Innovative Student Lived Experience Project Supports Future Generations of Lucy Cavendish College Students
First year undergraduates reflect on life at Lucy.
Alex Saville’s legacy gift shows how remembering Lucy Cavendish in your will can make a phenomenal impact
Alex Saville (English, 1990) had a love of education and intellectual stimulation, with a particular passion for Literature. After studying Iris Murdoch and Oscar Wilde during her English degree at Lucy in the 1990s, Alex went on to establish and lead Shakespeare, Poetry and Reading groups for the next 30 years. A natural and inspiring teacher, Alex spotted the potential in people irrespective of their background or prior educational experiences. It is therefore incredibly fitting that Alex’s legacy gift to Lucy Cavendish is supporting a talented student to thrive this year.
Rebecca, Alex’s daughter said
“Mum would be absolutely delighted to know that her money had been spent on this English Bursary and the recipient was so carefully chosen. My brother and I always felt that our Dad went onto Oxford as a right of passage largely because of the school he attended, whereas our mum got into Cambridge purely on merit and had to wait until much later in life to access her own tertiary education. We are glad that Mum's gift has been invested in a person and not a building project because we know that it will bear fruit in many hidden ways, as her own time at Cambridge surely did.”
The recipient of the Alex Saville English Bursary said
"Lucy’s welcoming, inclusive and encouraging atmosphere has been evident from the moment I arrived to begin my English degree. It is clear that Alex’s foresight and generosity in establishing a bursary fully embodied the College’s supportive atmosphere, and I am so grateful for the significant impact it is having on my time at Cambridge to date.
Alex also studied English at Lucy Cavendish in the 1990s, and one of the reasons she chose to study her degree was to release her intellectual potential - her scholarship is truly helping me follow mine.
Coming from a low-income background, the scholarship enabled me to quickly settle into Cambridge life because knowing that I had this extra support instantly removed some of my financial concerns... I am immensely grateful, and very excited for what my future will bring."
It is generosity such as Alex’s which will enable the brightest minds from all backgrounds to access a world-class university education, so they can graduate with the skills and confidence to make a positive impact in society.
How do I pledge a legacy to Lucy?
The first step is very easy. If you are thinking about leaving a legacy, have already done so, or would like some further information, all you need to do is to complete the online form:
or feel free to get in touch with Tom Hawker-Dawson (Deputy Development Director).
What happens next?
Once you decide to pledge a legacy gift to Lucy Cavendish we will ask you to complete a non-binding Legacy Intentions form. On returning this to College you will be invited to join the Anna Bidder Society. The society was founded to celebrate the commitment of those who so generously pledge legacy gifts to Lucy Cavendish and meets regularly with Society President (and Former College President and Honorary Fellow) Baroness Pauline Perry of Southwark. All those who pledge gifts in their will are invited to join the society and to attend regular gatherings and events in college.
To get involved with our Giving Week and to show your support please visit the LucyGives website.