The Council decides each year what activities the Friends should support.  It does so after seeking input from the Presidents of the JCR and MCR on current needs, and after full consultation with the College.

In respect of the academic year 2022/23, the Friends made grants totalling £98,500, which contributed to the cost of the following: 

•    the Senior Tutor’s Fund for use at his discretion to improve student mental and physical wellbeing as well as supporting deserving applicants in a deliberately wide range of other purposes.  In the past these funds have been used to assist students to prepare for examinations by covering the costs of staying up during vacations; providing child care to enable students with small children to attend supervisions and examinations; to provide emergency medical assistance etc.
•    a full time Mental Health Adviser.  This role reflects the rising profile and need in this area, and is a service fully utilised and held in the highest regard by its users and the College.  The Friends have committed to fund this service, with the expectation that the College will take over its funding in due course.
•    a part time Student Counsellor.  This role pre dates the MHA role above, and is in its fifth year of funding by the Friends.  The role was originally established to meet perceived need and helped inform the creation of the MHA role.  The two posts now co-exist and are both fully utilised.
•    a Mental Health Welfare Fund to be dispersed at the discretion of the Mental Health Adviser and Senior Tutor.
•    a range of academic prizes and to fund the sixth form essay prizes.  These donations arise from previous specific endowments for this purpose.  
•    yoga classes.  These were introduced in 2018/2019 and have proved very popular across undergraduates and graduates and all genders as both as both a stress relieving activity as well as helping with physical wellbeing.
•    the Leavers Year Book established through a specific endowment in 2020.
•    subsidy for the JCR and MCR "superhall" events.

In 2020 the Council of the Friends donated a further £50,000 to support all students through the first pandemic lockdown.  A sum of up to £100 was allocated to each student to spend on anything which would help their wellbeing and was supported by their tutor, with the residual being deployed to those most in need by the Senior Tutor.  This was extraordinary well received.

Administrative expenses:  Members of Council give of their time entirely freely and do not charge expenses.  Administrative costs are therefore low and in future years will relate primarily to the fees for the Investment Manager and securing the services of an independent accountant.