Community Groups Invited to Apply for RAG Grants

Local voluntary and

community groups are being encouraged to apply for grants of up to

£1,000 from the Bristol University Students' Union. The money has been

raised from the Union's Raising and Giving (RAG) Fund which raises cash

throughout the year and is the Union's oldest student society.

Applications to the fund

can be made by local groups supporting people who are disadvantaged or

isolated. Groups working with children, those with long-term illnesses

and older people are particularly encouraged to apply.

Last year, nearly

£40,000 was donated to 38 different projects from RAG funds, 14 of them local to Bristol.

These included the Jessie May Trust, which provides hospice at home

services to terminally ill children, Independent People (formerly Priority Youth Housing) which

targets support to local young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or

vulnerably housed.  Other grants were made to the Alzheimers Society

and the Julian Trust, who were able to continue their night shelter work

thanks to the grant from the Union.

RAG events this academic

year have included a city centre procession, a sponsored bungee jump

and, as previously reported on Redland People, a sponsored jailbreak - in

which students had 36 hours to get as far away as possible from Bristol

via any free means available. BARMY - described as Bristol's biggest

pub crawl - also raised over £7500 last year awards RAG funds.

Applications for grants are

administered through the Quartet Community Foundation on behalf of the

students union. The deadline for applications is March 31st and applications can be made online

at the Foundation or by phone on 0117 989 7700.

Photo credits: Liz Jones and Shellac.