RAG So Far!
The Union’s Raise and Give (RAG) committee has raised over £20,000 for charity through its fundraising efforts since the start of this academic year.
£13,000 was raised for the three nominated charities in the first semester alone. Each year RAG supports one local, one national and one international charity. The nominated charities for the 2014/15 academic year are First Steps Derbyshire, a local eating disorder charity; Dementia UK, who provide specialist dementia nurses to give practical and emotional support to families affected by dementia, and Water Aid, who seek to provide access to safe water and sanitation worldwide.
RAG has also been working with individual charities since September on an event by event basis, to allow students to independently raise money for causes that they are particularly passionate about.
The committee hosted RAG Week from 24th-30th November. Several societies and clubs within the Students’ Union offered their support by holding their own fundraising events throughout the week. Overall, RAG week raised £2,437.73 for charity.
The second semester proves to be an equally eventful one for RAG with the arrival of new fundraising activities, which promise to be even more exciting. The committee have already had a busy start to 2015. In January RAG took part in Refreshers’ Fair, hosted an information evening about an upcoming skydive to raise money for Dementia UK, provided popcorn at the Academy Comedy night and held a Newlife MEGASALE.
The Newlife MEGASALE took place on the evening of January 20th and raised a massive £2,351.85. 100% of the money will provide support to disabled children in Derbyshire.
David Reeves, the Regional Fundraising and Awareness Manager at the Newlife Foundation said:
The megasale at the University of Derby was a resounding success, especially considering that it was our first public event in a university. We thank the Students’ Union for their enthusiasm and support.
The money raised from the event will be used directly to help disabled children in Derbyshire, delivering life changing equipment to children who need it most.
Evan is one such young boy who has benefitted from RAG’s fundraising efforts. Evan has learning and physical difficulties. He also suffers from Epilepsy. His balance is unsteady; he lacks an awareness of danger, and thus, has to use a wheelchair when he goes out. Evan doesn’t speak and all his needs are anticipated by his carers.
For the past eight months Evan has been sleeping in a Safespace voyager, bought by his family while they wait for a specialist bed from statutory services. The voyager recently stopped being collapsible due to so much use. As a result, Evan couldn’t attend overnight respite. This had a big impact on his family. The money raised from RAG’s clothes event allowed Newlife to buy Evan a new Safespace voyager and he is now able to continue his overnight stays.
RAG’s fundraising efforts don’t stop there though since this semester also sees the introduction of an outrageous London Megaraid in aid of Dementia UK, on 27th February. This event will include a free overnight stay in London with accommodation and breakfast included. There are no set activities for Thursday so those attending are free to explore the city before returning for some fundraising in London on Friday. This is a public event and the committee will be joined by RAG committees from universities throughout the UK.
If you don’t fancy any of these events then you can let the committee know what fundraising activities you would like to see in the future by sending a Facebook message to their ‘Derby Raiseandgive’ account, or by email to rag@udsu.org.uk.
The team shall also be recruiting for a new RAG committee over the next few months, ready for the 2015/16 academic year. If you want the opportunity to join a committee which is genuinely changing lives through fundraising then look out for updates on RAG’s Facebook page and on the Students’ Union website at www.udsu.co.uk/rag.
