Student volunteers have used their skillsets to raise money for charity and help local residents as part of Raising and Giving (RAG) Community Day.
A team of more than 300 Newcastle University volunteers cooperated with local residents and Newcastle-based charities to raise a total of over £7,500.
Organised by Newcastle University’s acclaimed RAG Society, the event followed on from the Society’s incredible success during the 2016/17 academic when more than £76,000 was raised for charities and community-based projects.
As part of RAG Community Day, students led a technology workshop to assist residents with using electronic devices including tablets and mobile phones at Jesmond Library.
RAG Community Day also saw Jesmond’s biggest ever litter pick, which was organised by RAG Society and Keep Jesmond Clean. The event saw 200 students working together to collect more than 150 bags of litter from the Manor House Road area.
“RAG Community Day is an amazing example of how pro-active and enthusiastic our students are”
Sarah Craggs, Welfare and Equality Officer
This litter pick follows others organised by student volunteers this academic year. In the aftermath of Freshers’ Week students and residents worked together to clean the city, litter in Fenham was picked in cooperation with Newcastle University Women’s Football Team, and students worked together to clean up Jesmond before Christmas.
Describing RAG Community Day, RAG President Jack Green said that “seeing the students coming together with other local residents of the community and giving back was amazing. I hope that local residents can recognise more that students actually bring a lot of positive things to Jesmond!”
Welfare and Equality Officer Sarah Craggs highlighted the importance of events such as RAG Community Day to NUSU’s commitment to “enriching the local community and building strong relationships with residents”. She described how “RAG Community Day is an amazing example of how pro-active and enthusiastic our students are.”
Director of Employability and Student Success Marc Lintern praised the students’ hard work: “While permanent residents often focus on the negative aspects of students living in residential areas, I’m always blown away by the volunteering that students do in the city. Students’ participation in activities such as RAG Community Day is a reminder of the hugely positive contribution which most of our students make to the life of our city.”