Its semester two here in chilly Aberdeen and with a new semester comes new people we just had to feature in our new Profile section! Our first profile is UNICEF On Campus President Eilis McDonald. Eilis very kindly gave HC some time out of her busy schedule so we could find out all about her and the UNICEF society.
HC: To start off, Eilis can you tell us a few key facts about yourself?
Eilis: My name is Eilis McDonald and I’m 21 years old. I’m from Glasgow and study Law and Economics at the University of Aberdeen.
HC: Now we know you a little better, can you tell us why you chose to support UNICEF in the first place?
Eilis: I was always very involved with children’s charities at school and felt I needed to continue this at university. UNICEF is an international charity which I thought could expose me to work and issues which I wasn’t aware of, and it has done so, thankfully!
HC: That sounds great Eilis! Charity work is always a great way to learn about worldwide issues. Can I ask what made you want to become President of the society?
Eilis: After having been involved in the committee for almost a year, the previous president stepped down. Because I was in third year, and was keen to get as involved as possible, I put myself forward for president. I wanted to make UNICEF on campus more widely known at our university, and to get people and other societies involved with charity work. Also, it really helped that I had a close knit group of people to lighten the load of being Treasurer and President; I now rely on the committee for so much more than was possible when the society was small, which makes things easier.
HC: Wow! Sounds like you’ve really helped the society to grow and develop. What kind of things does the UNICEF society get up to during the year?
Eilis: We organise a mixture of fundraising and awareness events, such as bake sales, pub quizzes, panel discussions and debates. Last year, we organised a Ladies Afternoon Tea at the Grand Central in Glasgow as our main event. Between last Christmas and this Christmas, we will be able to send UNICEF UK almost £9,000.
HC: That is absolutely fantastic! I never realised how much the UNICEF society had raised for the charity. What a worthwhile society to get involved with. Does the UNICEF society have anything exciting planned for the year ahead that we can look forward to?
Eilis: Yes!! We are organising a BURNS SUPPER CEILIDH for Friday 29th January in Elphinstone Hall. This will be our main event of the year and we are hoping to raise a lot of money for the charity. Tickets are on sale on the AUSA website for just £15!! http://www.ausa.org.uk/societies/unicef/ We have a live band, pipers, haggis, neeps and tatties and an after party to look forward to. It’s hopefully going to be a great night.
HC:That sounds excellent! We all love a ceilidh here at HC and would encourage anyone who hasn’t been to one before to definitely buy a ticket. What a great cause as well! So, why do you think that the UNICEF society is good for students at AU to join?
Eilis: We are an extremely relaxed society. We don’t meet every week, and so our main way in which our members participate is through attending our events. It is a fantastic charity to be involved in particularly if you have an interest in current conflicts, and how they affect children, regardless of political beliefs.
HC: That sounds very appealing! How does someone join UNICEF if they are interested?
Eilis: You can like us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/unicef.aberdeen/ to get information on when our next meeting or event is. You can also join our society on www.ausa.org.uk and you can sign up to our mailing list by emailing unicefabdn@gmail.com
HC: Great! I’m sure lots of our readers will be interested in joining such a worthwhile society. As this is your final year, can you tell HC what your plans are for after university? Do you see a future supporting UNICEF?
Eilis: I’m moving home to do my Diploma in Professional Legal Practice in Glasgow. After that I will be starting my traineeship in Edinburgh before I become a qualified lawyer!
I definitely see a future supporting UNICEF, the firm I will be working for have an official partnership with the charity, which is one of the reasons I chose to apply there. This year, some of the staff are trekking the Simian Mountains in aid of UNICEF, so I’d love to get involved with something like that.
HC: We’re very impressed Eilis! UNICEF is obviously a fantastic society at the University of Aberdeen and your hard work has definitely paid off. Her Campus wish you good luck with your future endeavours and encourage any students who are interested, to get involved with the UNICEF on Campus Society.
Don’t forget their fundraising burns night Ceilidh! Friday 29th January. For more info check out this link https://www.facebook.com/events/1656978057853240/
*All photos from the UNICEF on Campus Facebook page.*