Girton College, Cambridge, has received a major donation of £5 million towards its educational mission. The donation comes from an alumnus who wishes to remain anonymous.

This magnificent gift is the largest Girton has received in recent times. Donated in response to the College’s second development campaign, as a gift to the College, it is also a gift to Collegiate Cambridge’s 800th Anniversary Campaign.

Ten years ago the single gift of a friend of the College enabled Girton to launch its crucial student bursary scheme; she also saw the need to support teaching. Today, a full half of the £5 million will be used to set up a Teaching Support Fund, also crucial in a college that employs many teaching officers.

This fund will be used to match gifts from alumni and other sources for the long term endowment of teaching posts. The other half, as Girton’s pioneering founders would have wanted, will be added to the College’s endowment for general purposes to back up student services and facilities, among other activities.

It is needed. The difference between public funds received from student fees, and necessary expenditure on College-based teaching is currently made up from investment, conference and fundraising income. The aim of the Teaching Support Fund is to endow teaching posts in subjects where College Teaching Officers are in demand, and thus to ensure that the supervision system at Girton, and for which Cambridge is internationally renowned, continues into the future.

Commenting on the gift, the Mistress of Girton College, Professor Dame Marilyn Strathern, said:

"This is marvelous news. From its foundation, Girton has grown because of the thought and enthusiasm of people committed to education and the personal generosity of so many. The scale of this particular donation - and its commitment to our permanent endowment - enables us, quite simply, to take a long view of our objectives."
 

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