A £1,000 fundraising success for UCLan ISoc

Japan’s outcry for international help has reached UCLan and has made both the Islamic Society and ambitious Japanese students raise funds for the Japanese tsunami victims.

The Islamic Society once again raised money for international involvement after the success of Discover Islam Week in February. Members and volunteers gathered £2,000 to build a house for the Pakistan flood victims of 2010.

So far UCLan ISoc has raised £1,000 in the first week of its charity project Emergency Fundraising for Japan by working collaboratively with Japanese students.

“I am happy that we managed to raise £1,000 from this event already because it makes us feel like our hard work, dedication and commitment has paid off,” UCLan student and member of the Islamic Society, Faisal Ali, said. “I personally think it is good to see everyone coming together to support one cause,” he added.

Krispy Kremes and Cake for Charity sale

A Krispy Kremes and Cake for Charity sale, which was already a great success for the society during its former charity events, has once again been launched from Monday, March 21 until Tuesday, March 29 to raise the majority of funds this time. Also, bucket collections throughout the campus have asked both staff and students for further donations.

ISoc President and student of the university, Mohammed Patel, said, “We contacted the Students’ Union, the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), the Islamic Relief and worked closely with them throughout our fundraising. It is fantastic to see that busy students can come together so quickly, despite being busy with studies, to organise fundraising activities to entice other students to donate generously.” 

Right: ISoc President Mohammed Patel
Left: former ISoc President Mohammed Seedat

The next plans of the society will involve a charity event for the recent crisis in Libya. UCLan ISoc will organise a football tournament between teams that pay a specified fee in order to play. All proceeds will be passed on to accredited charities “to ensure the money goes to the right people,” Mohammed added.

Volunteers are asked to help with raising funds. Please visit the ISoc website www.uclanisoc.com for further information about how to get involved.

Lively, exciting, newsworthy - the new Preston Student Television

Brand new videos, exciting entertainment and, most important, YOU are involved!

Preston Student Television (PS-TV) has now launched a bigger, better and more interesting space coming up on Wednesday, March 16, 2011.

For more information, click on the flyer below and get started!

Have you been on television? Please comment.

An additional glimmer of hope for Japan through UCLan ISOC

The UCLan Islamic Society is once again raising funds for international involvement. 

After the success of raising £2,000 for Pakistani flood victims, ISOC is now involved in a charity purpose for Japan.

“I hope you will all support the cause to the best of your ability, with your heart and all your sincerity,” said Mohammed Patel, ISOC President.

A Krispy Kremes and Cake for Charity sale as well as a bucket money collection will be available for you to contribute for a rise of hope for Japan.

Discover Islam Week's Krispy Kremes and Cake for Charity sale
with SU Chief Executive and dedicated volunteers

ISOC will not only work closely with the Student Union but also with the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC).

A 8.9 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami, which flooded parts of the country and left thousands of inhabitants homeless with its death poll rising. (Source: BBC)

More information coming up soon.

Please also visit the UCLan Islamic Society website.

What is your contribution to help Japan? Please comment.

A 20 °C average and rain - summer in the UK

Would you consider the UK a perfect place to be during summer vacation?

German International Business Communication with Spanish student Jan Salein “would rather go to Spain or Italy in summer because it is warmer there and in Germany the weather is probably better than in England in summer as well. On the other hand I have hay fever and thus I could imagine the UK as a good holiday destination for people like me, because the climate is milder and you still find nice places on the seaside here.” 

 “If I have to choose a country, it will be Thailand.” Gerard Miyashiro, Academic English student at UCLan, spoke out for Asia being a cheaper destination compared to the strength of the Japanese Yen. “Also, everybody speaks English, so is difficult to face any communication troubles. In addition, Thailand has a hot and sunny weather almost all year long, including luxury resorts, amazing cuisine and diversity entertainment, which options make Thailand the perfect place to go. I already have been in Thailand twice and wish can go again for a summer holiday.” 

Gerard Miyashiro's favourite place Krabi, Thailand

“I doubt I would see England as my ideal summer vacation spot.” Preferring central European countries like France, Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying student Ranga Mapatuna looked out for “somewhere you can take the holiday slow and relaxed.” 

“The UK are not my preferred place to be this summer because it offers just a small choice of activities and I think the weather is better somewhere else too.” Being asked about where Austrian Computing student Simon Scherl will spend his vacation, he chose his home country. “Because I have already missed a whole season of skiing at home, so I have to catch up quite a lot.” He will also spend “at least one week in Italy because of the beaches and the nice climbing spots.”

UCLan Electronics Engineering student Adrián Barberán Rebled referred to the UK as a “good country to visit in the summer, if you want to go to a place not as warm as Spain. The tourist attractions here are different than the typical ones that we have in Spain.” But what makes holidays in the UK different? “Visiting cities instead of sun and beach. Therefore, I reckon UK could be a good destination, but I hope the weather will be better in summer than now.”  

Hitomi Wakui, a Japanese student of the International Foundation Programme in Academic English stated: “I think the UK are not a bad place to spend my summer holidays in because this country is less hot and humid than Japan.” She would like to visit Lake District because of its clean air and the beautiful scenery.

My own personal British paradise, Stirling, Scotland
(Kerstin Tschernigg)

Beaches like those in Brighton, Littlehampton and Bournemouth count for Masters Degree in Pharmacy student Ato Anderson to his favourite places to go within the UK. Also, “Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, London and the Lake Disctrict. These places have a great and diverse tourist attraction,” he told. “On the contrary, I would prefer to spend my vacation in my homeland Ghana where most of my friends and family live. As the saying goes, there is no place like home!”

Spanish Film and Media student Samuel Gómez takes a different approach to his Erasmus semester at UCLan: "The best thing about the UK for me is that you can practice and learn English. When you feel bored or you are not having a really good time, you can always say: ‘Never mind, I'm learning English!’”

What do you call a perfect holiday destination? 

UCLan ISOC raised £2,000 during 2011 Discover Islam Week

The UCLan Islamic Society raised awareness and money to build a house to the benefit of Pakistani flood victims

Henna workshop at Student Union

“To live is to change and you can at UCLan,” said former ISOC President and Sport student Mohammed Seedat and his saying appeared to have emerged truthfully. The UCLan Student Union Society of the Year in both 08/09 and 09/10, again, launched a charity and awareness event from February 21-25 at the university not only for fundraising purposes but also to build upon a rise in impartiality.

The enchanting prayer of the Imam on a visit to Jamea Masjid, a Preston mosque, as well as the week-long Islam Exhibition with free copies of the Holy Qur’an on ground floor of the library only formed the tip of a well-organised iceberg.

Their aim was to give non-Muslims a better understanding of the Islam and its culture. Guest speakers held lectures on “Does God Exist?”, “Miracles of the Qur’an” and “Is Shariah Law barbaric?” including Questions and Answers sessions to further make a step towards a reduction of prejudices.

Jamea Masjid in Preston

Mohammed describes the Islamic Society as a whole therefore: “Students from different backgrounds all come together on one platform, share ideas and work collaboratively to raise awareness.”

ISOC member and Community Leadership student Faisal Ali said: “I was impressed by how motivated people were, especially the volunteers, to make the Discover Islam Week more productive.” A Krispy Kremes & Cakes for Charity sale as well as an Arabic calligraphy and henna painting workshop at the Student Union and in Foster Building helped gain more than £2,000.

The most joyous moment was made up of this, according to Mohammed: “I really enjoyed fundraising for the charity because we had a £2,000 target and we thought we would never reach it. It was quite emotional when we actually hit the £2,000.”

The Islamic Society has already made plans for their next year’s intent on a NHS project. It will raise money for “a machine needed in Preston Royal Hospital to help patients,” he said. 

Islam Exhibition at the university

“We would like to thank all those who contributed and got involved within Discover Islam Week. Many thanks to Karen Haddon and Michael Ahern for their help and support with the exhibition and we would like to thank Malcolm McVicar, Graham Baldwin, Alan Roff, Prof Rod, Dave Phoenix and their PAs for the donations contributed towards the fundraising project. In return the directorate team all received their names beautifully written in Arabic by the professional calligrapher. We would also like to thank the Student Union, without their help nothing would have been possible. The Islamic Society raised over £2,000 in one week thanks to everyone.” All proceeds of the charity week will be passed on to Ummah Welfare Trust to build a house for victims of the floods in Pakistan. 

If you are interested in following up the Islamic Society, visit the website www.uclanisoc.com.