Oxford University college receives its largest ever donation of £30mn
Melanie May | 2 October 2023 | News
Worcester College in Oxford has announced a major donation of £30 million from alumnus Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones KBE – the largest in its history to date.
Sir Owen-Jones matriculated in 1965 to read Modern Languages. An Honorary Fellow and trustee of the Worcester College Oxford Endowment Trust, he was appointed Chairman and CEO of L’Oréal in 1988 and has been its Honorary President since 2011. He is also a Commandeur of the Légion d’Honneur and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
The major gift will be used for the construction of two new buildings: The Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones Library, and a graduate accommodation building.
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The Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones Library will offer “modern and accessible workspaces and facilities” and will also be a “landmark building situated at the heart of the College site and constructed to the highest environmental standards”.
The accommodation building will help to bring in additional income to support the College’s educational activities and provide a home to students who come there for taught and research-based further study.
Worcester College Provost, David Isaac CBE said:
“We are deeply grateful to Sir Lindsay for making this incredible commitment to Worcester College. Through the creation of a new Library and workspace, this landmark donation will strengthen the Worcester community by supporting our core academic mission and transforming the overall student experience. The state-of-the-art library facilities will allow for both traditional study and collaborative working. The Owen-Jones graduate building will also enable us to increase the size of our graduate community and better support their experience in College. Thanks to Sir Lindsay’s gift we will ensure that future generations of graduate students will benefit from the beauty of Worcester’s gardens and grounds. Worcester College owes its existence to a generous benefaction; Sir Lindsay’s gift will be equally transformational for students in the twenty-first century.”
Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones KBE said:
“My heart missed a beat when many years ago I first encountered the beauty of Worcester College. Amazement, joy and pride quickly followed when I heard that I had been selected to be an undergraduate there. For a teenager from Merseyside, studying at Worcester was a life-changing opportunity which dramatically widened my horizons and awakened my ambition. I am delighted that I can express my profound appreciation for all that Worcester did for me through this gift. I hope that these new buildings will support and inspire future generations of students in the same way that Worcester once supported and inspired me.”
Other major gifts for Oxford University have included £100mn to create an antimicrobial research institute in 2021, and £150mn in 2019 for the humanities.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.