2025 Donor Impact Report
Introduction from The Warden
I believe that one of the inestimable benefits of an Oxford education is what happens beyond the tutorial room or the lecture hall.
The whole experience, which takes in culture in all its forms, the many available sports, travel (now resumed after a post-pandemic lull) and community activities within Oxford which support those less advantaged, is critically important in preparing our students for a richly fulfilling and contributing life beyond New College. But it is also potentially a cause for disadvantage. For many of our students from widening participation backgrounds, the costs of joining in these activities can be prohibitive. In these cases, the Student Support Fund is a lifeline, which allows broad participation in multifarious activities, as well as very specific assistance in cases of particular hardship. This report focuses on the impact your generosity is making in supporting these students.
Meanwhile our Access & Outreach Programme continues to show talented students from all backgrounds that New College can be a place for them. With your continued help, we aim to ensure that the chance to come here is open to all. We are pleased with the progress of our StepUp Programme and our activities in Wales, our University designated access area.
The difference your generosity makes is profound.
In this report, our students share in their own words how you are helping transform their time at University.
On behalf of them, and from me personally, thank you. Your belief in New College keeps our mission alive and our future bright.
Yours sincerely,
Student Support
In a time when the cost of living continues to rise, the financial pressures on students have never been greater. This has been reflected in a growing demand for our student support funds, with 347 students receiving donorfunded awards totalling £86,726 in 2024/25. The two main areas of support are the Student Support Fund, which assists those facing unexpected financial difficulties, and the Sporting & Cultural Awards, which enable students to take part in extra-curricular activities that enrich their experience beyond their academic studies.
The Sporting & Cultural Awards remain our most popular fund with our students; it is open to all who are exploring an activity outside of their studies. From opera singers to rugby players and budding linguists, students across every field benefit from these awards.
308
students received awards throughout the 24/25 academic year
£42,000 of awards were made
In Michaelmas 2025 we helped put 33 Rowers on the water, 9 dancers on the dancefloor, 5 boulderers on the climbing wall, 11 budding linguists into language lessons, and many more!
JCR & MCR Presidents
“The JCR and MCR are at the heart of college life, supporting so many different aspects of our members’ experience. Donations really help remove the financial barriers that can stop students from getting fully involved, and they allow us to offer support wherever it’s needed — from new kit for the band room, to sports equipment, or helping to cover the cost of formals. As members of the Sporting & Cultural Awards committee, we get to see first-hand the positive impact donations have on our community. They also take pressure off our own common room budgets, which makes a huge difference. Thanks to donations from our Old Members we can keep building a supportive, active, and fun community for everyone at New College.”
Student Support Fund
The Student Support Fund is open to both MCR & JCR members who find themselves in unexpected financial difficulty. Students can apply for up to £1,500 from the fund to put towards their living expenses.
“I am a South African final-year DPhil student in Law at New College. My thesis, ‘Property Law and the Persistence of Urban Inequality: Implications for Equitable Urban Land Access in South Africa’, explores how law can be leveraged to redress entrenched structural inequalities that continue to shape South Africa’s cities.
Christopher Gregory, MPhil Economics and MCR President
“Being part of the JCR has shown me just how much support from Old Members enhances life at New College. Their generosity helps students take full advantage of the opportunities here, from sports to welfare and the arts, and ensures everyone can make the most of their time at college. We are incredibly thankful to Old Members for their ongoing support, as they provide countless students with opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise enjoyed. It’s inspiring to see how the community spirit of New College continues long after graduation, creating a link between current students and those who came before us.”
Harry Aldridge, 2nd year PPE and JCR President
I am deeply grateful to New College and its Old Members for making the Student Support Fund possible. Your generosity has not only eased the financial pressures as I work towards completing my DPhil but has also enabled me to continue pursuing research that I hope will contribute to building spatially just and inclusive urban environments. This support is more than financial – it reflects the solidarity and care of the New College community; a community I am proud to be part of. Your contribution truly makes a difference – thank you.”
Mandisa Shandu, DPhil Student
“The Student Support Fund has been an incredible help to me during my time at New. Rent and cost of living increases were a real worry for me but help from the fund has alleviated that stress. The fund really does make a huge difference to the lives of so many students at New College, allowing us to enjoy our time here and be successful without the additional pressure of financial worries.”
Shannon Bacon, 4th year Experimental Psychology Student
In the 2024/25 academic year: The Student Support Fund in Numbers
39 grants were made (21 undergraduates and 18 graduates)
£44,400 was awarded in total
Average grant of £1,138 with a range of £300 to £1,500
Graduate Scholarships
Access to funding remains one of the greatest challenges for aspiring researchers. Without it, many groundbreaking ideas might never come to life. Thanks to your generosity, New College is able to provide funding for outstanding graduate students to carry out their research, regardless of their background. In the 2024/25 academic year, 20 students have benefitted from donor-supported scholarships totalling £254,000.
“After completing my MChem at Jesus College, I knew that I wished to continue into academia. I was fortunate to be accepted into the group of Fernanda Duarte, but without a fixed funding source. The Yeotown Scholarship was graciously offered to me, and hence began my time at New College. I now am a third year DPhil student studying the strain inherent in small ring-containing molecules using computational methods. The Yeotown Scholarship has been profoundly impactful, as without it, I simply would not have been able to continue in research at Oxford. The scholarship has been instrumental in my studies, and has provided me the opportunity to continue in Oxford, experiencing what have become some of the most vital years for my personal development. I am deeply thankful to the donor for having such a transformative impact on my life.”
James Somper, DPhil Student
Access & Outreach
Applying to Oxford can seem like a daunting task, especially with no access to guidance from someone who has done it themselves. Thanks to donations to Access & Outreach, we have been able to significantly expand our Outreach Department to a team of four state-school educated Oxford graduates, and they are helping to demystify the process. From our Step-Up Programme for Year 11–13 students, to summer schools for Welsh partner schools and funding postgraduate places through Academic Futures, your support ensures that New College is open to all with the passion and drive to learn.
New College’s Step-Up Programme supports and inspires state-school students from Year 11 through to Year 13, helping them see Oxford as an achievable goal and preparing them to make competitive applications. The scheme offers sustained contact with the college’s Outreach team over several years, providing consistent guidance and encouragement. Seven of the 24/25 Freshers came through Step-Up!
New College works with 43 state schools and sixth forms from across England and Wales. Participation comes at no cost to the school and is generously supported by donations to Access & Outreach.
“Before being encouraged to come on a summer school to New College I hadn’t considered going to university, but throughout the week of activities, tours, and academic sessions, I realised that this is where I needed to be. For the proceeding 2 years of A-Levels I had great motivation to apply not just to Oxford, but specifically to New College; there was no swaying my decision at all. Now I’m at New College, I thoroughly enjoy giving back to the Outreach programme that changed my life and gave me so much to aim for; my experience encouraged me to become an Outreach Ambassador, through which I help to carry out the Step-Up Programme as well as other various tours and summer schools.
Between labs, lectures, and tutorials as a 2nd year chemist, I always find time to help out with the Outreach Department with great enthusiasm and appreciation.”
Louis Chadd, 2nd year Chemistry Student
In the 2024/25 academic year some 1,100 Old Members chose to donate to New College. Thank you for your continued generosity and engagement. Every gift makes a real difference to our students, our teaching, and our community. Your support enables us to preserve the traditions of the college and intentions of our founder William of Wykeham, while embracing opportunities for the future. We are deeply grateful for all that you do to keep New College thriving, and we look forward to sharing more stories of your impact in the years to come.
oldmembers@new.ox.ac.uk
www.new.ox.ac.uk/support-new-college