15-02-2025
Oxford University medical students raise £27k for health charities
A group of Oxford medical students have raised £27,000 for charity after finishing the year with their annual pantomime.
The Tingewick Society, made up of fourth-year medical students from the University of Oxford, balance their medical studies with fundraising efforts.
This year, they supported Oxford Hospitals Charity, which raises funds to make a difference across hospitals in the county, and Restore, an Oxfordshire-based mental health charity.
With fundraising events ranging from a ceilidh to climbing the Three Peaks, the year culminated with the annual Tingewick pantomime, this year named 'Beauty and the Yeast Infection'.
The Tingewick Society's charity pantomime (Image: The Tingewick Society) Athena Henderson, Tingewick producer for 2024, said: "It has been an absolute delight to fundraise for both of these wonderful charities this year.
"Every day, as the medical students are on placement in hospitals in Oxfordshire, the Tingewick team get to see the impact of Oxford Hospitals Charity funding, from overnight packs to provide essentials for patients that are admitted without any warning, to cutting-edge medical equipment helping speed up diagnoses.
"The money raised really does make a difference to patients and staff across the trust.
"On one of these clinical placements, the Tingewick Society also had a chance to experience Restore's work, through their Beehive recovery group, creative workshop, and therapeutic garden.
"The students saw first hand how therapeutic interventions outside the hospital setting benefit mental health recovery.
"Inspired by the visit, they set out to support Restore's work for better mental health locally.
The Tingewick Society's charity pantomime (Image: The Tingewick Society) "The year has been an unforgettable and incredibly fun experience for the whole committee and we are overjoyed to have raised this much for these two special charities."
Oxford Hospitals Charity supports hospitals, wards, and departments across Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Eleanor Jones, head of fundraising at the charity, said: "We never fail to be amazed by the enthusiasm, ingenuity, and unending talents of the Tingewick Society who work in and out of our hospitals to make a difference for patient care.
"A huge thank you to them all."
Founded in 1977, Restore works to support individuals to take control of their own mental health recovery through involvement in recovery groups, training, and coaching.
It supports people to develop skills, build confidence, and connect with others, offers a pathway towards work, training, or volunteering, and runs professional training programmes which benefit thousands of people each year.
Libby Peppiatt, the charity's CEO, said: "Tingewick's runners, climbers, dancers, actors and supporters have been incredible, with a determined enthusiasm - from summit to stage - to help Restore and support our work to improve mental health."
