From the 30 June – 18 July our team of current Churchill students took to the phones once again in a socially distanced call room to connect with our alumni community and raise vital funds for our Think Forward campaign. Our student callers gained a huge amount of life insight and careers advice as well as raising funds for the College and we are hugely grateful to all of those who were able to accept a call to help make the campaign a success. You can hear more from the students talking about their experiences in the video below.
The students shared stories and experiences with 556 alumni, an unprecedented 59% of whom decided to make a gift in support of the campaign! This is a rise of almost 12% on previous campaigns and is testament to the generosity of our alumni during a very challenging time for all. More than £180,000 was pledged over three years – rising to over £390,000 when longer-term pledges are taken into account, but thanks to our incredible Telephone campaign match donors the campaign will make even more of a difference! The matching pot comprised £40,000 from alumnus Eddie Powell (U&G67), and £10,000 from an anonymous College supporter for any gift made during the Telethon, whilst a further £30,000 in matching pledged from an alumni couple for gifts made to the Winston Churchill Top-Up Bursary Fund ensured Think Forward got off to a fantastic start. Gifts made to the unrestricted Think Forward Fund also benefited from match funding.
We have been delighted by the support the 2021 Telephone Campaign has received from so many alumni. We have ambitious plans for the future and this response gives us great confidence as we go forward. Above all, this generosity will help us achieve our vision for a College of all-round educational excellence, with a strong, supported community at its heart.
It is not too late to contribute to the campaign and you can find out more about the case for support and donate by visiting the Think Forward campaign website. Some people have mentioned that they do not feel able to give, as the amount they might feel comfortable with is too modest to be worthwhile. All donations, of whatever size, are very welcome and really do make a difference. For example, a one-off gift of £50 from everyone contacted on this telephone campaign would raise almost £50,000 for the projects we are supporting this year, before gift aid or match-funding is applied. Hence wide participation is really important and it encourages others to help us too. If you missed a call from a student, or would like to add your support, you can still donate online and we are tremendously grateful for every gift given!
