Record numbers for Open Cambridge and Bridge The Gap

More than 5,000 people took part in the weekend’s activities overall, taking the opportunity to explore the colleges, tour their gardens and libraries, and view some of the artworks, manuscripts and other treasures they house.

On Sunday, 2,500 people filled the streets of Cambridge for the Bridge The Gap Charity Walk, a 4.5 mile walk through various colleges and other University sites, raising tens of thousands of pounds for local charities.

“It’s been fantastic to see so many people enjoying the colleges and their collections,” Emma Wenborn, from the University’s Community Affairs team, which organised and ran the weekend’s activities, said.

“We have had lots of positive feedback from the people who took part. The turnout for Bridge The Gap also looks to have been at least as big as last year, meaning that we will have yet again raised plenty of money for good causes.”

Open Cambridge began last year and is part of a national programme of Heritage Open Days, giving people the chance to see inside College and University buildings which are often either closed to the public or charge for admission.

Almost all of Cambridge’s colleges took part by offering guided tours of their premises or opening up their spectacular gardens and art collections for the public to view. A total of 16 libraries also opened their doors, giving visitors the chance to see a wide range of prized manuscripts and collections, among them Isaac Newton’s notes, Winston Churchill’s private papers and the original draft of Winnie-The-Pooh.

This year’s event also formed part of the year-long programme of celebrations marking the University’s 800th anniversary in 2009. A series of talks on Saturday explored different aspects of the University’s story so far, covering local history, architecture and town and gown relations through the centuries.

Bridge The Gap, which is now in its eighth year, meanwhile brought thousands of walkers on to the streets of Cambridge on Sunday morning. The route took in several colleges, as well as the University’s Museum of Zoology. The amount raised in sponsorship and entry fees is expected to at least equal last year’s total of £42,000.

The walk supports both Press Relief – a community fund founded by Cambridge Newspapers Ltd. – and the Arthur Rank Hospice, which provides specialist palliative care and support to adult parents, their family, friends and carers.

To find out more about other community activities and events at Cambridge University, click on the links to the right of this page, or review the weekend’s action on Twitter here: twitter.com/camideasfest