Our learners spent the night outdoors to raise awareness of the challenges faced by families experiencing financial hardship, raising £1,038.77 for local charity The Bread and Butter Thing.
The fundraising total will help support the charity’s work to provide affordable food for families through its network of community hubs.
A total of 27 learners took part in our annual Camp Out challenge. The event gave students the opportunity to learn more about poverty and the challenges some families face across Oldham.
During the evening, our learners took part in activities, shared food and heard from guest speakers.
The Bread and Butter Thing supports communities across the UK. In Oldham alone, the charity operates six hubs and supported more than 7,000 members last year. It provided over 13,000 weekly shops and helped deliver the equivalent of 420,000 meals. By redistributing surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, families can access three bags of nutritious groceries for just £8.50.
Musa, one of our learners who took part, said the experience had a lasting impact: “It was a wonderful feeling to do something to help people in need.
“Setting up the tents and sitting outside made me think a lot. It made me realise how difficult life is for people who face poverty every day and don’t have a warm or safe place to live. It really helped me understand how much they suffer and I’m happy we were able to do this to support them.”
Our learners said the Camp Out was a valuable opportunity to support an important cause while building new friendships and meeting students from across the College.
Jim, Philanthropy and Fundraising Lead at The Bread and Butter Thing, thanked everyone involved.
“We really appreciate the effort that has gone into supporting our charity and the work we do.
“We couldn’t do what we do without the support of people like you, so a massive thank you to everyone who took part and donated.”
Coral Bradley, Youth Work Officer at Oldham College, said: “I am incredibly proud of all the learners who took part. They embraced the challenge and raised a fantastic amount of money for a charity that supports so many families across Oldham.
“The Camp Out encouraged learners to think about the challenges some people face while making a positive difference in our local community. It was great to see everyone getting involved and supporting one another throughout the event.”
