Behind every act of great philanthropy is a human story. Andrew Barnes ONZM, who read law and archaeology at Selwyn from 1978, and his partner Charlotte Lockhart MNZM have given £10 million to the University of Cambridge to establish the Charlotte Lockhart Precision Breast Cancer Institute, supporting research to give people more time and hope.

Andrew came to Selwyn from a state school in Lancashire, and has spoken of Cambridge as the catalyst that opened doors and gave him access to opportunities on which he built his life and career. That connection to Cambridge, and his belief in what it can achieve, is at the heart of this remarkable gift.

Charlotte was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2021. In a video for Cambridge University, she has spoken simply and powerfully about what that diagnosis meant. She said: "You never know how strong you can be until life throws you a chance to see that. All I could think about was leaving my family." 

Since then she has visited Cambridge to see the research first hand, and describes what she found there as turning hope into reality. 

"Without research, I wouldn't be here today. I want others to have the same chance. To be able to watch their families grow up," she said.

Andrew donated the gift via the Barnes Lockhart September Giving Trust. He said of the people behind the research: "It gives us strength. It gives us real hope. We want others in our position to feel that hope too."

The Charlotte Lockhart Precision Breast Cancer Institute will form part of the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, due to complete in 2030.

We send our warmest wishes to Charlotte and Andrew.