New students give a very warm welcome to charity on their first days of study

Kind-hearted University of Wolverhampton students gave a warm welcome to charity after raising over £1,000 for the Good Shepherd Wolverhampton in their first few days of studying for a variety of degree courses in the Business School. 

23 groups of first year degree students took on an Institute of Directors (IoD) challenge whereby groups were given £10 with the remit of working as a team to raise as much money for charity over a 3-day period during the University’s Welcome Week. 

Students were offered support from the IoD in the form of a group mentor both face to face and online as well as having access to advice and guidance from the course leaders and lecturers. 

Dr Jenni Jones, Associate Professor in Coaching and Mentoring, Management & Leadership Department, in the University of Wolverhampton Business School, said: “This challenge really got students thinking about business as soon as they started their studies. Thanks to the help and input of the IoD, we devised the programme whereby students had to appoint their own Managing Director and Finance Director for their assigned group and the aim was to think as creatively as possible about ways to make money which would all go to charity. 

“The students showed great initiative with the group who raised the most money, £383, asking Wolves FC for a signed shirt to raffle which showed amazing entrepreneurial skills!   

“Thanks go out to our IoD mentors for giving their time to support our students with their endeavours. This was a very worthwhile exercise for our new students to engage and have access to a professional, external body as well as putting business into practice as soon as they start their studies, getting hands-on experience right from the word go.” 

Jenni presented the money raised to Good Shepherd on behalf of the students. 

The Brothers of the Good Shepherd first set up in 1972 in Thornley Street to help the homeless and vulnerable in Wolverhampton. It now operates out of Waterloo Road and during the last financial year 1,089 people accessed the Good Shepherd for food and other support and a total of 26,720 hot meals were served.   

Paul Berry, Fundraising and PR at Good Shepherd, said: "All at the Good Shepherd are really appreciative of such a fantastic sum of money raised by the students as well as hearing about the very creative ways they went about it - especially during their very first week on the course! 

"The numbers of people accessing our food service are increasing at the moment, and so this sort of fundraising is so important as it will go directly towards helping those across the city who may be struggling with food poverty during these challenging times. 

"As well as the practical help which comes from the fundraising, it also means so much to our service users to know that there are people like the University students out there who are thinking of them and going out of their way to provide support. 

"At the Good Shepherd we have been very fortunate to link up with the University in many different areas including the British Art Show earlier this year, and we feel very lucky to have such a supportive group of staff and students right on our doorstep whom we can link up with to the benefit of the local community - thank you!" 

ENDS