Giving in memory

Your gift will have a real impact

To celebrate the life of a loved one, you can make a gift in memory to remember them and make a difference to a cause that was close to their heart. Whether your loved one was an alumnus, staff member or close to the College for another reason, there are many different ways you can make a meaningful tribute in their memory and we have an obituary page on our website where you can share their life and achievements with others. Thank you for thinking of the College at this time.

Remembering Dr Alvin Li-Shen Chua

Alvin was an undergraduate of the Department of Physics from 1997 to 2000. During this time, he completed a BSc theoretical project under the supervision of Professor Kim Christensen, resulting in a research paper which was a rarity for undergraduate students. After graduating with a first-class degree in 2000, Alvin undertook a doctorate in the Condensed Matter Theory group under the supervision of Professor Dimitri Vvedensky. He graduated in 2004 with a PhD thesis entitled ‘Mathematical Aspects of Epitaxial Systems’. He later worked as a Research Assistant with Dimitri on the mathematics of surface growth models (2006 - 2007) and then with Professor Adrian Sutton and Professor Mike Finnis on simulations of materials (2007 - 2009). This led to an important publication in the top journal, Nature Materials, in 2010.

Alvin was a wonderful personality with a wide smile, and a sharp scientific and analytical mind which allowed him to produce research results in his own unique way. Alvin is remembered fondly by his fellow students and colleagues here at Imperial. In memory of Alvin’s life a park bench has been placed on the Queen’s lawn and a scholarship established for two postgraduate students undertaking a Master's in Research in Machine Learning and Big Data in the Physical Sciences - the course reflects Alvin's academic and real-world scientific interests.

Where you can make a difference with a gift in memory

A medicine student uses a pipette in the lab

Student Assistance Fund

Donations to the Student Assistance Fund help us respond quickly to priority student needs and projects, ensuring all students receive the very best education and the support they need to thrive.

Two students chat and walk through the Dalby Court in the sunshine

Where the need is greatest

Your gift will be allocated at the discretion of the President, wherever the need is greatest.
A student in the library holding a book

Other areas you can support

You can choose to direct your support to the cause that mattered most to your loved one, whether that's lifting financial barriers that can discourage disadvantaged young people from applying to Imperial, supporting students in a specific Faculty or helping us provide scholarships for the best and brightest.

Frequently asked questions

Memorial Pages

There is a wide choice of websites that allow you to create a memorial page for your loved one and to donate to the charity of your choosing. Imperial College London is registered with JustGiving and you are welcome to set up a new memorial page via this link. Please do contact us if you have another preferred website in mind.

Donating in memory

You may wish to make a one-off gift in memory of your loved one, by cheque payable to ‘Imperial College London’.

Cheques should be sent to:

Marta Bel
Head of Gift Accounting
Imperial College London
Advancement Division
SALC Mezzanine Level 5
Sherfield Building
London
SW7 2AZ

It would be lovely to hear a little more about the person you are remembering and why you have chosen to support the College in their memory, so please do include these details if you are happy to share them with us.

Gifts in lieu of flowers

It is possible for funeral attendees to make a gift to charity instead of giving flowers. If you would like to offer attendees the option of making a gift to Imperial College London, we can provide more information to help make this as easy as possible.

You may choose to provide a collection basket at the back of the room during the service, and let guests know that they are welcome to make a cash donation. The amount raised can be sent to the University by cheque (payable to ‘Imperial College London') as a lump sum, but cannot be gift aided.

Cheques should be sent to:

Marta Bel
Head of Gift Accounting
Imperial College London
Advancement Division
SALC Mezzanine Level 5
Sherfield Building
London
SW7 2AZ

If you would prefer to provide information to your guests about how to make a donation directly to the University, you can request a donation form, or a bundle of donation forms and pre-paid return envelopes. To request either of these please contact Amy Cook, Regular Giving Officer by email amy.cook@imperial.ac.uk or telephone +44 20 7594 1378.

Will my gift be eligible for Gift Aid?

You can make your gift go further. If you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the relevant box when you donate on the Imperial website and Imperial College London will be able to claim Gift Aid on your donation.

If you make a gift via JustGiving, please tick the relevant box on the JustGiving online donation form and JustGiving will claim Gift Aid on behalf of Imperial College London.

If you are sending a cheque or cash donation on behalf of other donors in one lump sum, please note that this gift will not be eligible for Gift Aid; please let us know if this is the case so that we do not claim Gift Aid in error. 

Who can I contact?

We would love to hear from you about the fond memories you have of your loved one and why you have decided to give to the College. You can get in touch with a member of our team.

Amy Cook
Regular Giving Officer

Email: amy.cook@imperial.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 20 7594 1378.

Alumni obituaries

If you would like to submit an obituary for an alumnus or former member of staff to be included on the College website please get in touch with the Alumni Relations Team by email alumni@imperial.ac.uk.