Orchard Court - a room of one's own
Many alumnae will have fond memories of their very own room when they first joined the College. Full of promise of the rich experiences to come, and a haven from the hectic round of Cambridge lectures, supervisions, formals and sports training. A room of one’s own is a place to think and to grow.
Orchard Court (or Old Block as it was known) has for many years provided that precious space. We need to undertake a complete and full renovation of two wings of Orchard Court to ensure that the accommodation is brought up to standard and helps to provide the welcoming atmosphere that Murray Edwards’ students find so beneficial. Some of the rooms have not been touched since they were first built, and we now need to renovate the entire infrastructure, windows, fittings and furniture of the three final staircases to be renovated (rooms, kitchens and bathrooms and the staircases themselves) over the next four years. We need £7M in order to fully complete the refurbishment.
What we're doing now
We're raising £1.17M to start work on Staircase F (formerly Staircase C) in summer 2017, by asking alumnae to give their support either by helping to fund and name a Year Group room or by sponsoring a room item such as a desk, bed, or even some electrical wiring!
Each Year Group room has a target of £90k. This figure was obtained by dividing the cost of the entire project (£7M) by the number of rooms requiring renovation. £90k covers the cost of replacing all plumbing, wiring, electrics, flooring, heating, piping and drainage, making structural changes such as moving walls, and digging trenches, creating and installing new bathrooms and kitchens, renovating the staircases themselves, the corridors, and doors – plus the rooms themselves and all their fixtures and fittings. It’s an enormous job and requires taking each staircase back to a shell and starting again.
Get involved
Please contact the Development Office at newhallsociety@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk or 01223 762288 to find out more.