The Big Merton 1264 Challenge - Thank You!
In 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, The Big Merton 1264 Challenge brought together the Merton community to have fun, inspire one another, and raise money for two important causes: The Merton Hardship Fund, which has been set up specifically to help all members of the college community facing financial difficulties as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic; and Oxford Mutual Aid, a collective of over a thousand volunteers in Oxford who are working seven days a week to get food and medicine to families and individuals in need, as well as NHS staff and other key workers.
Taking a lead from the year the College was founded, our students came up with a whole array of different events and activities on the theme of 1264. Mertonians past and present, our staff and Fellows were then invited to take up one or more of these challenges or invent their own and post the results on social media, using the hashtag #1264Challenge.
The event was set off by the Warden Professor Irene Tracey and her family, who together ran 12.64km.
The response from across the College community was tremendous: so many students, staff, alumni and others participated in challenges of every shape and size: from bike rides to Beowulf translation, baking to burpees, the enthusiasm and creativity was hugely impressive! Photos and reports of their challenges are listed below.
Thank you to everyone who took part and made donations. You all did terrifically well!
If you have any questions about the 1264 Challenge, please contact the Development Office by email at development@merton.ox.ac.uk or by phone at +44(0)1865 286314.
Bee Print Auction
Our Emeritus Fellow in English Literature, Professor John Carey FBA, very kindly gave us the chance to auction his wonderful print of a honeybee. And to sweeten the deal, he also provided two jars of honey. All proceeds of the auction supported our two worthy 1264 Challenge causes: the Merton Hardship Fund and Oxford Mutual Aid (OMA).
We are delighted to announce that the winner of the auction was Nicola Peters, mother of first-year Merton student Charlie Peters (2019, Classical Archaeology & Ancient History).
We are enormously grateful to John, Nicola and everyone else who made donations and took part in the 1264 Challenge. The wonderful support we have received will help all those in the Merton community experiencing hardship and will assist OMA’s efforts in supporting vulnerable individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Oxford.
