Cancelled Cambridge ball refunds given to charity - our thanks

02 May 2020

We would like to pass on our deepest thanks to the Big May Ball Appeal for Coronavirus, and everyone who donated their tickets to tackle this pandemic - and future pandemics.

<Refunds from cancelled Cambridge University end-of-term balls are being donated to help tackle coronavirus.

Tickets to attend one of the university's May Balls can cost hundreds of pounds, and students have organised a "refundraising" campaign. So far £22,000 has been donated to the Big May Ball Appeal for Coronavirus. The funds raised will go to the charity for the city's Addenbrooke's Hospital and The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk.

Co-organiser Jade Charles, a languages final year, called it a "simple idea to raise a lot of money, given that it's money that's already been spent". Ms Charles, 22, said that after reading emails that May Balls had been cancelled, she thought "how can I make this something positive?"

She contacted fellow student Zehn Mehmood and the pair carried out a survey, which found more than two-thirds of students would support donating.>

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