Raising and Giving

Sometimes when things are as busy as they can be at University, I find it’s quite easy to get wrapped up in my own little world of rehearsals, assignments and general procrastination, completely forgetting that the outside world rolls on regardless!

So when I received an online invitation the other day to head along to the annual Christmas Lights Switch-On at the University in a few weeks’ time, I had a double-take and, after a quick check of the diary, realised that, somehow, we’ve reached November already – this year seems to be absolutely flying by, and the jolly spirit that always accompanies a Southampton-based Christmas is nearby…!  I then, of course, realised that I had a few thousand words’ worth of technical report due in mid-November and headed straight for the computer labs!

Rehearsals are back in full swing for me - next up, a musical in February which features me tangoing with my friend Jeremy!

  

But what really deserves attention, even if we’re not always forthcoming with it, are the magnificent efforts of the Students’ Union’s RAG, or Raising and Giving, department. Made up of sprightly, charitable and determined individuals, their efforts to raise funds for noble causes are ubiquitous across campus; it’s rare you see a week go by without glimpsing a collection bucket on the concourse outside the main Union building or in its pubs and bars, or without a cake sale (or several!) around, or even their arranging of their own events for the public to enjoy, and for the resulting funds to be passed on to some great causes.

With it being this time of year, and the approaching day of Children in Need, I always think it’s fantastic to see just how much the collective Union buys in to the philosophies of RAG and showcases some brilliant philanthropy. Already I’ve encountered Surge Radio, the Union’s own station, broadcasting from outside all day at one point last week on the concourse in an effort to raise, battling through freezing temperatures much to a few of the hosts’ distress (although Pudsey Bear seemed to be having a great time)!

And around this time it’s no longer considered weird (well, at least to an extent!) to see the Union President David Gilani and other Sabbatical Officers having various limbs waxed in public, and indeed the same applies to the case of the Theatre Group President, Sam Dobson, who went through the agonising experience of having all hair removed from his chest, while auctioning off the strips to his supportive (yet laughing away!) members - the videos were being spread on social networks within seconds! And just the other day I was told that SUSUtv’s committee and executive members are getting gunged on the concourse every hour throughout the Children in Need day, so I’ll be sure to go along and… errr... ‘support’ them too!

On top of all that there’s the traditional annual RAG naked calendar (not explicit in the slightest!) which is a great laugh to shoot, and an even better laugh when you see your friends in it (I’m unfortunately not this time round - phew!), week-long festivals of fundraising, collections on the city streets and much more, with events including parties and sky-dives (by far braver people than me)! And it’s all for charities chosen by whichever group volunteered to organise these events in the first place, so it means that bit more to its hosts and participants - or indeed, if you’ve an idea for an event and charity to raise for, to you.

But this is only scratching the surface of the activities that frequently take place across campus, and indeed will be happening all over the country on Friday, and the fact that so much of it is student-led from the offset is inspiring, another example of the achievements at the University which, despite not always receiving the limelight amidst everything else going on here, make a huge difference and accomplish feats which hold consequences stretching beyond higher education.

One of my ambitions before I complete my degree is to get more involved with RAG events and, judging from what I’ve seen so far, it’s as easy as ever in SUSU; it’s just a case of putting yourself forward, getting stuck in and meeting some awesome people to boot! So despite being wrapped up in my work bubble, and although this Children in Need I may only be able to support the efforts of others through donating, who knows? I’m sure that, soon enough, I’ll need to wax my legs too!

Here’s to Raising and Giving - I hope everybody involved enjoys the day, and has their customary charitable success in doing so!

Robin