Canon Collins Educational & Legal Assistance Trust is building a community of change agents across southern Africa who create and use research for social impact.

Canon Collins Trust was founded in 1981 by the British Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa (DAF). DAF was born out of the Treason Trial in 1956, when 156 leaders of the ANC and allied organisations were arrested. Many individuals and organisations came together to provide funding for their legal defence. What had been the Treason Trial Fund grew into the British (later International) Defence and Aid Fund established by Canon John Collins (pictured right), which formed branches in Sweden, Norway, Australia and Switzerland and raised funds from all over the world to provide legal assistance to anti-apartheid activists in South Africa.

Canon Collins believes that higher education is empowering for individuals and transformative for society. Southern Africa’s development depends on strong leadership in key fields, which is why we have supported over 3,000 individuals through their studies since 1981. Research and knowledge are crucial tools for addressing some of the most pressing issues in contemporary southern African society, therefore we focus our scholarship provision on enabling access to postgraduate and doctoral studies. On top of a strong academic record and a passion for research, their scholars must demonstrate their commitment to social justice and to employing their skillsets to achieve impact within the wider community. It focus on education also extends to access to primary and secondary schooling.