Benefactors’ Garden Party 2025

On Saturday, 28th June, we welcomed an intimate cohort of benefactors to the Master’s Lodgings & Gardens. As the resilient Catz community looks towards the restoration of signature event spaces in 2026 and beyond, this Garden Party was a wonderful opportunity to thank our key donors for their enduring support of these works.

Over a delightful array of refreshments, guests milled freely around a tasteful itinerary of themed talks. Tim Kelsey, the Head Chef, spoke first; by summarising his impressive career in local gastronomy, guests learnt about the ongoing evolution of the Catz taste profile. Current students Sonakshi Grover (2023, MPhil International Development) and Rosario Grima Algora (2022, DPhil Law) each made presentations on their research.

Focusing on the history and future of celebrations at Catz, the event featured a bespoke archives exhibition, displaying exclusive fragments from the last century of student societies. The accompanying photograph gallery captured the pre-Jacobsen College, including the first-ever temporary Dining Hub.

Following on from the success of this year’s event, we would like to welcome many more benefactors to next year’s Garden Party, by which point we hope to have re-opened many of our cherished College buildings.

If you would like to make a donation to Catz, please do so here. To discuss a specific project, please contact the Development Team at development.office@stcatz.ox.ac.uk.