Lancaster University: Longstanding donor family installed into Chancellor’s College of Benefactors

A Lancaster University donor family has been installed into the Chancellor’s College of Benefactors as part of this July’s graduation ceremonies.

Three generations of the Welch family have left a truly remarkable legacy of support for the University that stretches back to before it received its royal charter in 1964.

Admission to the Chancellor’s College of Benefactors is the highest honour the University can bestow upon its supporters, and is a way to give greater recognition to organisations and individuals whose contributions have been truly transformational.

Members of the College of Benefactors have gone substantially further than most in terms of helping the University deliver world leading outcomes through our teaching and research.

Benefactors whose total support has exceeded £1M are eligible for membership, with presentations made by the Chancellor The Rt Hon Alan Milburn.

The Welch Family

Lawyer John Welch lobbied hard, as chairman of the Lancashire Education Authority, for the new university to be built at Bailrigg rather than Blackpool, gave generously himself and persuaded family and friends to make £1,000 donations to support the new institution.

His daughter, the late Joy Welch, supported the University throughout her life, and her nieces, trustees of the Joy Welch Educational Charitable Trust, have recently closed the Trust and given nearly £3 million to create an endowed fund at Lancaster to support research projects.

John’s son, Dr Philip Welch, is a long-term supporter of the Regional Heritage Centre, student hardship funds and STEM research projects.

The University has benefitted enormously from the community-minded and generous Welch family.