The Centenary Appeal: honouring our past, supporting our future
In 2026, we mark 100 years since we were awarded a Royal Charter — a milestone that offers an opportunity to reflect on how far psychiatry has come and to look ahead to support the next generation who will shape its future.
To celebrate this centenary year, we are launching the Centenary Appeal: a special initiative inviting members to play a lasting part in the College’s story by making a donation of £1,926, symbolising the year the Royal Charter was awarded.
We are looking for members to support the campaign in 2026. Your donation will help fund vital work across the College and, in recognition of your support, your name will be permanently displayed on the Centenary Donor Wall at the College in Prescot Street.
While the wall will stand at the College’s headquarters, the impact of each donation will reach far beyond it, supporting members, students, and initiatives across the UK and internationally.
What your support makes possible
Your gift will support two key priority areas for the College:
The College’s archives hold a unique collection of nearly two centuries of material tracing the evolution of psychiatry and mental healthcare. These records tell the story of how psychiatry and mental health have developed and help challenge misconceptions.
Part of the Centenary Appeal will support the digitisation of these archives, an essential step in making this history accessible to all. By bringing these records online, we can:
- make the archives accessible to members, researchers, and the public worldwide
- preserve fragile materials for future generations
- support research and deepen understanding of psychiatry’s history
- open the collection to those unable to visit our library in person.
If you choose to support this cause through your donation, you help ensure that the College’s history remains a living, accessible resource that continues to inform and strengthen the profession.
Alongside preserving our history, this campaign also looks forward. Donations will help fund programmes that encourage medical students to consider careers in psychiatry and support those taking their first steps into the profession.
Two key initiatives will benefit from this support:
- The Psych Star Scheme — A one-year programme offering mentorship, funding, and opportunities for UK medical students with a strong interest in psychiatry. Since 2019, more than 120 students have taken part, many going on to pursue psychiatry as a career.
- The Aggrey Burke Fellowship — A two-year programme supporting Black medical students across the UK, offering mentorship, professional development, and access to College’s events. The fellowship plays a vital role in building a more inclusive and representative psychiatric workforce.
By contributing to these initiatives as a donor, you help ensure that the next generation is supported, inspired, and equipped to meet the challenges ahead.
Be part of the College’s Centenary Appeal
If you want to be to be part of this milestone in the College’s history, support this special appeal and become one of the donors recognised on the College’s Centenary Wall, please express your interest and indicate which initiative you would like to support by emailing donation@rcpsych.ac.uk.
If preferred, you may also request to direct your donation towards other areas of greatest need that the College may identify.
Donations may be made as a single contribution or spread over up to two years.
If you have any questions or you would like to learn more about this appeal, our Head of Development and Partnership, Sally Souraya, will be happy to speak with you and provide further information.
The College thanks all those considering supporting this appeal and recognises that this initiative is about more than recognition. It is about coming together as a professional community to honour our shared history and invest in the future of psychiatry.