Worcester’s annual Telethon campaign kicks off this week, with our team of student callers speaking to hundreds of Old Members over the coming fortnight. We spoke to returning caller Emma Higginson (2022, Economics & Management) to get an idea of what life’s like on the other end of the line.

You took part in the Telethon last year – what made you want to come back and do it again?

I really enjoyed my time as a caller last year – I got to know people in College who I hadn’t met beforehand and we were very well looked after by the Telethon team. Everybody at Worcester benefits from alumni donations so it’s nice to give something back and getting involved with fundraising is a great way to show gratitude for the support we all receive.

I also got to speak to lots of interesting people and benefitted from some great career advice. It’s encouraging to chat to alumni about their lives after Worcester, especially for people who (like me) aren’t 100% sure what to do when they graduate, as you can hear about people’s experiences from a range of industries. Gossiping about College life was good fun too – I learned a number of different ways students used to sneak into College at night in order to bypass the midnight curfew… I’m not entirely sure what I’d use that information for since the curfew is thankfully long gone, but it was fascinating to hear what Worcester was like in the past!

What about the person on the other end of the phone? What do you think alumni can take away from the Telethon?

Part of the job is calling to thank Old Members who are currently giving regular donations, and last year I had some lovely conversations where I think people really enjoyed chatting about their university days and hearing about how Worcester has changed since. Whether you’re in a position to give or not, the team of callers are all lovely, chatty students and, if you’d like to talk for a bit about your life at university and your career since, it’s a wonderful opportunity to do so – we’re all ears.

Why are the funds raised from the Telethon so important?

Whilst any gift makes a real difference to life at Worcester, in the Telethon we’re particularly encouraging people to make ‘unrestricted’ gifts to the Worcester Fund, which can go towards the area of greatest need. These funds are used to support day-to-day College life, which requires a great deal of money to be spent on relatively unglamourous things (for example, ensuring good lighting in the libraries) which are vital but not so easy to fundraise for. On top of this, if any emergencies arise, having an unrestricted donations pot helps the College to put out fires as quickly and efficiently as possible. As they support the areas where College needs funds most, I think that deciding to give an unrestricted gift can help to maximise the impact of your donation.

How have you benefitted from alumni donations in your time at Worcester?

I’ve personally benefitted greatly from donations. As a Worcester College Scholar, the money taken off my battels each term is massively helpful in budgeting, especially with rising costs. On top of that, the Equal Access to Learning fund is a fantastic resource which opens various opportunities to students they would otherwise not be able to budget for. It’s paid for me to study an online fintech course which was a great supplement to my lectures and will hopefully give me an edge when applying to competitive finance positions. Many of my friends have also benefitted for the fund in various ways, from the emergency replacement of a laptop dropped down the stairs, to helping to pay for flights to Vietnam on a trip to teach English as a foreign language – as well as, of course, general financial aid through such economic uncertainty. This goes to show that donations do not only fund the day-to-day running of the College, but also support students who want to benefit from every opportunity Oxford has to offer.

Find out more about the Telethon and meet this year’s callers