Success of our first Telethon in aid of Change 100
29 April 2021
From 6 April to 20 April, 13 young Old Stoic callers embarked on the first ever Stowe Telethon in aid of Change 100. Working with a specialist company, our callers had two days of training where they learnt communication skills, how to judge situations, the art of engaging others in conversation through to handling and processing donations – furnishing them with valuable skills that they will be able to use in their future careers.
Over the course of the two weeks it was clear to see the callers’ confidence grow and, in turn, more Old Stoics giving to the Change 100 mission. Before each evening session our appeal manager, Tom Young, spoke to the callers about what they could improve on and how best to make the most of their time with Old Stoics. We also used this valuable time to invite members of the Stowe Community to give advice, motivational tips and the chance to say thank you to the callers for their endeavours. These included the Head, Old Stoic and previous bursary recipient Liberty King, our current Head Girl, Mimi Pearson-Gee, and even Sir Richard Branson who took the time to join the callers and shared his experience of using the pay phone on Plug Street to contact advertisers for the magazine he started whilst at Stowe.
During the two weeks, our team of callers spoke to over 700 Old Stoics – learning about their time at Stowe, what they went on to do and to ask for career advice – some callers even managed to secure work experience for the Summer!
Through the incredible generosity of the Old Stoic community, the telethon has raised over £110,000 for Change 100, with pledges and donation forms still being received. We couldn’t be more grateful for the kindness and support received, all of which is enabling us to provide fully-funded places for talented and deserving children from disadvantaged backgrounds - with all the money from the telethon going towards providing places for this coming September.
Not only has this been a considerable success in terms of the donations and pledges that we received, but it has also been a wonderful experience for our callers. Tallulah Goldsmith described her experience beautifully:
“The Change 100 Campaign was such an important venture to me, and I was very excited to be considered as a caller for the telethon. Though apprehensive and a little nervous, the support from the school and the agency made the experience pretty seamless, and I definitely felt a part of something special - particularly as I started sharing Stowe's message with Old Stoics about the significance of the project. Taking part in such a special project has written us into the adventurous history of Stowe, and it has made me even prouder to be involved in the Stowe community- something I didn't think was possible. Roxburgh would be bursting with pride if he could see Stowe today, and I had countless conversations with Old Stoics that commented the same. Please, take the time to open your eyes to the beauty of the grounds surrounding you, and notice, as one Old Stoic told me, that 'you won't be able to help but absorb some of the beauty into your soul.' A school like Stowe- there is only one such- will stay with you forever, and if you're as lucky as me and get to do a job like I just did, it won't be a chore, it'll be an honour, to learn of those who walked up the North Front steps before you. Be proud to be an Old Stoic, because there's still plenty to do, and I'm sure you'll be able to help achieve all that Stowe imagines.”
This is an experience we hope to do again soon. For anyone interested in becoming involved as one of our future callers, we will leave you with some valuable advice from Oscar Bowen-Hill (last year’s Head Boy and one of the team): “Just smile and dial!”