The Rhodes University Trust UK is a registered UK charity and was set up in 1990 by its first Chairman, Mike Chapman, Pearce Rood and Allan Gray (after whom the Allan Gray Residence at the University is named).

Its primary purpose is to provide funding and support for educational activities conducted by Rhodes University in South Africa and other educational institutions and initiatives in the Grahamstown and surrounding area.

Funds are solicited from Old Rhodians in the UK (1,800 alumni are currently listed on the University Database as living in the UK) and from organisations interested in supporting education in South Africa. Over the years, fundraising efforts have helped with:

Scholarships and bursaries for disadvantaged students

Library Projects

Purchase of computer equipment for residences

More recently, some of the most significant disbursements have gone to the following:

£300,000 from the mining group Xtrata to support a research programme in Economic Geology that will complement the established coursework masters programme in Exploration Geology. Specifically this takes the form of a subvention of the existing chair in Exploration Geology.

The Trust is managed by a board of Trustees, all of whom have volunteered their services and time free of charge. The board consists of seven trustees including a Chairman and Treasurer.

As well as the trustees, the trust calls on the services of several other Old Rhodians who volunteer their time and ideas to assist in helping to raise funds.