11 March 2026
Every student who arrives at King’s brings a story. Every researcher pursuing a life-changing medical breakthrough adds a new chapter. Every bold mind seeking solutions to the world’s most pressing problems moves us closer to a better future. But behind many of these stories is often another, quieter one, of someone who chose to leave a gift in their will. Legacy gifts work behind the scenes, but their impact is lasting and profound. They weave through every area of King’s. Widening access for talented students, driving pioneering research and enriching campus life. For many generous legacy pledgers, a gift in their will is a powerful way to honour the role King’s has played in their lives. These gifts are not simply financial contributions; they are acts of belief. Belief in education, in opportunity and in a future they may never see but care deeply about. Here we look at some of the ways in which legacies are shaping the future of King’s.
The campus of tomorrow
Thanks to some amazing donors, we have already started work on the redevelopment of Bush House South West Wing. Opening in September 2027, this updated building will be a space that will inspire learning, innovation and community for years to come.
Our vision is to create a vibrant, inclusive hub where research, learning, collaboration and wellbeing converge. Where learners can hear from global leaders and innovators from academia, industry and society. Where researchers from across disciplines can work side by side to tackle shared challenges. And where students can find places to meet, relax and build a sense of connection and belonging.
A visualisation of our South West Wing
Access to world-class education regardless of background
King’s is dedicated to giving the best and brightest students the platform they need to make a difference in the world, whether through empowering their local community, making important scientific breakthroughs, or turning ideas into innovation.
But we know that there are talented students who are not taking up their places at King’s or even applying to study here due to the escalating cost of living in London.
Donor‑funded initiatives such as the Key to King’s Bursary help students from underrepresented backgrounds access university by bridging the gap between maintenance loans and actual living expenses.
Legacy gifts have also provided vital tuition fee support for medical students facing financial hardship.
Margaret Foy’s generous legacy in memory of her parents established the James and Ivy Margaret Weir Award for Pharmaceutical Science. The award supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering the King’s Master of Pharmacy degree programme. The gift will also be used to support trained pharmacists employed within King’s Health Partners, who need assistance with postgraduate tuition fees to pursue pioneering clinical academic careers.
Dr Sydney James Beales (Jim) chose to give back through a legacy gift supporting future medical students. In his honour, the James Beales Bursary will fund two undergraduate medical students throughout their studies from 2026/27.
These gifts open the medical profession up to talented people from all backgrounds, creating a more diverse workforce that better understands and serves the communities it cares for.
Professor Shitij Kapur, Vice-Chancellor & President of King’s, talks to King’s medical students.
Today’s supporters shaping tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs
Legacy gifts to King’s have funded advanced research into some of the most serious and life-threatening conditions. This includes stroke, the fourth leading cause of death in the UK, and neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer that contributes to 15 per cent of childhood cancer deaths.
Right now, King’s researchers are using a legacy donation to develop and test a new therapy to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) manage problems with thinking, memory and self-awareness. The project combines digital tools with therapist support to help people cope with common MS challenges, such as fatigue and reduced concentration. The aim is to see whether this approach improves daily functioning and, if successful, to pave the way for a larger study and better long-term support for people living with this debilitating condition.
And looking to the future, a donation to the School of Medicine will fund a pioneering PhD project to modernise medical education through artificial intelligence, an important area for the next generation of medical students.
All of these projects have the potential to deliver lasting impact for patients and their families and turn today’s discoveries into tomorrow’s treatments.
Medical projects will deliver lasting impact
You can invest in the future
We are deeply grateful to every legacy donor for their generosity, foresight and the remarkable impact they have.
Gifts small and large play a vital role. Even the most modest legacy can help transform a student’s journey or support life‑changing research. For many supporters, a legacy is not about the size of the gift but about recognising a place that has been meaningful in their lifetime, a simple, thoughtful way to contribute to the future of King’s.
As King’s legacy pledger and award-winning journalist Jane Corbin says:
‘My key motivation for leaving a gift in my will is so that King’s can carry on doing the excellent work it’s always done.
‘More fundamentally, I believe in the importance of higher education and that everyone should have access to it. I had a great time at King’s. It influenced my life and my career. I still think fondly about it. Why wouldn’t I want to give back?'
To find out how you could leave a gift in your Will, please visit our legacy page, or for more personal advice on how you could shape the future of King’s, contact Julia Brown, Head of Legacy and In Memory Giving, at 020 7848 2635 or Julia.4.brown@kcl.ac.uk