THe Telethon
About the Telethon
In 2004, the College embarked on an annual programme of regularly telephoning alumni, and the results have had a transformative effect on the student experience, and on the fabric of the College itself.
A Telethon offers us the opportunity to keep in touch with alumni and let them know what’s going on in and around the College. It also offers alumni the chance to hear about our fundraising projects to benefit students and choose to offer their support. Although an important part of a campaign, it is not all about fundraising and we hope that alumni enjoy exchanging experiences with a current student.
We are very grateful for the support we receive and we are delighted that collectively the Telephone Campaigns have raised over £3.5 million. This has made a huge difference to the lives of students.
Recent Telephone Campaigns
Telethon 2022
- spoke with more than 600 alumni over three weeks
- raised more than £295,292
- 43% of those called agreed to make a gift to support our students during a pandemic
Furthermore:
- It was our first full-scale Telethon run in-person since 2020
- The funds raised will continue to help support our current students who struggle with unexpected financial hardship, to bolster our access and outreach initiatives, 10th term funding for postgraduates, support global student travel to academic conferences where they present their research.
Virtuathon 2021
In the midst of a global pandemic, 13 returning callers:
- spoke with 371 alumni over three weeks
- raised more than £146,000
- 43% of those called agreed to make a gift to support our students during a pandemic
Furthermore:
- It was our first full-scale Telethon run entirely remotely
- The funds raised will continue to help support our current students who struggle with unexpected financial hardship, to bolster our access and outreach initiatives, 10th term funding for postgraduates, support global student travel to academic conferences where they present their research.
Virtuathon 2020
In the midst of a global pandemic, five returning callers:
- spoke with 261 alumni over three weeks
- raised just short of £70,000
- 52% of those called agreed to make a gift to support our students during a pandemic
Furthermore:
- It was our first Telethon run entirely remotely – among the first Colleges in Oxbridge
- The funds raised will continue to help support our current students who struggle with unexpected financial hardship, to bolster our access and outreach initiatives, 10th term funding for postgraduates, support global student travel to academic conferences where they present their research.
Telethon 2019
- 12 students spoke with more than 1300 alumni over three weeks
- Just under £280,000 was raised
- 21% of funds raised were designated to student support and a further 8% to access & outreach
- 36% of those called agreed to make a gift to the Trinity Hall Fund.
- We had meaningful conversation with 55% of those we set out to speak with
- First Telethon run entirely in-house
- The funds raised will continue to help support our current students who struggle with financial hardship, to bolster our access and outreach initiatives, help us continue our programme of refurbishment of the College’s historic buildings and support global student travel to academic conferences where they present their research.
“ There are so many things that I appreciate about the campaign, chief of all being that it’s people-focused. You just get to have great chats with amazing people across various stages of life. ”
— Joanna, 3-time Caller
“ When I graduated, I secured a job as fundraiser for a national charity, and my experience in calling was crucial to me being selected for the job. ”
— Recent Telethon caller
Applications for the 2024 Telethon have closed.
A paid job opportunity opens annually to all current JCR and MCR members of Trinity Hall and those who have recently graduated.
