University News Last updated 14 March 2017
Second Year Fashion, Business and Promotion students have just completed their Event Management module raising an impressive £9000 for local charity St. Basils.
The charity helps over 5,000 young people across the region each year who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, supporting them to regain stability in their lives and rebuild a fulfilling future.
Birmingham City University fashion staff chose St Basils as this year’s charity, due to their personal experience with the organisation.
Sophie Johnson, lecturer in Fashion Business and Promotion stated;
As part of their Event Management module, students were given approximately seven weeks to research, organise, invite guests, negotiate with venues and hold the actual event. The students worked together in groups of eight and held a total of 18 different events throughout February and Early March, ranging from a Roller Disco to a Street Fashion Show, a Magic Mike Event to a Peaky Blinders night.
Shannon Griffiths, one of the students involved in the module commented;
“I think the events module really pushes and allows you to expand on your communication skills, whether that be to the lecturers during presentations or talking and negotiating with industry professionals. It's such a fun module and when it comes to your actual event, you’re working so hard that you forget you’re actually being marked on it and you feel more like an industry professional yourself.”
Barrie Hodge, Head of Fundraising and Communications at St Basils was delighted with their achievement;
With such an amazing sum of money raised, this module is incredibly successful, both within the university and also in the wider community.
Barrie commented further; “The project has helped us two fold. It has increased our awareness amongst the age group of people that we support and has helped them truly understand what we are fighting against. The funds raised from the event allow us to continue our work to prevent youth homelessness in the West Midlands. It contributes to supporting young people in difficulty and helps fund opportunities to break the cycle of homelessness for good.”
Sophie said: “Projects like these allow our students to get a real understanding of all the work that goes into promotional events and how to make them a success. The best thing about this module is its real, it isn’t just a hypothetical project.”
