Celebrating the lasting impact of legacy gifts

Since the founding legacy which established LSE in 1895, the School’s long tradition of legacy gifts continues to shape our community – and the world – for the better.

In June, we were delighted to welcome to campus alumni and friends who have pledged to leave a gift in their Will, and the family members of those whose bequests have already been realised. It was a wonderful opportunity to come together with friends, celebrate their generous commitment, hear first-hand about the transformative impact of bequests and remember those from our legacy giving community who are no longer with us.

More than 40 supporters joined us for a lunch hosted by Professor Charles Stafford, Pro-Director Faculty Development and Professor of Anthropology. Professor Stafford shared the news on LSE’s outstanding performance in the 2021 Research Exercise Framework and gave an update on the progress of our Shaping the World Campaign.

Guests then had the chance to hear from Chelsea Auma, a final year LLB student whose LSE journey was made possible by both legacy and lifetime gifts to the New Futures Fund. She spoke about her difficult path to LSE, explained the tremendous impact the scholarship has had on her life and expressed her gratitude to our supporters for investing in her and other scholars’ future. Chelsea also features in our Campaign film.

During the event, it was also revealed that a new space to commemorate legacy gifts will be established on campus. The new Legacy Terrace Garden will be located on the 6th floor terrace of the Centre Building, and will incorporate a specially commissioned artwork supported by the Birney Family in memory Dr Mayling Birney ­– a professor in the Department of International Development at LSE who passed away suddenly in 2017. 

This new space will recognise how vital legacy gifts are in bolstering our ability to stay true to our founding mission and become the leading social science institution with the greatest global impact. A formal unveiling event will take place in the autumn.