Year 1 Business, Marketing & Management students recently demonstrated professionalism, creativity and community spirit by hosting two successful charity events, raising a combined total of £1,391.50.
At the end of term, students planned and delivered a quiz evening and a bingo night, welcoming friends and family to the College and showcasing the practical skills they have been developing throughout the course.
Taunton Open Door Quiz Evening
At a quiz evening, an impressive £376 was raised for Taunton Open Door, a local charity supporting people experiencing homelessness. The evening highlighted the students’ strong teamwork, leadership and organisational skills, while also giving them the opportunity to develop empathy, creativity, public speaking and customer service skills in a real-world setting.
Emma Busby, Charity Manager at Taunton Open Door, praised the students’ efforts:
“A huge shout out to the incredible students who organised and hosted a fantastic quiz night to support Open Door. Their contribution will help cover essentials like electricity to keep the centre warm, wash clothes, and ensure clients can access hot showers.”
Students were supported by friends, families and local businesses who donated prizes. Representatives from Open Door also attended and shared first-hand how the fundraising would positively impact the charity’s work.
Bingo Night for Brainwave
Building on this success, other groups of students also currently studying Business, Marketing & Management hosted a charity bingo night to raise funds for Brainwave, a charity that helps children with disabilities reach their potential through specialist therapy programmes. The final amount raised was an incredible £1,015.50 (the highest total raised in the three years Huish has been working with the charity).
The event received excellent feedback from attendees, with comments including:
“The students are a credit to the college – they were polite, professional and delivered a fantastic evening” and “My first time playing bingo… loved it! Great event!”
Course Manager Sharon Williams said she could not be prouder of the students and the way they worked together to plan and deliver such a successful and welcoming event.
Keith Sinclair, CEO of Brainwave, also praised the students’ commitment and organisation, noting how important community fundraising is:
“Community support like this is vital, especially in what continues to be a very challenging financial climate. The students’ fundraising will help us support more children with disabilities and additional needs to access our specialist Therapy Programmes and reach their full potential.”
He added that he was delighted to be welcoming some of the students to Brainwave later this month for work experience.
Learning Through Real-World Experience
Both events formed a part of the Event Management Unit of the Business, Marketing & Management Course, giving students valuable hands-on experience in planning, marketing and delivering live events while supporting meaningful causes. Through the process, students strengthened employability skills including teamwork, leadership and communication.
These events are also a fantastic example of how learning and community collaboration can go hand in hand – well done to all the students involved for making such a positive difference to these local charities.
A big thank to the many local businesses who generously donated prizes for both events!