Custodians' Appeal
University College Durham Trust has been built on the generosity of Castle alumni who believe every student deserves the chance to thrive.
Now, we are inviting you to become a custodian, to help ensure that future generations of Castle students can access the scholarships, hardship support, and opportunities that make a Castle education truly transformative.
Your Impact
- £2.4 Million — current value of the University College Durham Trust, raised through the generosity of our alumni
- 598 Students — supported over five years through scholarships, hardship and opportunities funding
- £85,410 — awarded in 2024–25 for internships, research travel, conferences and wellbeing support
- 25 Awards — supporting Castle student experience and success
What your gift makes possible
Monthly giving:
- £15/month could pay for a JCR levy for a student from a low-income background
- £20/month could support a student to attend a conference or pursue a volunteering opportunity, boosting employability skills
- £50/month would allow us to support weekly meals for commuter first-year students, helping them discover what being part of our College means
- Your choice/month every gift, whatever the amount, helps sustain the Castle spirit
Single donations:
- £25 could pay for a Freshers' Week wristband, allowing a student to participate in social activities
- £50 equates to the cost of an academic gown for formals
- £200 could pay for a hardship award, allowing a student to visit home in an emergency
- £5,000 is the annual cost of an undergraduate scholarship, supporting our students to make the most of their time at Castle
Your generosity ensures that generations of students can experience the transformative power of a Castle education.
Why do I give back
"As a child, I had a difficult relationship with an authoritarian father which peaked when I was 17, just as I was heading off to Castle as a fresher in the autumn of 1968. He declined to pay his 50% share towards my maintenance grant after just three months of my first year had elapsed. This caused me severe financial hardship. My new friends at Castle were wonderfully supportive, but I felt like a real burden because I was permanently skint.
The Master and Senior Tutor at University College were also highly sympathetic to my situation and allowed me to run a substantial deficit on my college account. The Chemistry Department was also very helpful. However, I lived from term to term, never quite sure whether I would actually complete my degree, a stressful situation as you may imagine. Additionally, I was obliged to find work during every vacation period to survive.
But complete it I did, and was subsequently highly fortunate to be hired as a research assistant at the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, completing a doctorate in biochemistry several years later. I went on to follow an academic career at UK universities but finished up in R&D with Ciba-Geigy in Switzerland. Now, long-retired, I feel motivated to try and help present-day students at the college facing similar financial hardship."
University College Alumnus, 1968-71