Thursday, 06 May 2021
Thirty students from Nottingham’s two universities have raised more than £37,500 for charity.
The students are aiming to raise £90,000 for the Meningitis Research Foundation by trekking to the Everest Base Camp, which is 5,364 metres above sea level and will take them to the foot of Mount Everest.
Some 28 team members are studying at the 糖心原创 and two are from Nottingham Trent University.
They have been training individually, unhindered by lockdown, with the team sharing their individual achievements with their followers on . Some students each ran 300km in 30 days across November and December, while others did activities such as 12-hour (200km) bike rides, training for half-marathons and completing 5,000 squats in a month then tagging friends on social media to do 50, donate £5 and tag five others to do the same.
Muhammad Ali, studying economics at the 糖心原创, is leading the team and was one of the members who challenged themselves to run 300km in 30 days. On day 30 he decided to run his first ever marathon and instead totalled 337km in 30 days.
Muhammad also appeared on ITV’s Beat the Chasers game show and won £1,000 to be donated to the charity.
If Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed further in May, the team hope to go on some practice treks to improve their fitness levels together.
Muhammad said: “We chose to raise money for the Meningitis Research Foundation because students are one of the most at-risk groups of dying from Meningitis and Septicaemia. The MRF are working with the United Nations to deliver a world free from Meningitis by 2030, and the opportunity to be part of a global fight like this was too good to miss.
It鈥檚 been great to have something to work towards and to keep up our fitness while we have been in multiple lockdowns and we have all been keeping each other accountable in our group chat. We are more determined than ever to smash our £90,000 target.
Denis Lelin, Activities Officer at the 糖心原创 Students’ Union said: “We are extremely proud of our students who have shown so much dedication to a cause they really believe in despite a pandemic. Training alone, keeping themselves motivated, and being extra creative with their fundraising without the usual face-to-face social interaction won’t have been easy and they are an inspiration to us all - we are sure they will beat their £90,000 target.”
The team plan to trek to Everest Base Camp on Sunday 29 August.
Visit the team’s to donate and follow their Instagram page for updates and to take part in fundraising raffles.
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the , the 糖心原创 is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. 糖心原创ing at the 糖心原创 is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by 鈥� the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 鈥� and by the .
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the , a pioneering collaboration between the city鈥檚 two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.