May Week Alternative

July 2019 • Link to project →

In Oxford and Cambridge, ‘May Week’ is the period at the end of the academic year when students celebrate the end of exams; often by attending lavish and expensive ‘May balls’. When I was at Cambridge I learned about an initiative to celebrate May Week in a different way: by encouraging students to donate roughly the cost of a ticket (£150) to a highly cost-effective charity called the Against Malaria Foundation, and then hosting a garden party to celebrate. Since none of the donations are spent on the party, and thanks to matched funding, 200% of student donations go directly to charity. When they mentioned they were looking for someone to make them a promotional video, I volunteered my time.

Click here to watch the video, or visit mayweekalternative.org.uk to find out more. You can also read about the recipient charity here.