This week we spoke to Lauren Bingley, a first year creative events management student at Falmouth university. She is currently working towards some very exciting events around Falmouth, and using the skills she has learnt at university to raise money for a worthy cause. So without further ado…
Thank you for agreeing to meet with HerCampus. I understand that you are organising a charity Gig called Hand in Hand for Syria which will be held after Easter in the AMATA building. Could you please explain what the charity is?
Hand in Hand for Syria is a charity run solely from donations. They work closely with those suffering from the ongoing crisis in Syria. Although this is a very tragic situation I wanted people to enjoy my event which I am organising, even in light of the misconduct these people are suffering through. Which is why I decided to make the charity into a gig with a couple of bars and have live music playing all night. I wanted people to come out of the gig feeling light hearted because they have supported Hand in Hand for Syria, but also for them to go away being informed there are always people that are in aid and in need of support somewhere in the world. The event will cost £5 for an evening’s worth of entertainment, I chose a few local performers to play on the night the line-up who are performing are The DustBowl Children, and an upcoming singer from Falmouth University, Charlotte Lloyd-Butler. They are both incredibly talented and I am glad I could give them this opportunity to shine and show off their skills. Running alongside this event, will be a raffle, which all of the proceedings will go to Hand in Hand for Syria. The donations people give from the gig and from the raffle, will go towards opening up multiple hospitals, re-open schools and the charity will be able to ship medical equipment all over Syria.
It sounds like an amazing opportunity to raise awareness for such an incredible charity. What you are doing is awe-inspiring.
Yes it is an amazing opportunity, which I’m so honoured to be a part of. Especially considering Hand in Hand for Syria is the first organisation to take humanitarian aid to Syria, and ever since their first supply drop, the organisation has grown and become one of the largest helping hands to those who are struggling in the Syria crisis. I would love students of Falmouth and Exeter University to pass on the word about Hand in Hand in Syria. The power of social media is incredible, it only takes one person to share, re-post or retweet something and then it becomes viral in a matter of seconds. If that happens with Hand in Hand for Syria, imagine how many lives of refugees and innocent people suffering in Syria we could help if this charity’s aims went viral through social media.
What was the main reason you wanted to support this specific charity, out of the many that are supported all around the UK?
The main reason for wanting to raise money for Hand in Hand for Syria was because the plight in Syria is at its worst and hardly anyone knows about the suffering innocent families have to go through due to the backlash of terrorism. I remember reading about it, and being truly terrified about what is happening overseas and to this day it still scares me. From that day onwards I just keep telling myself that even the smallest donations can make a difference. Which is why I’ve always enjoyed organising event for charity which are as crucial as this one.
So I take it this isn’t your first time organising events. Is it something that you’ve always been passionate about?
I have done various charity events in the past. I work through a company that I started up in 2014 called Viva Events. Our main aim through our events company is to raise awareness and money for different charities. In the past we have held ticketed events that raise money for Cancer Research, Alzheimer’s Society and the Children of Syria. I’ve always felt incredibly humbled whenever a charity event in which I have helped organise has been a success, so yes, in a way it’s something that’s always been a part of my life and something that I will always be passionate about.
Thank you for agreeing to meet with me and keep up the good work! I look forward to seeing Hand in Hand for Syria advertisement being put up around Campus.