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Why give?

Royal Holloway started as a philanthropic mission to support education for all – help us continue it

Give now to help the next generation of Royal Holloway students.

Philanthropy is deeply rooted in the history of the College.

Royal Holloway was founded by two Victorian social pioneers who were committed to providing education and knowledge to everyone – especially women, as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College were among the very first colleges in the UK to give women access to higher education.

Elizabeth Jesser Reid, a pioneering social reformer, founded Bedford College in 1849 as the first college in Great Britain for the higher education of women.

Thomas Holloway, a self-made multi-millionaire who made his fortune in patent medicines, founded Royal Holloway in 1886 after he took his wife’s advice that a college for women would prove ‘the greatest public good’.

Today, the generosity of our donors continues to ensure that our students can access a rounded university education, achieve their goals and go on to pursue successful careers.

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