The Cambridge University Society for Women (CUSW), the first student group at the University of Cambridge which intends to limit its membership to those assigned “female at birth,” has received £13,810 in donations according to its GoFundMe page.

This comes almost three weeks after the society was founded by three students, with its initial announcement attracting considerable national media attention, as well as words of support from a number of public figures.

The society has previously been accused by the Cambridge University Labour Club of promoting “transphobic rhetoric under the guise of free speech”.

In an interview, The Telegraph claimed that the society’s three founders – President Maeve Halligan, Treasurer Thea Sewell, and Secretary Serena Worley – had been “branded ‘TERFs’ and shunned by peers”.

The list of donors includes a number of public figures, including Alex Gerko, Russian billionaire and Britain’s 20th richest man, who donated £3,000.

Lucinda Platt, a Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at LSE, donated £500 to the society. In 2023, Platt contributed to guidance issued by campaign group Sex Matters on collecting data on biological sex.

She told Varsity: “as a Cambridge alumna with a lifelong commitment to women’s rights, I’m pleased to support an organisation that has women’s concerns at its heart.”

Daily Mail columnist, and ex-wife of Michael Gove, Sarah Vine donated £50, telling Varsity: “If the society has been established by current students, one assumes they feel there is some kind of need for it. I am always supportive of women’s organisations.”

Alongside receiving large donations from a number of notable individuals who lack ties to the university, the society’s supporters appear to be dominated not by current students, but by university alumni.

There has been no evidence of the group having a strong support base among current students.

In an Instagram post by the society last Sunday (01/11), they claimed to have received 20 membership applications from students, and 60 applications from alumni to join the group of ‘affiliated alumnae’, as membership is restricted to current students.

This stands in contrast to a statement from Gerko to Varsity, commenting on his donation: “I believe in sex-based rights, a view shared by the majority of Cambridge students and the vast majority of the UK population. Good luck to CUSW, which will provide a forum for those views.” Gerko did not cite any sources for this statistic he provided to Varsity.

Alongside the GoFundMe, the society has received support from the membership organisation the Free Speech Union (FSU). The organisation supported “race-realist” Cambridge professor Nathan Cofnas against criticisms over his research, which claimed that in a meritocracy the number of black professors at Harvard would fall to almost zero.

Its Founder and General Secretary Toby Young informed Varsity that it was in receipt of the organisation’s Ian Mactaggart Programme, which provides student societies with up to £1,500 per term. The programme claims to “foster a culture of open debate, independent thinking and free expression among young people in the UK, especially students.”

In 2021, a flurry of students resigned from free speech campaigns at their universities linked with the FSU. In an email to the organisation explaining their resignation, students at Bristol’s Free Speech Society wrote: “We were led to believe that [the group] was independent from external organisations, particularly the one that most of us are concerned about, the FSU.”

Speaking in a personal capacity, president of the Bristol Free Speech Society Harry Walker had said: “Organisations like the FSU are just perpetuating a culture war.” At the time, a director of the FSU said: “I have always been very open about the FSU’s involvement and sponsorship,” while Young declined to comment.

Halligan, speaking on behalf of the society, claimed that the FSU was a “non-partisan organisation,” which has supported figures from across the political spectrum.

“We are proud to be receiving a grant from an organisation that clearly and effectively champions freedom of speech in our society,” she added.

Halligan said the donations would be used to go towards public events, publicity and campaign materials for charities, and “a big part of why some people have donated” was to provide the group with funds to defend against any potential legal action.

Halligan said: “Our membership consists entirely and exclusively of women currently studying at the University of Cambridge, but we have a group of ‘affiliated alumnae’ and another of current academics and professional services staff.”

She added: “The Gofundme page was a way to make sure that, right at the start, donations were public and visible.

“People expressed verbally that they were really happy about the society’s launch, with some referencing how women have had to defend their rights over and over again throughout history. Requests to donate to the society often followed these sentiments.

“The CUSW is not politically aligned and we have supporters from across the political spectrum, including many who are avowedly left of centre. We are proud to have received both a small number of larger sums and many smaller donations.”