If you care about helping people, students at Coleg Gwent have shown how a little motivation can make a big difference when they raised over £500 to help wounded service men and women. In a recent presentation by charity Help for Heroes at the College’s Crosskeys Campus, students were praised for having the enthusiasm and drive to fundraise on behalf of the charity.
Help for Heroes volunteers and Caerphilly County Coordinators David and Pauline Gatward visited care students to convey the charity’s heartfelt thanks for their work, and presented students with a certificate for their efforts. In a moving presentation they also spoke about the work of the charity and the rehabilitation of those wounded in the Armed Forces.
It was a poignant reminder to the youngsters that they could be helping injured service people in a few years time as care workers of the future. Pauline said: “We are really grateful to all the students for giving up their time to help in this way and what they’ve done for the charity is phenomenal.
“The money will go a long way to help wounded soldiers coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq, paying for things like physiotherapy and psychotherapy and helping them cope with their injuries and traumatic experiences.”
Last term, second year National Diploma Health and Social Care and Independent Living Skills (ILS) students dressed up, sold cakes and held a ‘name the army bear’ competition raising £578 for the charity.
The presentation was also attended by Campus Director Jennifer Jenkins, Head of School for Care Paul Brown and Health and Social Care Lecturer Penny Jones. “We were very grateful to David and Pauline for coming in to tell the students more about the great work the charity does to help wounded service people,” said Penny.
“It is a cause close to students’ hearts, with many of their relatives and friends in the Armed Forces. They were delighted and honoured to be awarded the certificate in recognition of their fundraising.”
Student and former Air Cadet Sophie Kingston, 18, organised last term’s fundraising event and worked hard to make it a success, she said: “Some of my friends are in the forces, so it meant a lot to be able to do something to help. I’m really pleased that we raised so much and listening to how it will be used is really inspiring and makes it all worthwhile.”
Another student who went above and beyond the call of duty in her fundraising efforts was 18-year-old Rhiannon Wall, who collected £80 of the amount raised by selling Help for Heroes charity bands, she said: “I sold lots of bands to friends and family, who all wanted to help the cause. It’s really great to hear how the money we’ve raised goes straight to those who need it.”
