It was students versus staff on the sports pitch this May as Thames Valley University held its annual Sports Challenge fundraiser in aid of United Through Sport.
Now in its second year, Sports Challenge is organised by TVU’s volunteering team to raise money for charity and also raise awareness of the University’s community work.
The one-day sports tournament, which has become a permanent fixture on the University’s events calendar, sees students compete against staff in netball, football and rugby. More than 100 students and staff from across the University’s campuses turned out for this year’s Sports Challenge, either to take part or to cheer their team along. The students emerged triumphant, with their teams winning the most games overall this year. Over £700 was raised for United Through Sport, through the tournament entrance fees and the sale of raffle tickets.
Local partners, including Brentford Football Club, London Welsh Dragons Rugby Club and Tesco Richmond, also lent their support to the day, donating raffle prizes and refreshments, while the University of Westminster provided the venue for the day.
Commenting on the event, Nav Sira, TVU Volunteering Coordinator, said, “I’ve been overwhelmed by the support from everyone, which has helped make this year’s event such a success and demonstrates a really positive attitude to volunteering. We’ve even set a new fundraising record for ourselves, which I look forward to us beating next year.”
The volunteering team co-ordinates a variety of community-focused projects. More than 200 TVU students take part in initiatives ranging from sports coaching for local children to peer mentoring projects with young offenders. These projects aim to improve the relations between students and local residents, help integrate students within the communities they live in and use students’ knowledge and skills to benefit local people.
