By Tilly Rose
Last week the lovely George Street Social hosted our @thatoxfordgirl meeting. We haven't been able to host a meeting since the start of the pandemic, so it was so amazing to see lots of familiar faces and meet lots of new ones too!
It took me back to the first ever meeting I hosted, where I was so excited when 7 students agreed to meet for a coffee in a local café to discuss blog posts. I'd had the concept for the 'student ambassador' scheme and this was my first attempt to get it going...I kind of cringe now looking back, it was a far cry from the buzzing breakfast meeting for 50 put on this week, with an abundance of food, drink and sponsors #gifting incredible products and experiences! It really does show, you have to start somewhere and if I'd never taken that leap it wouldn't have grown into a team of 100+ TOG ambassadors opening those doors to Oxford Uni!
The George Street Social is a cosy café/restaurant situated in the city centre offering everything from tasty coffee, to buzzing bottomless brunches, cocktails and dinner. They have been a long-term supporter of @thatoxfordgirl and we were delighted to return there this term. They put on a delicious breakfast of avo on toast, smokes salmon canapes, fresh pastries, indulgent chocolate brownies, flapjacks, juices and a menu of warming hot drinks as we enter autumn. Huge shoutout to the lovely manager, Peter, who could not be more accommodating, we are delighted to partner with you!
After sharing a little bit of the 'That Oxford Girl' story, the ambassadors took part in some fun activities which we'll be sharing with you later this term. They all thought about their Oxford interviews and reflected on real-life questions they were asked, so keep your eyes peeled for those in an upcoming post.
Our Student Ambassador Reward Scheme has gone from strength to strength in recent years and we were delighted to be working with some fab Oxford brands:
Pho Restaurant - a supporter of TOG since the very beginning, I first came across Pho when Westgate opened and I can genuinely say I have never looked back. I was so excited to see nearly everything on their menu was gluten free, plus it was affordable, fresh, healthy and flavoursome. Every time I go to Westgate I pop in for my monthly Pho-fix and now the next group of TOG ambassadors are being introduced to this great brand. Oh and their Pho-to-go make the best takeaway mid-essay crisis. Pho kindly #gifted 50 free meals to the team!
Charlotte Jane Cakes - Charlotte makes the tastiest, homemade fudge, handcrafted with edible florals in beautiful Oxfordshire. I gave my mum some on Mother's Day and it really did make the most gorgeous gift, plus it tasted amazing. They come in statement slabs, dripping with layers of chocolate, whilst also offering truly tasty vegan options. Charlotte provided a selection of delicious fudge packages for the team which we have been indulging in ever since!
New Ground Coffee - this ethically sourced high-grade coffee is carefully selected from small-scale farms around the world, with a special USP. New Ground recruit ex-offenders to work in their roaster providing opportunities, training and jobs. Their coffee is delicious (it 100% got me through lockdown!) and they have a really cool warehouse café in Headington which the TOG team are now buzzing to visit, to claim their #gifted coffee!
Brasserie Blanc - we had a fun prize draw at the end of the meeting with the winner being invited for a meal worth over £100 at Brasserie Blanc, Oxford - how cool is that? This French restaurant, situated in lovely Jericho is 100% a place to head for special occasions or when the fam are in town!
It was amazing to meet so many inspiring Oxford women this week and as I looked across the George Street Social and saw the smiles, laughter and energetic atmosphere in the room, I was filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling thinking about at just how far 'That Oxford Girl' has come. Watch this space, for loads more from this year's TOG ambassadors!
Comments