We are thrilled to report the extraordinary conclusion of St John’s 17th Annual Telethon; the College’s most successful to date and, we believe, the most successful campaign of its kind held by an Oxford or Cambridge College.
Over a three-week period, 649 alumni collectively pledged a total of £572,937 in support of the Dobson Free Places Fund, the Annual Fund, the Studentship Scheme and other essential College projects. Inclusive of matched funding for Dobson Free Places, this total increases to more than £870,000. This is an awe-inspiring achievement, and one of which all Johnians should be proud.
To all who took part in this year’s Telethon, please accept our sincere thanks for your time and consideration. And to those of you who chose to make a gift, know that your support is appreciated by all here in College, and most greatly by those students who will benefit from your generosity. Every gift makes St John’s a more accessible and enriching environment in which our students are challenged and supported to realise their full potential.
In true St John’s fashion, this year’s Telethon bucked the trend; raising the bar higher at a time when many institutions are experiencing diminishing returns from telephone fundraising activities. The reason for this lies both with our supporters and our exceptional team of callers. Counted among the latter was Blessings Doherty (2021), a graduate in Land Economy who was inspired to ‘give back’ to St John’s through the Telethon before furthering her study of the economic development of African cities. Blessings kindly compiled some behind the scenes footage from this year’s campaign as a special thank you to our donors, which we hope you enjoy.
Blessings Doherty is a recent graduate of the Land Economy tripos at St John’s College. She matriculated at St John’s in 2021 and has thoroughly enjoyed her time here. During her time at St John’s she developed a deep love for academia, merging her passions for the natural and built environment with the economic development of African cities. She is interested in pursuing further research that produces policy implications for African governments.