Dementia UK receive charitable boost thanks to GCU’s Nursing Society
GCU’s Nursing Society have been celebrating a successful Winter Ball after raising £200 for Dementia UK.
215 GCU students partied the night away at Glasgow’s DoubleTree by Hilton on Friday 19th January, and there was also the opportunity for those in attendance to buy into the University’s Common Good ethos.
Co-President of the Society and Adult Nursing student Kenny Morrison said; “We held this event last year and got 118 people – it was a really good night. The only thing was the venue was a little bit expensive overall, so we wanted to change it for this year.
“We got Mental Health Nursing student Taylor Leonard involved in the society and she managed to get the DoubleTree by Hilton for £45 a ticket. That included a champagne reception, DJ, three-course meal and the chance to win a night’s stay in the hotel – so it was definitely worth it!”
As well as the entertainment, it was decided that there would also be funds raised on the night for a chosen charity after Kenny had spoken to the Society’s committee.
Kenny explained: “My dad was diagnosed with dementia during my last placement. He’s my absolute hero and helped me during some of my toughest times.
“I initially just said to the committee that I wanted to raise money for a charity because I felt it would be a good thing to do in general. I gave quite a few different options: National Autistic Society, Dementia UK, Diabetes Scotland and Bereavement UK. Everybody chose Dementia UK because they knew the story about my dad and what we had been through as a family – it really meant a lot to me.”
“We arranged to have scratchcards there on the night to help raise funds, with the two winners getting a GCU Nursing Society hoodie or fleece. Each scratchcard cost £1.50 but we eventually changed it to buy one, get one free so that we could encourage more people to get involved.
“The money kept coming in and the DJ announced we’d made £100 but further encouraged everyone to get involved. We ended up with £200, which we were absolutely delighted with.”
The Society have used the event as inspiration for the year ahead and plan to continue their fundraising, while also continuing to benefit GCU nursing students university experience.
“There has been a lot of change this year - we’ve basically had a total rebrand," explained Kenny.
"We’ve got a new logo, we’ve changed how we do merchandise and we’ve massively improved on our numbers at the winter ball - so as a society we’re really happy with where we’re going.”
“We’ll definitely be doing another Winter Ball next year. We’re also going to do a lot of work for charity and will have a homeless drive at some point. Things have been a bit quieter overall post-covid but now is the time for us to progress our charity work and really help benefit people in Glasgow and across wider society. We’ve done a lot to get where we are, but we need to do more."
By Ross Clark
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