Bartlett alumnus pledges gift to support future students

Gary Local studied at what was then the Bartlett School of Architecture, Building, Environmental Design and Planning in the late 1980s, where financial support and study opportunities played a formative role in his experience. He has now pledged a gift in his will to support future students. 

Gary reflects on his time at UCL:

Back in the 1980s, while I was studying for my degree, the university provided me with a hardship grant of a few hundred pounds. It was a gesture I deeply appreciated. Coming from a mining community, my parents weren’t always able to fulfil the financial commitment of supporting me, and without that extra help, my time in London would have been very difficult. 

I hold a very fond memory of the Bartlett taking our entire year on an all-expenses-paid study week to Padova, Italy. At 20 years old, this was the first time I had ever been abroad. It ignited a lifelong passion for travel that has since taken me to over 60 countries across seven continents. 

Now that I am in a position to give back, it feels only right to do so. I want to ensure that students today who are facing financial strain, particularly those from less well-off backgrounds, can benefit from my gift just as I did from the university’s kindness all those years ago.”

Professor Jacqui Glass, Dean of the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, said: 

I am grateful to Gary for choosing to pledge a gift in his will to support the future of the Bartlett and our students. Legacy gifts are incredibly meaningful. They are a fond reflection of the opportunities and experiences one has had as a member of the Bartlett community and a lasting investment in our shared mission to build a better future for all.”