Plymouth University students receive national accolade after bumper fundraising year

Student fundraisers from Plymouth University have won a prestigious national award after generating more than £106,000 for charity over the past year.

The Plymouth team won the 'Most Improved' category at the 2013 National RAG Awards by raising an incredible 1,700% more than they had in the previous year.

To achieve this they staged a fundraising event on average every 1.9 days over the year, with those events including a 24-hour rowathon, a sponsored skydive and a hitch-hiking challenge across Europe.

The award was presented during a ceremony which took place at the Birmingham Students’ Guild, with the overall competition held in association with RBS ESSA and FIG Investment.

Hannah McCausland, RAG Vice President at Plymouth University, said: “The competition was very fierce, and we were up against more well-known and established RAGs, so to win was an incredible achievement. The UPSU RAG has undergone a major restructure, but most of all this success was down to the hard work and dedication of all our members. With a lot of new and imaginative events we were able to engage more students, and raise money to make a real impact on Plymouth and the surrounding areas.”

Among the most successful fundraising initiatives during the year was a swim across Plymouth Sound which raised more than £4,000 for the Chestnut Appeal, a sponsored cycle from London to Paris, which saw five students raise over £5,000 for Muscular Dystrophy, and 10 students climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, raising £29,000 for Meningitis Research Foundation.

Other events led to funds being donated to an array of local and national organisations, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Children in Need and Cornish wildlife charity Wild Futures.

Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth University, said: “Our students are our best ambassadors and I am very proud of the work they do within the local community, and their awareness of social responsibility. To raise more than £100,000 in a year is a fantastic achievement and this award is recognition of all their hard work. And I know the team will go from strength to strength in the years ahead.”