University College Plymouth St Mark & St John

A big thank you to all who have organised and taken part in events this year. Here’s a taster of what’s been happening.

Valentine Triathlon

In February SAG raised £300 for the British Heart Foundation .

The Valentine triathlon saw teams of staff and students compete in a team 10mile cycle, a jog around college grounds and a 10,000 meter row. All participants were asked to donated £2 whilst passers by dug beep to donate whilst watching their friends and colleagues sweat for a good cause.

Staff from UCP Marjon were challenged to wear it pink as part of the national Breast Cancer Campaign.  As well as staff wearing pink items of clothing and donating £2, the on-site Cafe Rendezvous sold small bottles of pink champagne to raise awareness of the charity, Breast Cancer Campaign.

Breast Cancer Campaign’s mission is to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure.  The charity is currently supporting 114 projects worth over £14.5 million in 46 locations throughout the UK.

Debbie McAllister, chair of UCP Marjon’s Social Action Group said “we have members of staff who have battled with breast cancer and are proud to have raised over £170 to help fund vital research into the prevention treatment and cure of this illness”.

“Scarlet Women” for Comic Relief

In aid of Comic Relief Staff were invited to come to work wearing as much red as possible and for those who felt daring enough they were invited to dress as a scarlet woman (males and females included) for a donation of £2! 

The library staff were alsoselling red-themed cakes from 10.30am with a suitably themed soundtrack and a wonderful display of scarlet women not to be missed!! 

This event raised an amazing £683.52

The Easter Egg Quiz Night

A big thanks to all who either attended the Easter Eggs Quiz night or purchased raffle tickets for the event. Over £300 was raised for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and everybody had a great night! Thank you to the support of the Social Action Group for supporting this event.

Scoot-a-long Coffee Morning

We have recently supported a charity recommended to us by Ian Brewster in Accounts called Scoot-a-long. Scoot-a-long aims to raise money to purchase special all terrain scooters/wheelchairs and a caravan equipped to take disabled children and adults in the Southwest on trips they might not ordinarily be able to make, like Dartmoor, Exmoor or Bodmin Moor. 

The coffee morning and table top sale raised £178.33

UCP Marjon raised £450 for earthquake survivors in Mexico.

The Social Action Group at UCP Marjon sold furniture to raise money for the charity Proyecto Gilberto, which contacted the college's Steve Ansell when he was running a masters course in Colima in Mexico.

Proyecto Gilberto, formed in the aftermath of the earthquake that did so much damage to Colima in 2003, raises money for low-cost housing projects and other welfare projects. The sum raised by the university college is enough for a family to secure a deposit on a home.

Steve was presented with a certificate to thank the college for its involvement and a small table-top sculpture representing co-operation and friendship.

Proyecto Gilberto has also invited Steve to a small ceremony in the summer at which the keys to the unit will be handed over to the family.

 Electronic Christmas for the NSPCC

STAFF at Marjon have raised £350 for charity by making donations rather than sending each other Christmas cards.

College principal Prof David Baker handed over a cheque to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children from the proceeds.

Rather than sending cards, gift tags were hung on the reception's Christmas tree to display the messages to staff.

NSPCC community fundraising manager Alison Armer said: "We're very grateful to everyone at UCP Marjon for supporting the Child's Voice Appeal."