Ten years of student power raise nearly £3 million – Charity Week

Ten years of student power raise nearly £3 million – Charity Week

“And the total raised by Charity Week 2013 is…”

The Waterlily Banqueting Suite held its collective breath, as hundreds of school, college and university students from around the UK waited to hear the all-important announcement: had they beaten last year’s fundraising record?

“…£593,176.86!”

The cheers, whistles and takbeers – the traditional Islamic celebration of victory, glorifying God – erupted. Last year, just over £450,000 had been raised, and many were hoping to reach the half a million mark in 2013, the tenth year of the annual student fundraising event – so their jubilation at having so far surpassed that target couldn’t be contained.

 The stunning venue for Charity Week’s tenth finale dinner

The brainchild of a group of London university students, Charity Week was conceived as a way to bring Muslim students together for a good cause – and fundraising for children and orphans was the perfect way, with Islamic Relief as their implementing charity of choice.

After a trial run in 2003, Charity Week was officially launched the following year, with just 20 London-based university Islamic societies raising £30,000. Now, from small beginnings, ten short years have seen staggering growth: a national board of 19 members oversees the activities of more than 100 institutions around the UK, and the total raised has risen exponentially, reaching almost £3 million over the past decade.

From a handful of undergraduates shaking buckets at tube stations, Charity Week now sees thousands of students holding national baking competitions, trekking mountains and even skydiving to raise those crucial pennies. It’s even gone international – for the first time this year, Canadian students joined in, contributing a respectable £11,959.65 to the total.

Those hard-raised thousands have funded a number of Islamic Relief’s child- and orphan-centred projects over the years, from rebuilding flood-damaged schools in Pakistan to treating malnourished children in Somalia, sponsoring orphans in Gaza and many more.

Islamic Relief’s Zaid al-Rawni addresses the audience

But as the figures rise, the celebrations grow and the fundraising ideas become ever more innovative, Charity Week keeps itself grounded with humble reminders of their simple aim. As Islamic Relief’s Zaid al-Rawni put it to the audience, “Islam is a collection of people united to stand with the poor and do good,” while spiritual speakers included Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, who reminded the crowd “charity isn’t just giving money for people internationally – be charitable at home too, with your parents, your brothers and your sisters.”

With all this in mind, the Charity Week 2013 team left the celebrations well-fed, proud and elated – yet also determined, and with renewed intentions: to make this annual project a means to help as many people in need as possible, for years to come.

Charity Week is taking votes until 14th December from students on which Islamic Relief projects to support with this year’s funds – if your institution was involved, visit the website to have your say!

The Umar al-Farooq School in Mandera, Kenya – the very first project supported by Charity Week

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