meaningful impact over a long period of time.

“I am delighted to be making a real contribution to the future of the College which is to be found in its members and not just its building.” – Tony Wierzbicki

Profile 3: Growing Impact

Susan – Deepening connection through continued support

Susan came to Churchill in 1985, with a research scholarship from the Gulbenkian Foundation, to undertake a PhD in transplant immunology, in the relatively new research area of organ transplantation. She completed her PhD in 1988 and went on to perform the first successful cadaveric liver transplant in Asia and Singapore in 1990. In 2017 Susan Lim and her husband Deepak Sharma set up the Dr Susan Lim bursary fund at Churchill College for students in STEM subjects. In addition the fund helps provide hardship grants to STEM students experiencing financial difficulty.

“A lot of people would not believe how much difference even a little support can make for someone in need. The generosity of donors has helped me study the subject I love and inspired me to make the world a better place through scientific research.” – A Susan Lim Bursary Recipient

Profile 4: Transformative Generosity

Greg – Philanthropic leadership creating lasting change

Greg has been supporting the College for over 20 years. His generosity spans numerous funds and he has donated extensively to the building of Cowan Court and graduate housing projects. He supports a number of student bursaries in the College, the Lock Bursaries provide assistance to undergraduate students particularly from Wales to study STEM subjects and to support outreach.

In 2021 he funded the Lock CORE Fellowship: a Fellow responsible for community, outreach, and recruitment activities in Engineering, within and beyond the College. Since the post was created Engineering activity with College has seen greater community engagement and a rise in the number of applicants wishing to study here.

Greg has been incredibly generous with his time to support activities within in College and is the chair of the College Development Board. Greg was made a Benefactor Fellow of the College in 2015 to acknowledge his generosity.

Profile 5: A Lasting Legacy

Philippa and Barrie – Supporting the College through a gift in their will

It is thanks to Churchill College that Barrie and Philippa first met in the 1980s. Amongst other things, they shared a fundamental belief that access to the performing arts within educational institutions was an excellent way of helping young people realise their potential. Some years before Barrie died (19 October 2021), he and Philippa had begun discussing the idea of leaving a legacy to Churchill College. They would request that a Trust Fund be set up in their joint names with a specific aim of promoting and encouraging interest in the performing arts in the College, offering financial support to students wishing to engage in related activities, including music and theatre.

This fund has enabled students to take up the Theatre Sizars position in the College, with students able to gain experience and foster theatrical life in the College, by raising awareness of opportunities and getting more people involved.

“Above all, Barrie and I wished the Fund to be understood as an expression of our gratitude to the College for welcoming us into its community – indeed, for having enabled our partnership.” – Philippa Comber