Our very first giving day #WorcGives2018 got off to a flying start on Tuesday 27th November.  With 25 Social Ambassadors sharing their social media links; a matching gift of £20,000 already in place thanks to the generosity of Barrie and Deedee Wigmore;  a further three challenge gifts – £5,000 split equally between Bursaries and Scholarships, and Access and Outreach from David Loevner; and from Peter Earl, £3,000 for a new Boat for the Worcester Women’s 1st Eight.

We started the day at 12 noon, finishing at midnight on Wednesday 28th November.  We were absolutely thrilled with the responses we received: over 130 donations by the end of the campaign, with some of our donors giving to more than one project.

By midday on Wednesday we realised we were going to reach our £40,000 target, at which point Barrie Wigmore agreed to a further match of £10,000, encouraging even more support and keeping the momentum going. Our students joined in with the excitement of the day by promoting the campaign and some even made their own donations.

We had a constant flow of communications and gifts from the UK and the US, and many other parts of the globe. This new initiative was not just about fundraising; it was also about encouraging participation, bringing alumni, students, friends and staff together — we certainly achieved that.

All in all it was a fantastic effort, raising more than £70,000. Huge thanks to all our 122 donors, our amazing Social Ambassadors and the Development Team for making the campaign such a success.

Coleen Day, Fellow and Director of Development & Alumni Relations