Preserving Clare's buildings and gardens

In 1999 Paul Mellon (1929) left a legacy of £4.4m to fund capital improvements and major repairs to Old Court , the Chapel, the Bridge and Gardens. In recent years, the income from the Paul Mellon Clare Trust has been used to repair Clare Bridge (the oldest spanning the River Cam), provide the College with much-needed new kitchen facilities, and build a glasshouse to help maintain the exemplary standard of the Fellows' Garden.

Supporting our students

Ian Campbell (1965) read Natural Sciences at Clare and was tragically killed in a car crash in 1970, shortly after leaving the College. Whenever they moved houses in the following years, his parents renamed their homes Clare Cottage in memory of their only child. Ian’s mother, Edith, died in 2012 and left a third of her estate to Clare College, with the request “to set up a bursary or scholarship, at the total discretion of the College, in memory of her late son”. The Ian Campbell Memorial Bursary is awarded annually, in perpetuity, to a Clare undergraduate or postgraduate in financial need, without subject or geographical restriction.

Nurturing Clare's musical talents

Though not an alumna herself, Phyllis Lee was a much-loved member of the Clare community. Phyllis’s husband, Hardy, had been at Clare (1929–32) and she remained devoted to the College, especially its musicians. She was herself an accomplished performer and took a keen interest in nurturing others’ talents. At her home in Millington Road, she often hosted musical soirées to encourage aspiring instrumentalists (including a certain Trinity College student, HRH Prince Charles). She was also a regular concert-goer, attending recitals in Clare until her death in 2007.

Phyllis left a substantial legacy to the College to support instrumental music, with the hope that it would enable Clare to continue its already-established tradition of musical excellence for future generations. So far, Phyllis’s generous gift has supported a variety of musical events and opportunities for our young musicians.  Many more such events will be possible in the future, thanks to Phyllis Lee's lasting legacy.