Future Proof: The Covid Hardship Fund

Future Proof:

The Covid Hardship Fund

By the summer of 2020, we all knew that 2019-20 would be a year to remember. We also knew that College finances were likely to take a hit of not less than £1 million per year for as long as the pandemic lasted, mostly through lost rental, accommodation and conferencing income. Further hits were anticipated through College seeking to mitigate student hardship, including supporting student welfare and assisting postgraduates whose research had been disrupted through loss of labs or travel.

All of these costs were right and proper for Somerville to pay – but the money had to come from somewhere. Fortunately, Somerville is good in a tight spot. In October 2020, we launched our ‘Future Proof’ Covid Hardship Fund, with a target of raising £100,000 in a month. Recognising the importance of the cause, our extraordinary community of supporters rallied round like never before. We ended the month of October 127% over target, having raised £127,467 from 387 donors, including matched funding of £55,150. We cannot express our gratitude to our donors properly for this support: unrestricted funds like these are vital in allowing Somerville to react flexibly, allocating money where it’s needed most for our students and community. “The COVID-19 hardship fund will help all students at Somerville secure further access to critical resources like the college counselling service or financial hardship support.”

BAHAR KASHEF HAMADANI (2018, DPHIL CLINICAL MEDICINE)

Embracing the New Normal: THE DIGITAL FUND

Somerville was an early adopter of online events with our ‘Somerville At Home’ series, but, by Michaelmas 2020, everyone could see these new platforms were here to stay. We also wanted to consolidate the success of the Access and Outreach team’s Virtual Open Days, which offer ever greater and more egalitarian avenues to connect with prospective applicants. We duly went to our community with a fundraising target of £30,000 for professional AV kit – and our community once again rose to the challenge. We raised over £50,000 from 37 donors. Special thanks go to Lynn Haight, Virginia Ross, Trevor Hughes, Rosamund Williams and the Somerville London Group for their generous support, the fruits of which can already be seen on the Somerville website and YouTube channel.