£5m donation gift by Dangoor Education to transform life and work of Imperial

The Dangoor Reach Out Makerspace

A five million pound donation from the Dangoor family’s Exilarch’s Foundation will have a far-reaching impact across Imperial College London.

Imperial, consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world, has an international reputation for excellence in teaching, research and innovation across science, engineering, business and medicine.

Our long-standing family connection to Imperial College London and our commitment to finding answers to many of the challenges facing humanity makes this a natural fit David Dangoor

The generous gift, made through the Dangoor Education arm of the Foundation, will fund a pioneering hub for collaborative multi-disciplinary cancer research, support The Invention Rooms at the College’s White City Campus, and transform the heart of the South Kensington Campus.

Imperial College alumni David and Elie Dangoor are Trustees of the Exilarch’s Foundation and have previously supported Imperial’s Wohl Reach Out Lab, which provides educational opportunities to school children from all backgrounds.

“The Exilarch’s Foundation, through Dangoor Education, has a strong record of contribution to the field of medical interdisciplinary research that is seeking solutions for diseases like cancer, and is a robust supporter of creating space for education and discovery.” David Dangoor said.

“Our long-standing family connection to Imperial College London and our commitment to finding answers to many of the challenges facing humanity makes this a natural fit,” Dangoor continued. “We trust that this gift will assist the university to remain at the forefront of many of the breakthroughs in medical research, creativity, invention and innovation with which it has become synonymous.”

Far-reaching impact

Professor Alice Gast, President of Imperial College London, said: “We are profoundly grateful to the Dangoor family and the Exilarch’s Foundation for their generous support.”

“This remarkable gift will have a far-reaching impact on the life and work of the Imperial community. It strengthens our research, will improve our campus environment, and provides pivotal support for our work in the local community. The partnership with the Dangoor family will benefit many and the effects of this support will be enduring and felt for decades to come.”

The Exilarch’s Foundation’s support will fund the development of an interdisciplinary cancer research centre in the Roderic Hill Building at the South Kensington Campus, to drive advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

The new facilities will form a central hub, accessible to clinicians and academics from Imperial and partner organisations, offering flexible meeting and networking space, facilities for cancer research workshops and meetings, and areas for desk-based research.

Critical support

Additionally, the donation provides critical support for new educational initiatives at The Invention Rooms, Imperial’s pioneering community and innovation space at White City.

The Invention Rooms, which opened last year at the College’s White City Campus, brings members of the local community together with Imperial’s academics, students, alumni and partners to test out creative ideas, build real prototypes and share in fun of making and discovery.

The gift will allow the College to build new and innovative ways to work with local people to develop their entrepreneurial projects. Central to this is the Reach Out Makerspace, housed within the Invention Rooms, where members of the community can use cutting-edge equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and wood and metalworking machinery to develop and test their ideas.

The Reach Out Makerspace will be renamed the Dangoor Reach Out Makerspace in recognition of the gift.

Campus Transformation

Finally, the gift will help transform outdoor space in Imperial’s South Kensington campus through the development of a new plaza surrounding the Queen’s Lawn and the iconic Queen’s Tower.

Stretching from the Sherfield Building and the Central Library to the Skempton and Chemistry Buildings, the Dangoor Plaza will open up the existing space to create a welcoming quadrangle which will enhance the Queen’s Lawn.

The Dangoor Plaza will provide an inviting, comfortable green space with covered areas to allow for both spontaneous and planned activities for staff and students year-round.

The Dangoors have a long history, through the Exilarch Foundation, founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Naim Eliahou Dangoor, and the Dangoor Education fund, in supporting institutions of higher education in the UK and Israel, cooperation between the two countries, and innovation and medical research which is making major breakthroughs in their multidisciplinary work.