Charities

New College is very active when it comes to charity — we raise thousands of pounds every year for charities voted for by the JCR. Part of this contribution comes from an optional battels levy, and voting takes place each term with a list of potential charities nominated by members of the JCR. If the voting for the next charity is open then you can head over to the voting page to have your say. The current charity we are supporting is Keep a Girl Child in School Project, which is a Ugandan student’s initiative that distributes sanitary towels to girls in rural Uganda. Up until now, the girls have been using rags, leaves or even banana fibres on their period, resulting in infections and shaming in their community when they bleed through their clothes. This kind of humiliation means the girls usually miss school when they are expecting or on their period. Every £5 can keep a girl in school with sanitary towels for a year so that she can have a full education. To find out more, visit their facebook page.

Charity in College

Around once a fortnight you can also come along to one of our Charity Formals — these are themed formals (another great excuse to go all out on a costume) which cost a bit more than normal formals, with the extra money going to a selected charity. To find out if there’s one coming up in the future check out the Calendar where more details will be posted. Other fundraising events include the famous Naked Calendar featuring various teams and societies as well as your very own JCR Committee, a Charity Auction offering exclusive College events, baked goods and more, as well as many other chances to help out charities throughout the year — keep an eye on the calendar, news feed and emails from the Charities Rep for more information.

Charity Around Oxford

If you’re interested in volunteering on a University-wide level then it’s a great idea to sign up to the OxHub mailing list via their website OxHub coordinates all the volunteering in Oxford; through it you can get involved in a range of projects that work with children, homeless people, a local hospice, conservation projects and more.

Another way to get involved in fundraising and RAG (Raise and Give) events including things like raids, the RAG ball and the RAG casino, is to sign up to the RAG mailing list here. RAG organises things like bungee jumping, talent shows, hitch-hikes, and club nights, all in the name of charity, so even if you donate have a lot of time to spare, you can contribute just by taking part in something fun!

If you have a cause close to your heart, which you’d like to nominate for the Charities Levy, don’t hesitate to email the current Charities Rep with the name of the charity and a short explanation of why you feel the cause is important. You can also get in touch with the Charities Rep for information and advice on organising fundraising events in College, getting involved with university-level charity work and volunteering home or abroad during the holidays.