Stirling students lead charity campaign to support Coronavirus appeal

Students at the University of Stirling are being praised after turning their talents to support an international fundraising appeal launched in the wake of COVID-19.

A group of Journalism Studies students has created a social media campaign to raise money for the Disaster Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Coronavirus appeal, a special fund aiming to support the most vulnerable countries.

Inspired by a guest lecture from a DEC representative, the Stirling team developed Students 4 Global COVID Aid which was launched on Instagram. The campaign aims to encourage young people to get involved in humanitarian aid, take action and raise funds for countries including Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and South Sudan, whose populations - having already fled violence, conflict and hunger - and are now facing the deadly new threat of coronavirus.

The project initially grew out of a work experience module assignment developed to a brief set by the Disasters Emergency Committee and has grown to involve students from across the UK.

Huw Owen, External Relations Manager, Scotland for the DEC, said:  “This group of students has shown real compassion and commitment by turning their course work into a real campaign to support our Coronavirus appeal. Despite all the challenges here at home, in particular the likely disruption to ongoing university study, this campaign demonstrates that these student leaders, along with many others across the UK, are deeply interested in the wider world and the plight of people who have to face this pandemic without the NHS and all the other support networks that most of us can rely on. 

"We urge everyone to get behind this inspiring campaign.”

Tom Collins, Programme Director for Journalism Studies at Stirling, said: "We are really proud of what our students have done here. The campaign is very powerful and, like our students, Scotland has stepped up to the plate, with more than £2 million donated here already - a fifth of the national total.

“Covid-19 remains a threat to us all, tackling it globally is critical if we are to get the upper hand. We hope people will be inspired by this transformative campaign to donate to this cause.”