By Jasmine Thomas-Alie (Platform Magazine) and Amelia Cropley (Impact Magazine)
A veterinary student from the University of Nottingham (UoN) who has twice run in Nottingham’s Robin Hood half marathon has shared her top tips for other students who want to fundraise for good causes.
Nearing her fourth year at UoN, Victoria Reid, 22, raised over £400 on 29 September 2024 for vet charity, The Links Group. She also raised £200 in September 2023 for cancer research.
The student said: “It’s easy to get bogged down by the thought that what you’re able to do is not very significant but it’s about finding something you already enjoy.
“It didn’t feel like work for me, because the causes were something that I already had a passion for and the fact that it could make a difference in some small way made me go for it.”
After attending a guest lecture discussing animal spotting for non-accidental injuries and being motivated by a friend, Victoria was moved to help raise funds for the cause.
Submitting her and her friends’ running entry for the Robin Hood half marathon in July 2024, the student made a plan to develop a running distance of 10 kilometres by training over eight weeks.
In the lead-up to the event, the pair would complete a run of a kilometre a week, with an increase in bigger runs.
She continued: “There are many things I feel strongly about as a student, but don’t feel that I can do much about.
“But if you have a small idea, and can make something that you’re already good at a way to voice something that you’re passionate about, just go for it.”
Due to university commitments, Victoria has not made any plans yet to run in September 2025’s Robin Hood marathon but remains confident that she will complete another by the end of her degree in 2027.
Alongside individual activists, NTU has a designated volunteer week every February where their students can participate in over 120 different volunteering schemes- from Adult Education and Animals & Welfare to Food Poverty and Homelessness.
The neighbouring University of Nottingham has over 300 societies- many of
which focus on raising money and awareness for vulnerable social groups.
Nottingham’s KiSS society (Kiddies Support Scheme) raises awareness of the poverty conditions in which children in Uganda are living. KiSS society provides children with education and uniforms, creates income so children can attend school rather than work and provide access to healthcare.
Likewise, Nottingham’s Hope Society takes part in volunteering and fundraising to raise awareness for these issues, yet operates on a global scale including, India, the Philippines, Kenya, Uganda, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.
UoN and NTU Night Owls groups patrol throughout the night to help students returning home from nights out. Volunteers are trained in risk assessment, self-defence and first aid. Whenever students are in need of a helping hand, the Night Owls supply food, water, warmth and a kind word.
This Movember, 106 UoN teams and 1270 individuals contributed to the overall £88,980 raised in the name of men’s health.