Stran SU raises over £29,000 with another spectacular Charity Week

Stranmillis University College Students’ Union celebrated its annual Charity Week from 3rd to 7th November, bringing together staff and students to raise money for three chosen charities: Abundant Life Uganda, The Simon Community NI, and The Niamh Louise Foundation. 

As always, the week showcased the vibrant spirit of the Stranmillis community, with a packed schedule of events designed to raise funds and bring people together in support of good causes.  

The week began on Monday with a Pool Tournament in the SU Common Room, while on Tuesday, the amazingly adventurous Stranded challenge – now in its second year – saw four pairs of students attempt to travel as far from Stranmillis as possible within 18 hours — without phones, keys, or significant funds. Their limited budget depended entirely on how much they had raised beforehand. Supporters followed their progress on Instagram via @stranmillis_su, cheering on teams Cameron and Scott, Charlie and Dylan, Aimee and Anna, and Larissa and Orlagh. Each of the teams did a tremendous job, wholeheartedly committing to the cause and getting as far away as they possible could.  

Aimee and Anna flew from Belfast City Airport and travelled a respectable 144 miles to Edinburgh.  

Charlie and Dylan, after a long morning in Belfast International Airport flew to Gran Canaria – 1,914 miles from Stranmillis.  

The top two teams both ended up in Turkey. Having flown out of Dublin Airport, Larissa and Orlagh’s final destination was 2111 miles away in Antalya, whilst Cameron and Scott flew from Belfast International Airport to Antalya before hopping on another flight to Cukurova Airport (near Tarsus), accumulating a total of 2,282 miles.  

Midweek brought one of the most anticipated events of the SU calendar — ‘Stran Does Strictly’. The glamorous dance competition returned with 12 couples taking to the stage for both a Student Show on Wednesday afternoon and a Public Show on Thursday evening. Contestants competed for the coveted Strictly trophy, with audience donations helping to boost their scores alongside judges’ marks. A massive congratulations to this year’s winners Isla and Joe who waltzed their way to victory, and well done to all the couples involved.  

A new addition to the Charity Week roster of events was Hunted, a large-scale, car-based version of hide and seek that took place across South Belfast, offering a light-hearted way for students to get involved while contributing to fundraising efforts. 

The week concluded with Off the Charts, a competition where four students (Reanne, Emily, Samuel and Tom) raced to raise the most money — but with a twist. The higher they climbed on the leaderboard, the worse their forfeit became. The forfeits were carried out live in Betty’s at 1pm, drawing a lively crowd.  

Once again, the Stranmillis SU Charity Week was a resounding success, celebrating generosity, teamwork, and creativity across campus.  

The total, although ever increasing, currently stands at an incredible £29,452! 

Speaking about the week, SU President, Jessica Martin, said, “We have been absolutely blown away by the generosity of the Stranmillis community- this week we have seen staff, students, friends and family unite to raise an incredible amount of money for our 3 amazing charities. All of the students involved in each of the events worked so hard in the planning and preparation for this week and really threw themselves into collecting donations. We are so proud of everyone who has been involved and want to extend our sincere thanks to all who donated. Our 3 charities are incredibly thankful and we know the money raised this week will be invaluable to them and the work they do. I am truly proud of everything that we as a student body have achieved this week- it is a testament to the diligence and generosity of the Stranmillis community.” 

You still have the opportunity to donate to any of the couples here: https://linktr.ee/StranSU