Our history

ExVac was founded in 1982 as the Exeter Vacation Project by two Exeter College students, Carol Amos and James Riddiough. What began as a simple but powerful idea—to offer local disadvantaged children a week away from their usual routines—has grown into a cherished tradition and a proud part of college life.

Over the decades, ExVac has remained a student-led initiative, rooted in the belief that a week of new experiences, fun, and friendship can make a lasting difference in a child’s life. Every year, volunteers from Exeter College plan and deliver a week-long residential trip for children from across the Oxford area, giving them the chance to explore, grow in confidence, and just be kids.

In 2024, we officially became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and adopted the name ExVac, a fresh chapter in our long-standing commitment to creating joyful, memorable experiences for the children we support.

If you have your own ExVac story—whether as a volunteer, supporter, or participant—we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch at chair@exvac.org.

Like all great ideas, the Exeter College Vacation Project was started in the course of a wide-ranging conversation in a student kitchen. Carol had previously been involved in the Lincoln College equivalent. We both felt that it was a shame that Exeter did not boast something similar and decided we wanted to create the Exeter College Vacation Project to start giving back to the wider community. Hence the idea was born and the dinner spoilt.

Throughout the summer of 1982 we wrote numerous letters to various venerable bodies and although complete novices, became quite adept at fundraising. Back at college, the project gained immediate enthusiastic support from the Rector and his wife, Lord and Lady Crowther-Hunt. The JCR was more than generous and in addition, several other college JCRs, to their great credit, gave us significant financial support to start the fledgling project.

The major driving force in setting up ExVac, from our position as students at Exeter College, was the chance to learn more about the wider Oxford community beyond the College gates and to give children identified as in need by Oxfordshire Social Services the chance of a holiday. Our aim was to give the children a fun, active time away from home – for several this would be their first ever holiday.

We formed a group of committed volunteers, primarily from Exeter College. We determined that at least one volunteer had to be from the year below, so that the project would continue into the following year and also that one had to be old enough to be able to drive a minibus!

We based the activities during the week’s holiday on what were thought to be exciting opportunities for the children. In our recollection, we only remember needing to go to casualty once! Although a rather untimely shout by one of the children through a minibus window almost caused an accident with a lady on a bike….

We had no qualifications, except a huge amount of enthusiasm and the desire to make a positive difference in the children’s lives. Despite having a few “medics” (a.k.a. physiological science undergraduates!), we had no formal First Aid qualification or real medical or social work knowledge. Definitely no CRB checks!

We are thrilled that ExVac has continued to contribute so much to the life of the College and proud that it remains a key part of College life. In hindsight, this is one of the best legacies we could have given to the College, providing a reminder that we are not far away from significant disadvantage in our wider community and that there is a broader perspective on our own lives beyond the College walls.

Long may ExVac flourish and develop.