Queen Mary’s College has wrapped up its first Social Action Week with tremendous success, not only in terms of the money raised but also in the personal development observed in the students. They have demonstrated creativity, teamwork, resilience and growing confidence throughout the week. With the support of UNLOC, this new initiative has given first-year students the opportunity to go out into the local community and make a real difference. They have worked in groups and actively raised money to support a charity of their choice directly through social action.
Students started off by forming groups within their tutor groups and working together to create their project plan to reach their fundraising target (a minimum of £200). Following this, they independently went out into the community, putting their plan to action. From beach clean ups, car washes and litter picking to bake sales, here are just a few, creative ways in which students went about fundraising:
- Crocheting jellyfishes for premature babies (which is being sent out to Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Basingstoke and Portsmouth Hospitals)
- Charity tennis event where Councillor for the Women’s Equality Party attended
- 24 hour live streamed esports tournaments
- Cycling the distance from Wembley to Berlin
- Creating and selling their own art work
- Rowing the distance from Dover to Calais and back
- Cycling the length of the English Channel (560km)
- Sponsored walks, ranging from 16,280 steps, 145,800 steps to 10km walks and everything in between
- Offering portrait photography to the public
- Swimming 12km
- Doing henna designs
In addition to fundraising, a group of UAL Art students contributed to the community by providing their services. As part of the Portacabin Project, they painted a mural for Headway Basingstoke.
The team at Headway were thrilled at the outcome, stating ‘We at Headway are in total awe of their talents and what they have produced – it has turned out far better than we ever could have imagined…we can’t stop looking at it! The group were all very polite and respectful, and just an overall treat to have with us. I want to highlight one student in particular, Edith, who was a fantastic leader and brought a real sense of ease to the group. We at Headway are very, very appreciative for having QMC’s support in this. Thank you to you both for helping to get this organised and please send our utmost appreciation and gratitude to the group once again.’
To conclude Social Action Week, each group presented their projects, showcasing their activities, progress and achievements. A final ceremony was held after where team prizes were presented in the following categories:
- Most creative and innovative project- Phynaiesports
- Project most linked to the cause- Red Flag For Domestic Abuse and Curvy Spines
- Group showing the best teamwork – Charity Spinathon
- Most money fundraised- Social Action Marathon (£1.3026.00)
- Best social media campaign- The Social Action For Gaza and Inspero Garden
- Resilience Prize- Chloe and Jasmine
The final total amount was announced, revealing an incredible sum of over £22.5K. Many groups ended up not only meeting the minimum fundraising target, but raising more, some amassing more than triple the set amount! This incredible achievement was made possible through the hard work and dedication of every student involved.
Principal Mark Henderson commented “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to UNLOC and the local community for their unwavering support during Queen Mary’s College’s first Social Action Week. This initiative has provided our students with an invaluable opportunity to engage with and contribute to their community, and the results have been nothing short of inspiring. I am immensely proud of our students for their dedication, creativity, and hard work. They have not only raised significant funds for various charities but have also demonstrated exceptional teamwork and resilience. The skills they have utilised and developed throughout this week will undoubtedly benefit them in their future endeavours.
Congratulations to all the students on their remarkable achievements. Your efforts have made a real difference, and I am confident that this experience will leave a lasting impact on both you and our community. Well done!”
To see more photos and details about individual projects, check out the hashtag #QMCSocialAction on Instagram!
