Giving is a transformative, life-changing experience
- 19 March 2025
- 7 minutes
Altruism noun: willingness to do things that bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself
Two alumni of Gonville & Caius College with matriculation years more than 50 years apart tell their stories about receiving bursaries, highlighting the lifelong impact of giving. They share how supporting current or future generations of Caius students is transformative.
Peter Redfern (Electrical Sciences 1969) and Lauren Collins (Law 2021) benefitted from philanthropy while students at Caius. Peter’s generosity of spirit is replicated by his giving, contributing to bursaries for engineers and scientists. Lauren, who graduated in July 2024, received College support and intends to give to Caius in time. She has already given back by being a Telephone Campaign caller and access ambassador while a student. Some alumni will have heard Lauren give speeches at the Edmund Gonville legators’ lunch or at the May Week Party.
Their motivations are altruistic; to help others after they themselves have benefitted in the same way. They each hesitated to share their stories, but know by doing so others will learn about the support, and the opportunity to give back, available at Caius.
Both Peter and Lauren are from north east England, with Peter’s story traced to his home town of Darlington and its history with the railways and the Quakers.
“One person in the town each year was given money to go to university,” says Peter, who was the chosen one to benefit from Henry Pease’s philanthropy.
“I’ve given the money back now,” adds Peter, more of which later.
When Peter’s mother died aged 96 and her house was sold, Peter gave the proceeds to his children and to charity, including Caius. Having enjoyed pastoral support from his Tutor and following his career as a Chartered Engineer, he wanted to give back. He gave to the College in memory of his parents, to engineers and scientists (his father was a scientist).
Peter says: “There is a question of how do you help out. There was a lot of people who couldn’t afford to go to Cambridge, or viewed that they couldn’t afford to go to Cambridge. It’s certainly turned a corner now.”
That corner has been turned in no small part due to people like Peter, who wants to increase his contribution to the bursary year on year for as long as he is able to do so. It was a message from a bursary recipient which prompted this goal.
“I got a Christmas card saying thank you. She was a medic – you could argue she wasn’t a scientist!” Peter adds.
“She wrote such a charming comment. I was so overcome with what she said that I decided there and then that I would increase as much as I could every year the fund so that we could get as many people as we could going through it.
“The whole business means quite a lot to me. I don’t consider this to be at all trivial. I consider it to be extremely important.
“She will be a qualified doctor now and I’ve helped that to a little extent.”
Lauren, from Wallsend, Newcastle, is now qualifying to be a solicitor after completing her undergraduate degree at Caius. She was the first in her family to go to university, applying was a daunting task in itself.
She was encouraged by teachers to aim for Cambridge, and her research revealed that the financial support would match the academic experience.
“I realised the support I could potentially receive at Cambridge would make it more affordable to come here than elsewhere. On top of it being the best university in the UK,” Lauren says.
“Cambridge have a sliding scale bursary starting at the lowest incomes getting £3,500 a year, plus additional if you were on free school meals or a care leaver.
“For context of how generous that is, my insurance offer was only a bursary of £1000, which would’ve meant I would have to work at least part-time throughout my degree. Coming to Cambridge made it more affordable and I could concentrate on my academics.”
The Cambridge Bursary offers from £3,500 for those with a household income of £25,000 to £100 for those with a household income of £62,215. The Bursary scheme allows students to focus on their studies to fulfil their academic potential.
Lauren also benefitted from College-specific support. Support is not just financial – with academic, wellbeing and extra-curricular activities part of an all-round experience at Caius.
Lauren, pictured being congratulated at her graduation in June 2024
With funding, there are no obligations attached.
She adds: “A big thing for me was the fact this money was no strings. The Cambridge Bursary is automatically assessed when you put in a student finance application, so you don’t have to worry about applying for that additional funding. The College funding you do have to put in a small application, but it’s not invasive.
“For me that was such a weight off my shoulders, especially as before I even started university there was a perception that this was going to financially ruin us. I know my mum in particular was very worried about the prospect of how we were going to afford this. Having that burden lifted off was a massive weight off my shoulders.”
A student finance talk, which Lauren attended with her mum, allayed those fears.
She adds: “Learning a bit about how well supported you are here really just opened our eyes to how this was a real possibility, that it wasn’t beyond our grasp, it wasn’t just for the wealthy. It was something everybody could strive for and could achieve.”
That is what widening participation is about – giving everyone the opportunity to reach their academic potential no matter their socio-economic background.
Peter was a recipient of Edward Pease’s generosity and has now returned it to the Quakers, following a quick calculation.
He adds: “I worked out how much it was worth and I’ve given it to the Quakers in Darlington, who will be using it for children in Darlington again. It was something like £40 and turned out to be about £2000 (in today’s money). It seemed to me a good use of money.
“Caius was so good with me. That’s what in some ways drives me. My effort is to try to increase the amount of money I put into the bursary every year so we can do more to help people who feel they can’t make use of an Oxbridge college. People have got a totally false idea, because from day one, when you matriculate, you are a member of the college and that’s it!”
This support really made the difference between me being able to study here and not ~ Lauren
Lauren would encourage anyone who can to give to support Caius students of today and tomorrow, whether that is through a small monthly direct debit, or larger gift.
She says: “Having just graduated recently, I can’t understate how massively important this support is to prospective applicants and current students. It really made the difference between me being able to study here and not. As soon as I am able, I will be continuing to support…
“Being able to have come to Cambridge and have that as part of my repertoire now, have that on my CV, when I go into jobs, has opened so many doors to me. Cambridge helped facilitate so many relationships which I otherwise never would have had and helped open so many doors. Even my current job offer was instigated by people telling me I could and I should apply. Past alumni networks really supported me and helped with their advocacy and knowing my worth.
“Anybody who can support I’d really implore you to consider it. You are making a massive difference. Not only to the demographic of students we have here, even the country itself. Change is made by leaders and leaders are fostered in places like Cambridge. You want a diverse population of people coming here. Without that support you’re cutting off a massive proportion of people who could be a next world leader, a next peace marker, a next Prime Minister…”
Referring to the definition of altruism, which opened this story, it is clear the only disadvantage is a reduced bank balance or giving up time – both to the benefit of the current and next generations of Caians. Thank you to Peter and Lauren, thank you to others who give, and thank you to those who are considering giving following this story.
--
