Students at the University of Winchester have helped raise more than £4,500 for good causes by organising events as part of their course.
Second year BA (Hons) Event Management students staged fundraisers for the charities Emmaus, CoppaFeel, OpenSight, The Winchester Beacon, and Naomi House and Jack’s Place.
The events provide valuable hands-on experience for students while swelling the coffers and boosting the profiles of the charities.
A charity quiz night for the homelessness charity Emmaus brought the community together and raised £2,000 alone.
Farah Abdullah, Marketing and Event Co-ordinator for the quiz night, said: “My role varied from promoting the event on social media to liaising with the client and responding to attendees. I was also involved in organising the technical aspects, such as the PA system and designing the event layout.
“Through this, I learned how to adapt to challenges on the day, especially when plans needed to change quickly. It also helped me develop my communication skills by liaising with clients to understand what they wanted and what could realistically work for the event. Overall, I gained a better understanding of how to cater effectively to the target market.”
Another homelessness charity, Winchester Beacon, saw its profile boosted by a Wild West evening held at the University’s Business School.
A spokesman for Winchester Beacon praised the students’ efforts: “Their attention to detail, careful co-ordination and teamwork ensured that the event ran smoothly. Their professional approach shone through, and we felt honoured to be invited to speak to the attendees about our vital work.”
OpenSight, which provides guidance, support, and activities for the visually impaired, benefitted from a fundraising concert at Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church.
Annabel Grays, who took on the role of Team Leader for the OpenSight show, said: “I learnt the importance of staying organised, supporting my team, and working collaboratively to ensure everything ran smoothly on the day. It was especially fulfilling to see the positive impact of the event, both in bringing the community together and successfully raising £1,800 for the charity.”
Students arranged an evening entitle CoppaSlice for cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel which featured live music, a raffle and a speech from one of the organisation’s fundraisers, Penny Drake.
Scarlett Agar, who organised entertainment, raffle and social media for CoppaSlice, said: “We had a lot of fun and challenges. It was a good insight to what our future careers will look like. I learned how to manage all aspects of the event and how things can go wrong on the evening and to be prepared.”
Event Management Module leader and Senior Lecturer, Marie Haverly, said: "I was so impressed with all the event outcomes and delighted that our students were able to gain real life experience whilst running these live events. It was extremely rewarding to see them all confidently face challenges, manage expectations and ultimately enjoy plenty of success, in their final year on the programme."
Back to media centre