The Keble Sports Fund
It is well understood that sport and physical activity can have a positive impact on mental, as well as physical, wellbeing. Participation in sports enables students to cope better with the stresses associated with the rigours of the Oxford tutorial system, and the transition from school and family life to university. Engagement in sport can lead to happier, more fulfilling student lives, and the development of skills and confidence which will be valuable in their future careers.
Whether a student has ambitions of international selection, becoming a Full Blue, or simply wishes to make friends and improve their fitness, we want all Keble students to know that sport is for everyone, and all students should be able to experience the many benefits of becoming more active. To this end, we are delighted to announce a much-needed Keble Sports Fund.
The College is able to support some of the costs of sport in its maintenance of the sports ground and in the form of a limited budget for the JCR and MCR sports teams. In addition, the Talbot Fund continues to help students to mitigate some of the costs of participating in sports and, thanks to alumni donations, the fund was able to support netball, football, rugby and cricket teams, and rowing, last year. With this support, the 2023-24 season saw Keble teams performing at a very high level, with great success for many. In football, the Keble teams completed the treble with Men’s 1s and 2s along with the women’s team all winning the major inter-collegiate football cup competitions — known as ‘Cuppers’.
Some support for Keble students who represent the college at University level is also provided, but that has only ever partially covered the considerable expense which may be involved for individual students. The College has therefore set itself the goal of furthering participation at college and University level. Earlier this year we came up with the target of raising £38,000 pa to establish a Sports Fund for all sports (other than rowing for which we are establishing a separate fund). The fund will cover costs which have hitherto been beyond the resources available, such as coaching, kit, further equipment and travel for players of all levels, from beginners to elite.
We spoke to a number of interested alumni, and Mark George (1993 PPE) offered to act as an ambassador for the appeal with a network of his friends from the years around his matriculation (early 1990s). This proved a very successful model and, with 16 donors contributing, they met the target, which will be covered for the next 5 years (until 2028-2029). We would like to thank Mark George and the alumni involved for their support in achieving this fantastic outcome.
Mark George shared: "As a group of friends, we have stayed close for 30 years and often reminisce about the incredible times we had at Keble. We all enjoyed playing sport for the College and many of our happiest memories were on the sports field and in the bar afterwards! We saw the Keble Sports Fund as a great opportunity to provide others with the same opportunities we enjoyed and also a way to bond even more as friends, knowing that we had come together to do something valuable for the College."
Festival of Sport 2025
Saturday 26 April
Following the success of last year’s inaugural Festival of Sport, Keble’s Ghosts (alumni) and College teams will be showing up for a spectacular day of sporting showdowns. If you would like to play, or just want to come and support the teams and enjoy dinner in Hall, get in touch. Or contact the alumni sports representatives directly: Andy Airey (Men’s Football) and Livi Lee-Smith (Hockey).
