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Business students spread smiles with charity fundraiser

A group of University of Hull Business School students have used their marketing skills to raise more than £1400 for a local children’s charity – providing children with the opportunity of ‘the trip of a lifetime’.

Hull and East Yorkshire (HEY) Children’s University works to raise disadvantaged children’s aspirations and self-esteem through unique learning experiences.

The total of more than £1480 raised by the Business School students is enough (once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted) to send a whole class of children on the experience of a lifetime to London, with previous trips including a night spent at the Natural History Museum.

Led by final-year marketing student, Matthew Gilbert, the Business School students created the fundraising group ‘HUBS Helping Hands’ to provide a platform where they could put their marketing skills and knowledge to charitable effect.

Their first fundraiser consisted of a competition open to all students and staff at the University, in which submissions were judged on how much of a smile they put on people’s faces. They could range from anything from a funny video, to a photo or a song.

Make a smile entries
Make a Smile submissions

Alongside the submissions, people were encouraged to donate to HEY Children’s University through a donation page set up by the students.

Matthew Gilbert said: “After the tough year the world has experienced due to Coronavirus, we really wanted to try and brighten everyone’s moods by sharing what makes us laugh with each other.

“To be able to do this – alongside raising some money for such a worthwhile charity – was something that lots of students and staff alike wanted to be involved with.”

Submissions for the competition included hilarious pet pictures, funky dance routines, and even a comically high-pitched laugh.

Matthew said: “Having witnessed the sense of community that a fundraiser like this creates, the aim is for HUBS Helping Hands to continue to provide a platform for creative, charitable work at the University for many years to come.

Dr Fannie Yeung, Director of Student Experience at Hull University Business School, said: “It was especially pleasing to see how our HUBS community of students and staff were able to pull together for this significant effort, helping a needy cause. That it was student-led made it even more special as one of our goals in terms of enhancing student experience is to encourage more initiatives like these that are organised and run by students.”

Included in the total raised by the students was a generous donation by the fundraiser’s sponsor: University Quarter.

Rose James, Partnership Manager of Hull & East Yorkshire Children's University, said: “We are so grateful for the support of the HUBS Helping Hands team and the University Quarter for raising this fantastic amount for our charity. The funds raised will send a whole class of children on an experience that they otherwise would never have. It could change their future.”

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