Trinity MCR Gala Raises Money for Local Charities

By Nancy Fairbank - Marshall Scholar and 2018-19 Charities Rep

The 2019 Trinity College MCR raised £2,000 at the 2019 edition of its annual gala dinner, which will be donated to two local charities. The gala dinner is hosted each May and includes both raffles and an auction event where attendees can bid on prizes donated by MCR members. Auction items up for bid this year included a weekend in the Welsh coastal town of Borth, a personalized tour of the Old Library, a trip up Trinity Tower, French and painting lessons, and an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party held in the Deanery of Christ Church . The gala’s ticket sales and the proceeds from the raffles and auction bids generate the funds that are then given to charities that support the broader Oxford community.

Members of the MCR share a light moment during the gala dinner

Photographer: Izzy Romilly

The charities selected to receive donations this year are The Gatehouse and Thames Valley Air Ambulance. The Gatehouse is a drop-in center that provides food, clothing, and other necessities to Oxford’s homeless population. Trinity’s MCR has been partnering with The Gatehouse throughout the 2018-2019 school year, hosting three donation drives to collect items that can be distributed by the charity. The additional financial donation provided by the gala fundraiser will help ensure that the staff at The Gatehouse can continue serving vulnerable people in our community.

Attendees of the 2019 MCR Charity Gala Dinner pose during the drinks reception

Photographer: Izzy Romilly

Thames Valley Air Ambulance (TVAA) is the local air ambulance for Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. Their helicopters are manned by a paramedic and doctor team, who bring crucial skills and expertise to emergency and trauma situations in the above regions within 15 minutes. TVAA prides their organisation on leading signifcant innovations in the field, such as being the first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service unit in the U.K. to use plasma on board for trauma patients in critical condition. TVAA is not government funded and relies heavily on donations to continue their life-saving operations.

The 2018-2019 Trinity Charity Gala was made possible through the tireless work of our MCR Committee. Committee members include Said Said, Ngoni Mugwisi, Cosima Gillhammer, Michael Garstka, Rhiannon Heard, Neale Marlow, and Johann Paccou, with special thanks to Neale Marlow for leading the gala and Owain James for auctioneering. The Trinity MCR is grateful to everyone who attended the gala, donated items for auction, and helped us raise money to support these two excellent charities. We hope to see you again next May!

Trinity MCR Gives Back

By Nancy Fairbank

The Trinity College MCR donated £2,000 to UK and local charities this month from funds raised during the 2017 and 2018 MCR Gala Dinners. The gala is hosted each year in May and includes both raffles and an auction event where attendees can bid on prizes donated by MCR members. Past prizes have included bouldering and ballroom dancing lessons, a cake of the bidder’s choice, and a caravan trip to Wales. Ticket sales, as well as the proceeds from the raffles and auction, generate the money that is donated to local charities selected by MCR members.

2018 Trinity MCR Committee at the Gala Dinner

There were three charities that received donations from the 2017 and 2018 Galas, including Homeless Oxfordshire, the Broken Spoke Bike Co-op, and the International Rescue Committee (UK). Homeless Oxfordshire offers a variety of support services to the homeless and is the largest accommodation provider across the country. The organization provides services for over 550 homeless people and serves 75,000 meals each year. The Broken Spoke Bike Co-op offers free workshops and trainings to teach people about cycle maintenance and riding, including workshops specifically for women and transgender people. Finally, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) gives aid to those facing humanitarian crises across the world. In 2017, the IRC helped almost 23 million people get primary health care and provided 1.14 million children with educational opportunities.

2018 Trinity Gala Dinner

The current MCR gives thanks to the 2016-2017 MCR Committee and the 2017-2018 MCR Committee (member names below) for raising these funds. Thanks also to our current MCR treasurer Michael Garstka for completing the donation payments. We are looking forward to the upcoming Gala Dinner this spring and hope to be able to give back even more to organizations making a difference in our Oxford community. If you would like to suggest an organisation that we should support with our next Gala fundraiser, please contact the MCR.

2016-2017 MCR Committee:

Katie Collett (President), Cosima Gillhammer, Kieran Ball, Manon Simard, Hannah Walters, Anu Unnikrishnan, Debbie Malden, John Kenny

This committee raised 400£ for Homeless Oxfordshire and 400£ for International Rescue Committee (UK).

2017-2018 MCR Committee

Jason Brickhill (President), Owain James, Richard Lu, John Kenny, Leah Matchett, Natalie Ng, Pascale Gourdeau, Olu Arisekola, Freddie Hopkinson

This committee raised 800£ for Homeless Oxfordshire and 400£ for the Broken Spoke Bike Co-op.