Students at Milton Keynes College held a Christmas fundraiser on 7th December, with donations taking the total raised for the College’s chosen charity to £1,369 for 2022.
The College’s inclusive learners and ESOL students held their annual ‘Jolly and Jingle’ event with a donation going to St Mark’s Meals, a local charity who provide meal kits to local families in need.
The event was attended by Milton Keynes Mayor Amanda Marlow as well as the learners, their families and staff from the Inclusive Learning team. There was plenty of festive fun on the day including cake and sweet stalls, a raffle, festive games and students performing Christmas songs.
The event marked the end of a year full of fantastic fundraising efforts by staff and students for the charity, including a step challenge in the spring, quiz nights, a second-hand clothes sale, a pop-up salon by the Beauty Therapy students, fundraising by Health and Social Care students and most recently a donation following the creation of a digital Christmas card by one of the College’s design students.
Rebecca Myrie, Community Engagement Manager at Milton Keynes College, said: “We all know that this year has been incredibly challenging for so many, and our staff and students have put in a fantastic effort to help support St Mark’s Meals, who do amazing things in our communities.
"The amount raised is enough to provide meal kits for 228 families in need. We’re so proud of our colleagues and learners and are committed to supporting St Mark’s Meals and other local causes in the coming months”.
Milton Keynes Mayor, Amanda Marlow, commented: “What a fantastic event! It was wonderful to see so many students coming together to raise money for St Mark’s Meals, who provide much-needed support for families in Milton Keynes.
"Students and staff put in so much effort to make the event a success, and it’s fantastic that the College as a whole has supported over 200 families through their support of St Mark’s Meals this year”.
Angie Row, Project Coordinator at St Mark’s Meals, added: “Our mission is that ‘No Child in MK Should Have to go to Bed Hungry’. We've been so lucky to have been supported by MK College this year, through invaluable PR and Marketing advice to hands on support from fundraising and food donations. It's been brilliant seeing so many parts of the College community getting involved.
"By supporting St Mark's Meals, the staff and students are directly helping some students within the College as well as children in MK who are struggling for food.
"This year the college has raised £1,369 – helping us to create 228 meal boxes for local children and their families when they need it most."