Voter turnout in the Rag charity election was up 300% on last year, as students decided to back the Devon Freewheelers, Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity and Concern Universal.
The winning charities were decided on Friday May 24, as Exeter students turned out in force to vote in the election, helped by a stand in the Forum.
A RAG spokesperson said they were, “very happy” with the increased turnout, and hope that the students who voted will now feel a “closer connection” to the charities RAG are supporting.
Devon Freewheelers, the chosen local charity, offer an “out of hours, (1700–0700 weekdays, 24/7 weekends and bank holidays) free, urgent/emergency motorcycle courier service to the NHS,” which includes carrying blood, medication, donor breast milk, drugs, human tissue and human organs.” Last year the group made over 5,000 deliveries.
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity work on a national scale. When a child is diagnosed with a “condition which threatens their life” the Rainbow Trust are there to help parents “deal with the day to day things that daily life is all about such as holding down a job, the weekly shop, washing, ironing, spending time with your other children whilst also having the stress, pain and physical demands of constant hospital visits, consultations, medication and treatment”
Internationally, RAG will be supporting Concern Universal, “an International Development charity tackling poverty in some of the world’s poorest communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America,” with an aim to “helping communities find practical, long term solutions to poverty.”
As a result of their work, over 800,000 people were granted access to safe drinking water and 520,225 community members are now able to demand their basic rights.
The three selected charities beat off the likes of Help for Heroes, Hospiscare and The Shelo Orphanage Foundation to win their share of RAG’s fundraising, which in 2011-2012 came to £145,000.
Plans are already in place for next years fundraising with a new committee in place and an events list including, “a pub crawl, Harry Potter social, beach trip and pool party!”
Alongside the newly elected charities, RAG will continue to support Community Action.
James Smurthwaite, News Team
Follow @ExeposeNews on Twitter and like us here on Facebook.
exeposedev 