19th January

DURING what has now become an annual awareness week in the Exeter College calendar, students were again invited to learn more about the good work of the many charities in their community during Making A Positive Contribution Week 2010 (January 10-14).

Charitable organisations from across Devon were invited into the College to speak to interested individuals about what their causes were and how they could get involved, either through offering their support, or actively becoming involved in their fundraising efforts or volunteering activities.

Additionally, students were briefed during their weekly tutorials about what would be taking place during the week – one of five themed weeks which fall under the College’s Every Child Matters banner.

Nightstop Project Worker Katie Banwell was among those handing out information to students. Encouraging volunteers to sign up to a sponsored skydive to raise money for the Exeter-based charity which arranges emergency accommodation for young people aged between 16 and 25 across Devon, she said: “This project is a particularly nice one for students to get involved as it is youth oriented.

“Many of the people we help are the same age or not much older than the students themselves, so it is easy to empathise with them. Being invited into the College is really valuable from our perspective, because it is also about getting students to help reverse stereotypes. While some of the people we help are found sleeping rough on the streets, about 80 per cent are referrals through family breakdown.

“Being made homeless can happen to anyone, so it has been great to see students so interested in gaining a better understanding of what we do and expressing an interest in offering to help either through volunteering or fundraising. I think having an awareness week like this at Exeter College is a lovely idea.”

Among the students signing up to find out more about Nightstop’s Big Jump Out 2011 was Elizabeth Woolls, aged 17, of Exmouth, who said: “It sounded like a really good opportunity and it’s for charity.”

Expressing an initial interest too was Rosie Ives, aged 16, and also of Exmouth, who added: “I’ve always wanted to do something like this, and doing it for charity is a good incentive.”

The week also served as a reminder of the many valuable contributions students across the College have already made so far this academic year.

Examples of the many College-led activities include: money raised for this year’s chosen College charity Exeter Leukemia Fund (ELF) through the Students’ Union Jailbreak, the Festival of Carols, fancy dress collections, and community education Guitar class busking sessions; various events held across the faculties for Children In Need; Macmillan Cancer coffee mornings; and a 5km trek across Woodbury Common organised by Public Services students in aid of Help for Heroes.

Meanwhile, Hettie Haliday – who this month won the Foundation Studies Student of the Year title at the 2010 Exeter College Student Awards – set a fine example of charitable behaviour when she asked all her friends and relatives to make a donation to Shelterbox instead of giving her presents for her 18th birthday. In doing so, the former pupil of Southbrook School who is now in her third year at the College, raised hundreds of pounds for the charity.

Student Welfare Co-ordinator Sammy Davies, who works for Exeter College’s Department of Safeguarding, Tutoring, Equality and Wellbeing (STEW), says: “Making A Positive Contribution Week is always an important and enjoyable week at the College and is part of a larger tutorial and Enrichment programme here at Exeter College. But it is also nice to think that lots of our students take part in voluntary events and raise money for charity throughout the year, both through College organised activities and in their own time.”