Telethon appeal raises more than £27,000 to support students

The spring 2022 telethon student caller team

Student callers reached out to 830 Imperial alumni across the globe to raise funds for students and initiatives across the College.

Taking place in March, the telethon campaign was held entirely remotely and was the first full-scale telethon to take place with a new team of callers since the start of the pandemic. Student callers were based in their halls and homes, where they contacted more than 800 alumni to share updates about the College and offer the opportunity to donate towards current fundraising priorities.

The remote setting of this year’s telethon didn’t deter fundraising – of the 830 alumni contacted, over a fifth pledged to make a gift. Over the three weeks of the campaign, alumni made gifts totalling more than £27,362 and pledges of over £45,000. Almost half of the gifts were directed towards student support, which provides essential financial assistance to students in need.

More than 300 students applied to take part in the campaign, with the final calling team made up of 23 students from all four Faculties, from first year undergraduates to PhD candidates. The telethon engaged with alumni from across the College’s departments and faculties, as well as around the globe, with donors in 12 countries across Europe and North America making gifts.

Connecting the Imperial community

Telethons are an integral part of the Imperial alumni calendar and help to foster connections between current students and alumni while raising funds for vital areas including support for students experiencing financial hardship, scholarships and priority projects across Faculties.

In previous years, student callers were based on campus but since the pandemic the telethon team has moved to a remote campaign, where students are supported to call from their home. Student callers received training and feedback sessions to help them build their skills and confidence, a lunch where they had the opportunity to meet their fellow callers, and a care package. One student caller said: “Even in a remote setting, I definitely didn't feel alone, and had great support from the team. The lunches, awards and photos were a nice touch that shows how much the team cares about the callers and the cause.”

Student callers exchange stories with alumni about their studies and time at Imperial and ensure they are aware of the benefits that they receive as an alumnus. The telethon also offers current students the opportunity to gain insight and advice from Imperial’s global community of alumni about the diverse careers that they have pursued, life experiences and how they can use their time at the College to impact the world.

Meet the callers

Anudi, Aeronautical Engineering

"I’ve honestly learnt so much from the alumni I’ve spoken to: some of them have done some truly amazing things and hearing those stories has been a great source of inspiration to me. I loved the campaign as it felt so rewarding and the feeling of getting a gift is quite exhilarating!"

Amanda, Mechanical Engineering

"I enjoyed speaking to our alumni and hearing them share their stories, from listening to alumni share their spacecraft projects to Mars, to listening to proud grandparents speak about their grandchildren. It was definitely a pleasure to chat with such interesting individuals, whilst raising funds for our current students too.

I gained confidence and learned to be a more interesting conversationalist through this campaign. The support and care from the team was truly remarkable, they care so much about the job!"

The next telethon will take place in June to support students and the wider Imperial community. Meet this spring’s telethon team and find out more about telephone appeals on the Giving website.