The Fellowship: Creating Community Through Service

If you are looking to make your university experience more fulfilling, consider applying to The Fellowship of St Andrews. It’s a ‘tightly knit group of student social entrepreneurs united by their passion for strengthening [...] town and gown relations’ through community service, events, and student-led, town-focused projects. 

Last week, I had the chance to sit down with several members of The Fellowship and hear what makes this society unique to St Andrews. Founded over a decade ago by former Kate Kennedy Club members who were dissatisfied by departure from the original goals of the society and its refusal to admit women (at the time), The Fellowship provides a renewed focus on local charities, St Andrews history, and serious social issues. Fellowship events like Raisin the Roof, Vic Dip, and Yoga in the Castle have helped raise money for Families First and more recently, the Harbour Trust Foundation which works to repair the St Andrews pier and harbour after a major storm in October 2023 caused serious damage. In honour of their contributions, The Fellowship was recently awarded a plaque in the harbour. 

Photo courtesy of The Fellowship

While raising money for local charities is at the heart of their mission, it is not their only objective. First Fellow, Caitlyn Eby ‘26 emphasises the importance of local history, noting that every meeting begins with a fact about the town’s history. Eby also observes that members are required to volunteer a minimum of one hour every week. For her and Roslyn Bates ‘26, former First Fellow, that looks like regularly volunteering at the Byre Theatre, where they act as front of house for productions. Bates points out that volunteering ‘helps locals see us as more than just ‘rowdy’ students’. She particularly enjoys the volunteer socials where volunteers of all ages and backgrounds get together to celebrate the theatre. For Eby, her volunteer work has helped her gain further appreciation for the town, as ‘a lot of the volunteers here are older and have been members of the community for decades’ and they ‘take the time to offer their insights on the local history’. Lilly Elliasevich ‘28, recently appointed Social Secretary, agrees with this sentiment, as her volunteer work at the Save the Children charity shop has introduced her to other volunteers with a wealth of knowledge not just about St Andrews, but Scottish culture and history as well. For others, like Emory Anderson ‘26, the current Director of Charities, inspiration comes from some of her hobbies like playing defense on the women’s 1st football team and baking. She coaches a football team at the local girl’s club, and more recently, baking cakes for Baking A Difference, a new Fife-based charity that provides birthday cakes for kids in need. Indeed, Anderson was recognized this past spring by both the university and the Scottish government for her volunteer work, having been awarded the University of St Andrews Platinum Volunteering Award and the Saltire Award for over 500+ hours of community service. 

For her and many others, the Fellowship offers the opportunity to continue their volunteer work pre-dating university with a group of like-minded individuals. Weekly meetings offer the chance to pitch community-oriented projects and events. But The Fellowship isn’t all work and no play, they often have internal socials, where different members host picnics, movie nights, pub nights, etc. The Fellowship is constantly working to bring student ideas to life within the St Andrews community, such as Yoga in the Castle, a unique experience in which students and locals alike can practice yoga  inside the ruins of St Andrews Castle. Other projects include the publication of Ye Auld Grey Tune, a collection of short stories from students, professors, and townspeople that will be released in the university store in 2026.

Photo courtesy of The Fellowship

If you are searching for ways to get involved with the town and its rich history, look no further than The Fellowship. Currently, they are looking for a new place to host Raisin the Roof, as it was previously held at The Vic during Raisin Weekend. Aside from that, they are deeply involved with The Big Hoolie on St Andrews Day, the 29th of November, so look out for the big town ceilidh they host as a part of the day’s festivities. Later on in the semester, they also host the Wardlaw Dinner, a festive, black-tie recruitment event where you can meet the Fellows and learn more about their organisation. More informally, they have BrewCo get-togethers at the end of the Martinmas semester and beginning of the Candlemas semester. If you are interested in applying, The Fellowship highly recommends you attend one (or all) of these events and apply in December and January, when applications open. They offer more information about these events on their Instagram.