Going once, going twice…

Taylor McCall (2013) reports on the Pembroke College Charity Auction, which raised money for the local charity CamFed. Members of Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge joined together on Friday 6 March 2015 for a live auction in support of Camfed. Organized by the Pembroke College Graduate Parlour Committee, spearheaded by Charity Officer Taylor McCall, the evening was the most successful student-run auction in College memory, raising over £2,000 for Camfed.

The auction emphasized the donation of services members of the College could do for others, drawing on the talents and generosity of the diverse community. Services and items were donated by a wide range of members and included offers for bicycle tune-ups, a commissioned portrait, a three-course meal for two, and handmade jewelry, to name but a few of the thirty lots. Emeritus Fellow and Camfed supporter, Mrs Susan Stobbs, donated the top lot of the night – a week’s stay in her home in the south of France. She said, ‘After traveling widely in Africa, I have come to realize that the future of this extraordinary continent lies in empowering its young people, especially disadvantaged girls. So much external aid is misdirected and unhelpful; Camfed is different. Its funding empowers African women to gain the self-confidence to help themselves and the next generation of young women to become the leaders that their countries so badly need.’

Members of Pembroke College have been proud to fundraise for Camfed this academic year, as 2014/15 marks thirty years since women were first admitted as students to the College in 1984. The PemWomen@30 Project was established to help the community to reflect on the issues and debates that led up to the decision to admit women, to examine what has happened in the past 30 years, and to promote consideration of where Pembroke would like to be with regards to diversity in 2044. Camfed is the chosen charity for the PemWomen@30 Project as well as the Graduate and Undergraduate Parlours, and is the perfect accompaniment to the College’s efforts to raise awareness and support for the education and empowerment of women both locally and internationally.