The London Marathon helps to raise vital funds for worthy scholars whose only barrier to higher education and a rightful place in society is financial. Through the Canon Collins Trust's scholarship programme in southern Africa, these extraordinary leaders of tomorrow are often the first in their families to gain degrees which has a proven ripple effect in their communities.

This work began in 1981 when Apartheid divided South Africa and Namibia, leaving black Africans living in poverty and servitude. Today, even though Apartheid has officially ended, there are numerous injustices remaining. In South Africa, unemployment and gender-based violence are sky high. In Zimbabwe, a brutal regime does not tolerate opposition, and the economy has all but collapsed. In Eswatini (Swaziland) the monarch holds all the power while ordinary people have nothing.

The Canon Collins Trust is committed to fighting such injustices by supporting socially engaged postgraduate study at universities in South Africa, because it is at this level that scholars can make a real difference in society. Mandela himself was one such Canon Collins scholar who has left an undeniable mark on this world.

Please support our London Marathon runners who are playing their part to give a worthy scholar a chance to effect positive change!