Full tuition scholarship fund for medical students created in wife's memory

William and Alison Morrison Anglesea on their wedding day

The first full tuition philanthropic scholarship for the Faculty of Medicine will support the next generation of medical students.

The Alison Morrison Anglesea Scholarship supports medical students with a scholarship that covers their full tuition fees for their six-year course and is awarded to exceptional students who might be prevented from studying medicine due to financial constraints. 

"I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the life of one person than by giving hope and a better future to another" Martin Lupton Vice-Dean (Education)

This marks the first-ever scholarship for the Faculty that is fully funded by a single philanthropic donation. The scholarship fund is made possible following a gift by alumnus William Anglesea (Chemical Engineering 1962).

The Alison Morrison Anglesea  Scholarship is named in honour of Mr Anglesea's wife Alison who passed away in 2013. Alison was a chartered accountant at a computer software company, Ansys UK Ltd.

Mr Anglesea, said: “Being able to directly support the next generation of medical students at my former university is a great privilege. Alison strongly believed in the value of education, and setting up a scholarship in her name that will benefit students for years to come is a very meaningful way of paying tribute to her.”

The first Alison Morrison Anglesea Scholar

The first recipient of the Scholarship has just commenced their second year of Medicine MBBS programme at Imperial College School of Medicine. They said: “I am honoured to be a recipient of the Alison Morrison Anglesea Scholarship and would like to sincerely thank Mr Anglesea for his generous support.

“With hard work and the support of my teachers, I achieved the grades to secure a place at Imperial – I could not believe that it was real! As the first of my family to attend university, it was a huge achievement for myself and my parents for which I will be forever grateful for.

“The first year of Medicine was intense but filled with amazing memories. I was challenged in ways that I had never experienced before and often had to step outside my comfort zone. Through struggles and success, I am continuously reminded of how fortunate I am to be studying at Imperial.

Student debt and funding my medical studies were concerns for both myself and my parents, who worked tirelessly to raise me as the person I am today. Although I can never fully express the value of Mr Anglesea’s generosity, I will endeavour to show my gratitude through future accomplishments and efforts.”

Student support

At present, the Scholarship can be awarded every three years to full-time Home students who have accepted a conditional or unconditional offer to study Medicine.

Along with the Lucas-Lee Scholarship, the Faculty now offers two scholarships specifically to help medical students reduce the financial burden of study, both of which are made possible through philanthropic donations.

Mr Martin Lupton, Vice-Dean (Education) and Head of the Undergraduate School of Medicine, said: "I am never quite sure that philanthropists appreciate quite what a difference they make. They make possible the futures that many people deserve but, without financial support, would never have.

"I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the life of one person than by giving hope and a better future to another. On behalf of all the medical students who will be given a future by this scholarship I want to thank the Anglesea family."

Mr Anglesea added: “I am aware of the financial challenges faced by some medical students due to the length of the course, and I hope these burdens will be reduced for recipients of this scholarship, allowing them to fully focus on their training to become the best doctors they can be.”

The next Alison Morrison Anglesea Scholarship will be awarded in 2021 and the next Lucas-Lee Scholarship in 2022. Both are awarded for outstanding performance during the admissions process.