Our students enjoyed spooktacular fun last week while raising funds for our fantastic RAG charity Make-A- Wish UK.

A sponsored dress up day in college, a social evening packed with games, a themed quiz and a scary film night were all part of great Halloween activities, held under controlled and heightened hygiene measures.

Make-A-Wish UK is a children’s charity which helps to grant life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. Our Student Association (SA) nominated it as their charity for the 2019 -20 academic year and this has been extended into 2020 -21 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on fundraising activities.

SA members have already handed over nearly £3,000 to a Make-A-Wish UK representative during their celebratory Winter Meal (pictured) and continued to fund raise at college events such as our lambing weekends.

Since lockdown they have continued their efforts, in particular by organising our first ever virtual RAG (Raising and Giving) Week which raised £498 through donations for some very original challenges!

Congratulations to the SA team who set out to walk the length of England from Lands’ End to John O’Groats (874 miles /1,407 km) in a week by walking around their local parks and who smashed their target by collectively recording an incredible 1,590 km. Students and staff in our construction department also did a great job by making and selling attractive planters which raised £1009 for our chosen charity.

Other very successful RAG events included a Virtual RAG Ball Jukebox Session, a Great Make-A-Wish bake-off, garden olympics, challenging the SA to do fun tasks and making a crazy outfit out of household objects in ‘Anything but Clothes’. Students also raised the spirits of Make-A-Wish children by sending them cheerful messages.

And hats off to Luke Holmes, a Level 2 Diploma in Agriculture student, who completed his first every tandem sky dive and raised £275 for RAG as well as enjoying the whole experience.

There’ll be lots of opportunities to take part in, donate or take part in RAG activities this academic year, so keep an eye on our SA Facebook page.