Giving Day may have only lasted 67.5 hours but its impact will be felt for years to come.
The power of collective giving
Posted:
22 Oct 2025
Written by:
Group photo of the rowers taking part in the 2025 Giving Day Ergathon.
From the 13th to 16th of May, the Trinity Hall community came together for our fifth Giving Day campaign celebrating our 675th anniversary. Our donors raised a remarkable £249,677 in less than four days to support our mission and cement the continued legacy of Trinity Hall. Over 372 donors participated in our Giving Day efforts, unlocking more than £94,000 in match funding and demonstrating the strength of our global community.
The College’s commitment to support students and invest in the future of Trinity Hall remains stronger than ever, and this year’s Giving Day focused on the key areas that are central to our mission: postgraduate support, mental health and wellbeing, widening participation, clubs and societies, and sustainability.
These priorities lie at the heart of our College and ensure that everyone who joins Trinity Hall believes that there is a welcoming place for them, belongs to an inspiring and driven community and becomes the person they want to be. With our help, our students can go on to make strong contributions to society in an ever-evolving world.
A global response, local involvement
This year’s Giving Day launched with an online pub quiz (hosted by history postgraduate student, Benjamin Iago Gibson (2023)) in support of the Christopher Padfield Fund for our postgraduate community. The event tested our participants on their Cambridge knowledge and Trinity Hall trivia, challenging their knowledge in a fun and informal competition. The following morning, our students led a 6.75km ‘plogging’ run which combined jogging with litter collection to raise funds and awareness for our Sustainability Fund. Our Boat Club then closed out the campaign on the final day by rowing 67.5 miles in under two hours. We are so grateful for everyone who played an active role in our Giving Day activities. Whether you participated in an event, donated towards our projects or spread the word on social media using #GiveTogeTHer, your efforts served as a tangible reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together.
Bold ambitions, clear impact
The generosity shown by our alumni, students, Fellows, staff, and friends of the College, will have both immediate and lasting effects on Trinity Hall and our students as we move forward in our anniversary year. These contributions will support the many meaningful projects that help ensure our students and College continues to thrive.
The £17,438 raised for the Christopher Padfield Fund will play a vital role in alleviating financial pressure for postgraduates, by providing research grants to support academic work and enabling the organisation of academic events within College for both our MCR and postdoc communities.
The £9,988 raised to support the Rowan Williams Studentship will fund a place at Trinity Hall for a student from an area of conflict, enabling them to study at College during the 2026–27 academic year. This vital support will offer them access to a transformative educational experience.
Our donors also raised £6,408 in support of Trinity Hall’s widening participation initiative, ‘You’ll Fit In’, a programme designed to encourage applications from Year 12 students from underrepresented backgrounds at Cambridge. The programme offers a series of engaging webinars and residentials that guide students through the Cambridge admissions process and provide insight into student life, from both social and cultural perspectives. Since its launch in 2023/24, the programme has seen over 1,500 students participating in the webinars and 200 attending our residential events. We’re thrilled that a ‘You’ll Fit In’ participant will be joining us at Trinity Hall as an undergraduate this October and other participants will also be joining other Cambridge colleges. The funds raised this Giving Day will help to ensure this programme’s continued impact and growth.
Supporting student wellbeing remains a core priority for the College and the £6,071 raised will allow the College to continue investing in its Wellbeing team and initiatives that focus on early intervention and preventative support. These include opportunities for social connection, physical activity, study skills development, and stress management workshops – all designed to help students thrive both academically and personally.
Donations to the Boat Club Fund will support Trinity Hall’s ongoing commitment to rowing excellence. Our teams produced incredible performances on the river during this year’s May Bumps and with £9,504 raised, the Boat Club will use these funds to purchase a second Telemetry System. This will provide both the men’s and women’s First Boats with access to real-time performance data and analytics to enhance their training and on-water performance.
And lastly, the £15,948 generously raised for sustainability projects was originally intended to fund the design and installation of a solar (PV) array on the SCR at Central Site. However, once work began, a structural survey revealed that the roof could not, unexpectedly, support the installation. We are now exploring alternative solutions to ensure the funds are used effectively to support our move to renewable energy sources. Our sustainability strategy continues to reflect the College’s broader commitment to environmental responsibility, building on our Platinum Green Award from the University of Cambridge. Our aim is to reduce our reliance on non-renewable energy and promote long term sustainability.
The collective generosity and enthusiasm shown by our community – alumni, students, Fellows, staff and friends – reinforces the strength of our shared commitment to Trinity Hall’s mission and values.
Whether you made a gift, joined an event, or helped spread the word, thank you.