Students raise record-breaking £13,000 for cancer charity

A group of five second year event management students have raised over £13,000 for the charity Sarcoma UK by organising a glamorous fundraiser gala on a zero budget. 

Second year students, Emma Broadbent, Bethany Commins, Aimee Lucas, Marianna Smith and Courtney Sellers, working under the name ‘Inspire Events’, organised the event as part of their Event Planning Design and Community Engagement module at the University of Hertfordshire which smashed the current module record for the amount of money raised.

Bethany, student member of Inspire Events, said: “I've seen how sarcoma affects people first hand and so this motivated me to produce an outstanding event where people can learn more about the charity, meet someone affected by sarcoma, while also raising as much money as possible. I am so proud of my team and this module has definitely made me eager to finish my degree and begin my career in the event industry.”

With one of the groups family members diagnosed with sarcoma before Christmas, deciding to help the charity was an easy choice for the group. The students raised the money by inviting guests to a sit-down meal with a raffle and auction; which prizes included a holiday to Spain, signed sports merchandise, VIP concert tickets and a car for the weekend.

Lindsey Bennister, Chief Executive of Sarcoma UK, said:

“Thank you so much to Inspire Events for their phenomenal efforts. The money raised will help us fund ground-breaking sarcoma research projects at centres of excellence around the UK. This year, we will invest our largest amount ever - £350,000 - into high quality research that will benefit everyone affected by sarcoma cancer. We couldn’t do this without the amazing support from the Inspire Events team. I am so proud of their achievements.”

Allan Jepson, Module Leader at the University, added:

“The project remit was to raise awareness, raise funds and to create a live event which would make a difference to a third sector organisation and the communities it serves and Inspire events have most definitely done that. This event is testament to the impact our students can have.”

Sarcomas are rare cancers that develop in the muscle, bone, nerves, cartilage, tendons, blood vessels and the fatty and fibrous tissues. They make up 1% of all cancer diagnoses in the UK. Further information on Sarcoma UK can be found at http://sarcoma.org.uk/. 

ENDS

For more information, please contact Kelsey Arif, University of Hertfordshire Press Office on 01707 285 163, Email: k.arif3@herts.ac.uk

Notes to Editor

The exact amount Inspire Events raised was £13,066.25.

Photo captions:

Photo one: Inspire Events on the night of the event. From left to right: Emma Broadbent, Marianne Smith, Courtney Sellers, Bethany Commins and Aimee Lucas.

Photo two: The glitzy setting for the evening.

About the University of Hertfordshire

• The University is the UK’s leading business-facing university and an exemplar in the sector.  It is innovative and enterprising and challenges individuals and organisations to excel. 

• The University of Hertfordshire is one of the region’s largest employers with over 2,650 staff and a turnover of almost £233 million.

• With a student community of over 27,200 including more than 2,800 students from eighty-five different countries, the University has a global network of over 175,000 alumni. 

• It is also one of the top 100 universities in the world under 50 years old, according to the new Times Higher Education 100 under 50 rankings 2012.

• For more information, please visit www.herts.ac.uk

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