Hallam Challenges: Go Further! by Jayne Winn

'Hallam Challenges' has been running for a number of years but this year they have decided to reinvent the Challenges into exciting, quality volunteering events. To make sure a variety of students can get involved, 'Hallam Challenges' aims to create Challenges revolving around courses which have not been accommodated in the past.

However, anyone can get involved- from international students, to people who cannot commit lots of time to a full project. There has been such a high demand for Hallam Volunteering this year that not everyone who applied was able to have the opportunity to take part. Now, thanks to Hallam Challenges they are being given that chance- just in a different form!

Volunteers are invited to donate whatever time they can, whether it is ten minutes or the full day - it's the taking part that counts.

The first challenge of the year has gone all festive with 'Reindeer Food'. Taking place in Santa's grotto at the hubs, the little helpers from Hallam Volunteering made tiny parcels of reindeer food to give Ruldolph and Co. the energy to deliver presents on Christmas Eve.

The Hallam volunteers really got in the spirit, dressing up in Christmas attire and handing out candy canes and other Christmas treats with proceeds going to the wonderful, local children’s cancer charity, 'Amy’s Retreat'.

Gabrielle from 'Amy’s Retreat' introduces both ‘Reindeer Food’ and the charity to us: “'Amy’s Retreat' is a Sheffield charity helping families who have children with cancer. The charity was set up by Joanne and Steve Hall in memory of their daughter Amy who died of cancer when aged 5.

“One of our main activities is arranging breaks at Center Parcs for families who have children undergoing treatment for cancer at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. We know that these holidays make a big difference to the families, enabling them to spend much needed time together away from the hospital routine and to enjoy brief respite from the difficulties the family faces. We also have a project to build a holiday home for families, to be located near to Sheffield.

The Reindeer Food project is a very important part of 'Amy’s Retreat'. Between October and Christmas with the help of volunteers, we make beautiful little organza parcels, containing oats, glitter (and magic!), which retail for £1. The parcels are for children to sprinkle outside on Christmas Eve, so that Father Christmas knows who to visit. The parcels are very popular with families as you can imagine, and the project is a valuable source of income for us as well as excellent for promoting the charity.”

So remember to look out for the pink and black posters next semester and find out what your next challenge will be about!