Telephone Campaign 2023 - a big thank you!

Our 2023 Telephone Campaign has been a huge success, raising over £75k to support St Antony’s DAC Scholarship Endowment.

Over ten days, our brilliant team of six student callers spoke to 149 Antonians from all over the globe, connecting with alumni from different time zones and backgrounds, and 64% of those alumni decided to contribute to the campaign!

This is incredible news for our community, as the donations we've received will help ensure that St Antony’s remains accessible to the best and brightest students from all corners of the world, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Beyond the financial impact, the campaign was also an amazing way for current students to connect with alumni and hear their inspiring stories.

One Antonian told me that during the 80s, three students decided they were bored of spending all their time studying in the library and founded the late bar – we have them to thank for cheap pints! Another person was in the middle of a St Antony’s reunion when I called!

We're so grateful to everyone who gave generously of their time and resources to make this campaign a success.

Thank you!

Elijah (MSc Russian and East European Studies), one of our student callers, was particularly struck by the range of careers St Antony’s alumni have pursued, from diplomacy and the UN to England RFU and city law firms. He told us about his experience of taking part in the campaign:

Fuelled solely by tea, biscuits, and coffee, five other students and I have spent the past week calling alumni to raise money for the college’s DAC scholarship fund – an amazing student-driven initiative. The calling shifts have been long, and I’ve spoken to more voicemail recordings than people, but I can say with certainty that it has been an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience so far. The conversations and advice I’ve received have been invaluable.

We started the week with an intense day of training with talks from the college accountant, the university development office, and fundraising consultants. After the barrage of information (and more tea and biscuits) we were thrown into the deep end and found ourselves spending each evening in a bustling office reaching out to Antonians, updating them on the latest college news and reminiscing about college, friends, tutors, and of course, the late bar! It has, hands down, been quite a fast-paced thrill of a ride. The calling sessions have always been lively as each caller always has an interesting story to tell as soon as they’ve put the phone down. Each person I have spoken to has been very generous with career advice. It’s fascinating to hear about what St Antony’s was like during their time and where their degree has taken them.

I’ve enjoyed hearing particular stories and anecdotes about college life. One old member told me that during the 80s, three students decided they were bored of spending all their time studying in the library and founded the late bar – we have them to thank for cheap pints! Another person was in the middle of a St Antony’s reunion when I called! All the alumni I called shared amazing memories of their time here, a mutual fascination for the Besse building’s architecture, and a love for Roger Goodman.

Find out more about the DAC Scholarship campaign.