WATCH: UL Student Life fundraise over €20,000 for Local Charities

UL Student Life fundraise every year for various charities. Pictures here are Jack Scanlan, President, Serena Hare, Welfare Officer, Colin Lynch, Academic Officer

.@UL_StudentLife raised over €20,000 for @PietaHouse and @LimerickMSAR by carrying out a number of fund raising activities during the 2019/2020 academic year. #ilovelimerick #lovelimerick #lovinlimerick pic.twitter.com/suOTHJJjW0

— #LimerickTilliDie (@ilovelimerick) July 28, 2020

UL Student Life fundraise over €20,000 for Local Charities

UL Student Life (previously known as the students union) raised over €20,000 for Pieta House and Limerick Marine Search & Rescue Service by carrying out a number of fundraising activities during the 2019/2020 academic year. 

Each year students nominate and vote for which charities they wish to see become the student representation organisations charity partners for the academic year.

Fundraising activities started in late 2019 when the organisations’ events coordinator Lee Dillon organised a group of volunteers to carry out bag packing duties at Dunnes Stores Childers Road. Over €2,000 was raised from this activity.  

The organisations’ Clubs & Societies also chipped in by creating a nearly naked calendar. This novel and creative idea is the brainchild of Karis Pilkington-Boyne, a member of UL’s Rowing Club, who wanted to create a fun event capturing the ethos of UL Clubs & Societies; fun and teamwork and give back to charity while doing so. 

It was after she approached David Moloney of the UL Photography Society that the “Nearly Naked Calendar” was born.  In total 9 different clubs and societies took part; Tag Rugby Club, Rowing Club, Surf Club, Sub-Aqua Club, Outdoor Pursuits Club, Photography Society, Mountain Biking Club, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club and the Swim Club.

Naturally, Charity Week UL, Student Life’s busiest week of the year pulled in the most for the two charities. Charity Week 2020 saw them host a number of high profile acts play their courtyard event space. Acts such as:

• Cabal in the courtyard
• TOT Presents Open Eire
• & Joel Corry/Bingo Loco

The courtyard space located outside the student centre and between the Scholars and famous Stables Club can hold over 2,000 people (pre-Covid 19).  UL Student Life sold out all three-courtyard gigs, in total 6,529 tickets were sold for Charity Week 2020. 

Traditional fundraising activities such as Shave, Wax or Dye, raffles, table tennis and pool tournaments and the nearly naked bounce during the week continue to provide students with entertainment as well as help grow our charity fund. 

UL Student Life would like to thank all their sponsors, volunteers, 2019/2020 student officers of Jack Scanlan, Serena Hare & Colin Lynch & all staff involved in helping raise a huge amount for Pieta House & Limerick Marine Search & Marine Rescue.

UL Student Life is the representative body for over 15,000 University of Limerick students. The organisation is made up of four elected student officers, eleven elected student executive members, fifty student council members, elected class representatives and sixteen full-time staff members that support the officers.

The organisation campaign for student rights and student-related issues as well as provides support and services for students, extracurricular activities and entertainment for UL students.

The 19/20 UL Student Life President Jack Scanlan said, “We are absolutely delighted, on behalf of students to be able to give €10,000 to our two chosen charities this year.

Pieta House and Limerick Marine Search and Rescue do absolutely amazing work for our community and we hope that this money will go some way to supporting the fantastic work they do.

This is the largest charity week fund we have ever distributed and that is thanks to the generosity and support of the student body for during charity week.”  

They will be asking students to send in their nominations for their charity of the year 2020/2021. Students can do so by submitting their nomination here. 

The nomination form will also be available on their website www.ulstudentlife.ie 

For other stories on Pieta House, click here.

For other stories on Limerick Marine Search and Rescue, click here.