Credit: SRC
News Editor
Glasgow University’s Raising and Giving (RAG) committee will be holding a number of Christmas-themed fundraising efforts to round off the term.
The first event of the season will be held all day on 1 December, with candy cane stalls on level three of the Glasgow University Library and outside the Fraser Building. There will also be opportunities for students to get a picture with Santa and his elves, with additional volunteer elves selling candy canes all across campus on the day. The all-day campus takeover will conclude with the Big Fat Quiz of the Year in the evening at the Gilchrist Cafe where prizes, including a night in the Hilton hotel, are up for grabs.
All money raised during the events will go towards the Beatson Pebbles Appeal for Cancer Research.
RAG has returned after a “mixed success” in the past as previously only one week out of the year was devoted to the charity efforts. However, this year RAG features a committee of independent students coordinating charity events and campaigns for the full academic year.
The committee is currently made up of 13 members who are mostly independent from the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) in an effort to include students who may not usually take part in SRC activities. Extra volunteers will be taken on occasionally to assist with activities.
The RAG committee, originally set up by the SRC, has Mhairi Harris, SRC Vice-President for Student Activities, as its current President while Pritasha Kariappa, SRC Charities, Clubs and Societies Officer, as Vice-President.
Mhairi Harris said: “We’re bringing RAG back this year and rejuvenating it. We’ve got a completely different committee. The committee has got structure and we’ve got individuals who just enjoy fundraising. It’s a really open idea as well: we just fundraise for various charities throughout the year – we’re not tied to any charities. We’re accepting to any nominations [for potential charities].
“The starting event that we’re doing is the RAG day on 1 December, so we have Santa and his elves and we have candy canes being sold for Beatson Pebble Appeal. Later in the evening, we have the Big Fat Quiz of the Year [in the Gilchrist] to raise more money. We’ve got some fantastic prizes and that’s just starting it off. We’re hoping to do lots of things throughout the year and bring back RAG week and make it a success this year as well. I’m quite excited about it.”
Following the RAG takeover, the SRC will host a Christmas Market in Qudos in the Queen Margaret Union on 2 December. The market will feature approximately 20 individual stalls hosted by clubs and societies from the University, as well performances from University music societies throughout the day. Alongside festive food stalls and a swap shop the Qudos Christmas Market will also launch the University of Glasgow foodbank encouraging donations of any non-perishable foods.
