The Old College Appeal

The Old College needs your help.

This majestic Grade-1-listed building on the Aberystwyth seafront is one of the UK’s great architectural landmarks. It is also the University’s first home.

As the University grew over the years and moved to a larger campus, we made it our aim to preserve the Old College in all its splendour, whilst also giving it a new purpose, to serve our students, staff and local communities.

Thanks to generous support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Welsh Government, philanthropic trusts and individual donors, we are now close to making this happen.

With your help, Old College will reopen its doors in 2026 and once again be a place of cultural enrichment, a space for young people to learn and thrive, a venue where communities come together and a catalyst for economic growth. A place of welcome, open to all.

For young people - the Old College will provide a large, inclusive, Safe Space with youth-led activities and training opportunities through conferencing, hospitality, exhibitions and events.

For students – the Old College will offer dedicated town-centre study spaces, a Moot Court, a wide range of knowledge and skills building sessions and volunteering opportunities.

For communities - the Old College will offer a variety of exhibitions and related themed events, highlighting the University’s historic collections as well as touring displays, a Science Centre with cinema, a cafe and restaurant, 4-star accommodation, and community and function rooms, all under one roof.

For entrepreneurs - the Old College will nurture business creation, extending the University’s support and expertise to our students and the wider community through the Enterprise Hub, a state-of-the-art facility developed in conjunction with the Local Authority and Welsh Government.

For dialogue - the Old College will offer a platform for constructive dialogue to support them working towards greater collaboration and problem solving.

Please support the Old College Appeal in any way you can and donate today.

To find out more about the spaces and facilities in the Old College, visit the Old College plans.

About the Appeal

The Old College Appeal is the most ambitious fundraising appeal since our Foundation in 1872. Following the footsteps of Aber’s ‘crowd-funding‘ trailblazers of the 1870s and the impact achieved by the ‘pennies of the people’, never has your support and ambition for Aberystwyth University been so crucial regardless of the size of your gift.

The appeal aims to raise £3 million in philanthropic income from our alumni and friends and help enable us to unlock the full grant of £10.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other matched funding to secure the future of the Old College.

Considered by many as the heart and home of the University, the Old College is now a place that you can transform, where many lives were changed through learning and discovery, lifelong friendships and relationships shaped.

By pledging your donation today, together we can save this unique and rare treasure, and recreate these transformative opportunities and experiences. In doing so, you will join every other donor, unless expressed anonymity, to be permanently recognised in the Old College for all to see and celebrate.