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Bristol students celebrate record-breaking fundraising year

Students reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa after successfully completing their sponsored climb for the Students' Union RAG society

Students reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa after successfully completing their sponsored climb for the Students' Union RAG society

Press release issued: 29 October 2010

University of Bristol students raised a staggering £252,000 for charity over the past year [09/10]. The money, raised through a series of fundraising events led by the University of Bristol Students’ Union Raising & Giving (RAG) society, has benefited over 20 local, national and international charities. It is the highest achievement in RAG’s 85-year history.

University of Bristol students raised a staggering £252,000 for charity over the past year [09/10]. The money, raised through a series of fundraising events led by the University of Bristol Students’ Union Raising & Giving (RAG) society, has benefited over 20 local, national and international charities. It is the highest achievement in RAG’s 85-year history.

A sponsored climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa involving 27 students was the final hurdle to overcome in order to achieve the RAG fundraising record. All participants successfully completed the climb, reaching the Tanzanian summit earlier this year.

As well as raising money for RAG, the sponsored climb also helps fund the ‘Students’ Union Hodgkin Scholarship', which enables outstanding people in developing countries to gain access to higher education. This year’s scholar is Florence Pita Mogga Asaya, who having fled war-torn Sudan as a child had to continue her education in a refugee camp primary school. Florence worked hard to gain a scholarship to secondary school and went on to study Geography and Economics at the University of Uganda.  Thanks to the RAG climbers and a donation from a Bristol Alumni, Florence will now be studying Gender and International Relations at the University of Bristol.

Members of the RAG society fundraise for charities all year through a number of sponsored events as well as city processions and street collections.  Local Bristol charities which have benefited from RAG’s donations include One25, which reaches out to women trapped in sex work to help them break free from poverty, violence and addiction, The Jessie May Trust, which provides a ‘hospice at home’ service for terminally ill children, and Studio Upstairs, an arts community that provides people who are struggling with mental health issues a chance to express themselves through art. RAG has also provided support to Jolidays, one of the Students’ Union’s own projects, which organises trips and valued respite, for young carers.

Susie Bailey, RAG Co-ordinator at the University of Bristol Students' Union, said: "I would like to thank all the members of RAG who have helped contribute to this record-breaking fundraising year.  This success is clearly testament to the sheer dedication of Bristol students who, through their hard work and commitment, have helped people and charities across the world."

The new RAG team hope to follow on this success by giving even more back to charity in 2010/11 starting with a sponsored ‘Jailbreak’ on 6 November 2010, whereby students have 36 hours to travel as far away from Bristol as possible having spent no money. Previous participants have travelled as far afield as Arizona and Egypt. There will also be another opportunity for a sponsored climb to Mount Kilimanjaro next summer and a trek to Mount Everest base camp. For more information contact Susie.Bailey@bristol.ac.uk.

 

Further information

Local charities are invited to apply to RAG’s annual grants, issued in May, by contacting Susie Bailey on rag-ubu@bristol.ac.uk
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