Common Good shines through in GCU’s Occupational Therapy programme
Occupational Therapy students and staff have joined forces to help raise some festive funds for a local foodbank.
After a year hiatus due to the pandemic, members of GCU Students’ Association’s Occupational Therapy (OT) Society reached out to lecturer Fiona Coupar to keep up their tradition of helping those less fortunate at Christmas.
Society member and final year student Katie Moffat explained: “When I was in first and second year, Fiona had organised food collections for Glasgow North West Foodbank and it was great to see the impact it had. Obviously recent events have meant we’re probably more aware than ever of how folk are struggling.
At a recent society meeting I actually asked if Fiona was doing anything this year and from there we got in touch. We knew through the society that we had the platform to get students involved and set up fundraising that would allow us to go out and purchase the food. We organised a ticket sale on the Students’ Association website, which allowed indivudals to give anything from £1 through to £25 as a donation.”
Katie added: “From there, it was a real team effort! Fiona collected donations from staff and did the shopping, with our Society President Amanda Young doing the same with the money raised by students.”
In total around £140 of food - ranging from sweets to powdered potato - was supplied to Glasgow North West Foodbank, which is located just six miles from GCU’s city centre campus.
It’s the latest good deed that the Occupational Society have found themselves involved in, with the Common Good ethos of the University taking on more meaning now, than ever before.
Katie said: “We’re always looking for different causes that we can help with. Each year we select a charity that we want to fundraise for but we’re always getting involved in other things in addition to this.
I think it would be fair to say that it’s been a quieter time overall for societies, and that’s down to it being a challenging time for students. We’re trying to think of things that students can get involved with if they would like to, rather than something that’s an obligation.
The festive period is always a nice time for people to take part in volunteering and helping others too. I’m sure whoever donated, whether it was £1 or £25, feels equally good about themselves.”
Occupational Therapy lecturer, Fiona Coupar spoke more about the fundraising efforts and the important bond between staff and students on the programme.
She said: “The OT Society were instrumental in getting me moving this year and sending information out to the GCU community. There was probably an equal amount of donations from staff and students and we were really grateful because we know it’s not an easy time for everyone.
We’re very much trying to get a co-collaboration feeling between staff and students - and the OT Society are instrumental in that. They’re such a positive for us and they’re a real force for good to wider society.
We’re really pleased with all the work that they do and more importantly, the foodbank was delighted with the donations they helped provide.”
By Ross Clark
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter