BGU Foundation Fund – Making Dreams Come True
With financial help from the BGU Foundation Fund, second year student, Olivia Cahill, travelled to the Galapagos Islands in the summer to help deliver a 2 month conservation project.
Passionate about conservation, Olivia was part of a team looking after and conserving endemic species and incredible eco-systems on San Cristobal Islands. She spent time monitoring sea lions, iguanas and birds as well as removing invasive plants from the environment allowing endemic ones to thrive. The organisation delivering the project also allows volunteers to access restricted areas in order to care for giant tortoises and other flora & fauna.
“The Foundation Fund gave me the opportunity to do something i am passionate about…conservation. I met some amazing people from all over the world, gaining experiences I hope to use in my future career. I am very grateful for the funding and would like to say thank you to the donors who enabled me to help towards conserving such a unique eco system in the Galapagos Islands”.
The BGU Foundation Fund was set up by the Alumni of BGU to support projects that enhance the student experience and help make a difference to other people’s lives. The money for the fund comes from philanthropic donations from individuals, trusts, companies and general fundraising. A number of small grants are available to assist with voluntary work or other innovative, creative, charitable or community based projects both here in the UK and overseas.
For more information about the BGU Foundation Fund please contact the Alumni Office on 01522 583609 or alumni@bishopg.ac.uk.
BGU Foundation Fund – Helping Our International Communities
With financial help from the BGU Foundation Fund, second year student, Emma Richardson, was able to travel to Romania last summer to support children in care homes.
With the aim of becoming a teacher or educational psychologist within a school environment, the experience enabled Emma to learn how to break down language barriers and be more inclusive – skills which she does not think she would have gained without this volunteering project. Emma helped in care homes, renovating apartments and decorating the bedrooms of the children living there.
“The whole experience was fantastic. Although I managed to fundraise some of the money myself for the volunteering experience, I was unable to raise all of the money. The Foundation Fund was able to provide the remaining money which enabled me to go to Romania and make an impact in the care home children’s lives”.
“I am thankful to the Foundation Fund for enabling me to go on this fantastic life-changing opportunity.”
For more information about the BGU Foundation Fund please contact the Alumni Office on 01522 583609 or alumni@bishopg.ac.uk.
BGU Foundation Fund – Making Dreams Come True
With financial help from the BGU Foundation Fund, student, Georgina Foxcroft, travelled to Southern India earlier this year.
Along with fellow Theology students, the group successfully raised enough money to supply over 100 school uniforms to pupils at a school with special needs. Carried out in aid of the SDETLAND Project, who work with several Lincolnshire rotary clubs to support some the most deprived and disadvantaged children in the world, the students have been working hard over the past year to raise enough money to fund both the uniforms as well as their travel to visit the centre.
The team of BGU students also visited primary, secondary, international and specialist SEN schools along with a selection of sites of religious significance across India to get a wide aspect of education and culture in the country.
“This trip fulfilled a dream to visit this country and it far exceeded my expectations. It has given me a new-found appreciation for my privilege and what I can do with it. For the children we helped at the STEDLAND project we may have only made a small dent in what needs to be done but we were so happy to provide it. Being able to take the uniforms out ourselves and meet some of the children was fantastic. It made that connection more personal and proved to us that our efforts were worthwhile. I would not have been able to go on this fantastic trip if the Foundation Fund hadn’t helped me.”
For more information about the BGU Foundation Fund please contact the Alumni Office on 01522 583609 or alumni@bishopg.ac.uk.
BGU Foundation Fund – Helping International Communities
Student, Georgina Graves, spent time last summer in Romania to support children in care homes with help of a BGU Foundation Fund grant.
Due to signing up for the project later than many of the others, Georgina knew it would be difficult to fundraise the full amount required in only five months. Knowing about the BGU Foundation Fund and receiving a grant of £500 was one of the reasons why she was able to take part.
“Volunteering in Romania was a life changing experience that can never be taken away from me. Working with the disadvantaged children and making them smile was amazing. One of the most challenging activities, which the whole team struggled with, was when we had to renovate the rooms in a short space of time. Although this was hard, we were able to finish renovating and decorating the care home making a massive difference to the children’s lives.”
“I picked up new skills such as confidently communicating through my body language, managing my time, planning for the children when organising activities for the next day and working and living with strangers. I found this trip very challenging but worthwhile as I could build and adapt on skills that I already had such as building new relationships and trust with children”.
“Many thanks to what the BGU Foundation Fund helped us to do. It truly changed the lives of these children”.
The BGU Foundation Fund was set up by the Alumni of BGU to support projects that enhance the student experience and help make a difference to other people’s lives. The money for the fund comes from philanthropic donations from individuals, trusts, companies and general fundraising. A number of small grants are available to assist with voluntary work or other innovative, creative, charitable or community based projects both here in the UK and overseas.
For more information about the BGU Foundation Fund please contact the Alumni Office on 01522 583609 or alumni@bishopg.ac.uk.
BGU Foundation Fund – Helping International Communities
Student, Sophie Burgess, spent her summer in Kenya working in schools thanks to the help of a BGU Foundation Fund grant.
Alongside her experience in schools, Sophie utilised some of the money that she raised to donate resources, including stationery, reading books, clothing and footwear as well as medical equipment.
“This trip has made a significant difference to my perspective on life and education. It also had a huge impact on the children I worked with. I have understood the importance of education and how much it means to the children of Kenya and how they prioritise this above anything else”.
Whilst in Kenya Sophie spent 9am-3pm everyday in one of the two schools in Nakuru. This included teaching the children, supporting other teachers, educating other teachers, sporting activities and serving food for the children. She also undertook renovation work, supporting the development of a new toilet block for the boys, and painting and redecorating the classrooms.
“I believe the project also made a huge impact to the children that we worked with, showing children love and appreciation, especially to those who do not receive this attention at home. The children are eager to create friendships with you and genuinely show a positive attitude to learning.”
“I would recommend the Foundation Fund to others as I believe it has greatly supported me in being able to offer so many donations to the children in Kenya and provide the support that I did.”
The BGU Foundation Fund was set up by the Alumni of BGU to support projects that enhance the student experience and help make a difference to other people’s lives. The money for the fund comes from philanthropic donations from individuals, trusts, companies and general fundraising. A number of small grants are available to assist with voluntary work or other innovative, creative, charitable or community based projects both here in the UK and overseas.
For more information about the BGU Foundation Fund please contact the Alumni Office on 01522 583609 or alumni@bishopg.ac.uk.
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