Junior Deans use Annual Fund support to spread cheer to students and host art competition
Student welfare was front and centre of recent Annual Fund awarding which spread cheer over the festive period and beyond with a range of creative initiatives, including a winter art competition that attracted stunning entries.
Through the generosity of donors to Green Templeton College, the Annual Fund provides grants for academic-related activities and support for college life.
Funding was awarded to the Junior Deans – Hettie Davies, Charlotte Lee and Carlos Outeiral – to brighten up the holiday season, particularly for those students unable to take part in household group activities through reasons such as COVID-19 isolation, health or availability of others, and for those remaining in college accommodation over Christmas.
The Junior Deans put together bags of festive decorations to deliver to students in college accommodation over the festive period.
Bags of festive decorations and craft kits were delivered to students’ front doors to ensure those remaining in college accommodation knew the Welfare Team was looking out for them, and were available to be contacted at any time, and to increase festive spirit for those unable to see family or friends.
There was a further treat on Christmas Eve for students in college accommodation, with Carlos baking several festive treats that were delivered to students’ doors.
In parallel, funding was used for a complimentary candy cane service to allow Green Templeton students to send each other candy canes with randomly generated compliments, which were placed into pidges at The Lodge. The aim was to increase the sense of community and communication within college and instil a ‘check on your neighbour’ mentality.
Annual Fund support also helped towards the Junior Deans’ winter art competition, open to all current students. The prize was a hamper of self-care items sourced, where possible, from local shops.
The winner was Thomas Gordon-Colebrooke, who produced a series of four wildlife photographs, including the beautiful images on this page showing a festive robin and a pair of swans on the Thames.
Thomas Gordon-Colebrook won the winter art competition with a series of four photographs, including this festive shot of a robin
Another of Thomas Gordon-Colebrook’s winning photographs was this beautiful image of swans on the Thames
Finally, the financial aid allowed the Junior Deans to buy nearly 100 desk plants for GTC students in both college and private accommodation, which were either delivered to front doors or placed on a COVID-secure outside pick-up stand for people to collect.
The plants, purchased from a family-owned garden centre, originated from sustainable sources, and came in fully recyclable postage and packaging. The Junior Deans said they chose to distribute plants because plants have been shown to increase mental health and ‘self-care’.
Praise for the Junior Deans!
More than 360 students were involved in and benefitted from the initiatives all together, with some participating in multiple activities. Anonymous feedback included:
“This is so sweet. It really means a lot for us staying here in the holidays. I appreciate it a lot.”
“I’ve had a really stressful term and I really appreciate you giving us the chance to get involved with student activities again.”
“How sweet and thoughtful this is… Thank you for looking after us and all that you do.”
“As I’m remaining in Oxford last minute, I really appreciate the team thinking of those left behind unexpectedly after believing I’d be with family for Christmas.”
More information
Find out more about the Annual Fund.
The Junior Deans have undergone training in crisis control, pastoral support and confidentiality. They are a good point of contact for students unsure who to contact about specific college or university queries, and are often the first point of contact for students experiencing issues that affect their welfare. Contact the Junior Deans via jd@gtc.ox.ac.uk or +44(0)7868 185963.
More entries from the winter art competition
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- Submitted by Alexandra Pavliuc
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- Submitted by Greco Malijan
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- Submitted by Janina
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- Submitted by Rosemary Walmsley
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- Submitted by Thomas Gordon-Colebrooke
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- Submitted by Thomas Gordon-Colebrooke
The college is delighted to welcome a new Oxford PharmaGenesis DPhil Scholarship in Translational Health.
The scholarship has been established through an endowment gift of £1,660,000 from Oxford PharmaGenesis, now part of the Klick family, creating a permanent fund to support doctoral students undertaking outstanding postgraduate research in the field of translational health at Nuffield Department of Primary Care @oxford_uni
Yesterday our alumni celebrated the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong alongside @st_annescollege alumni at the two societies’ first co-organised event.
The group gathered at a Michelin-starred restaurant to mark the joyful occasion, make new connections and enjoy exquisite traditional food together.
It is wonderful to see the two college alumni societies bringing the wider Oxford community together for what Nathaniel Chan (MBA, 2016), co-chair of the Green Templeton College Hong Kong Alumni Society, described as ‘a memorable occasion’.
Plans are already taking shape for a hike and karaoke event in November, following an ‘impressive impromptu a cappella performance by one alumnus’ at the lunch.
#alumni
#Oxford
#HongKong
Here’s some advice from our freshest crop of graduates to our incoming new students 🧑🎓👩🎓👨🎓
#greentempletoncollege
#oxforduniversity
#studentadvice
#oxfordgraduation
🌌 Last weekend, Green Templeton welcomed Nobel Prize-winning astronomer Professor Brian Schmidt for the latest event in our Astronomy for All series.
Professor Schmidt took a packed audience on a journey through more than 13 billion years of cosmic history, from the Big Bang to the distant future of the Universe. He explored what we know about the cosmos, how we know it and some of the biggest mysteries that remain.
The lecture was chaired by Governing Body Fellow Rob Fender, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, and continued our celebration of Green Templeton’s connections with Oxford Astrophysics.
Our Oceania Alumni Group is on a roll after successful events in Sydney, Brisbane and last night in Perth.
We`re very thankful to the group`s committee for their energy, commitment and hard work in bringing the community together. It’s wonderful to see connections being strengthened, engagement growing, and the alumni community going from strength to strength.
Exciting times ahead!
If you would like to join a local alumni group, let us know!
