Entering its eighth cycle, GUCFS has become a stalwart of the philanthropic scene on campus, having raised over £155,000 for charity since its inception. Notable for being the largest student ran fundraiser in Glasgow, this year, GUCFS, like the rest of us, emerges from the chrysalis of lockdown re-energised and ready to bounce back better and bolder than ever. G-You sat down with this year’s charity director Bethany Henderson to learn more about their year long campaign to fundraise for Refuweegee in the run up to their show, Climax, on the 18th and 19th February. 

Chosen as the theme for the pre-show photoshoots and culminating in the two night event itself, Climax was chosen as the theme for this year by GUCFS’ creative director Graham Peacock to be reflective of the rising turmoil and tensions within society that emerged over, and post, lockdown. The photoshoots, which you can find on the GUCFS facebook, reflect the personal elements of the theme and carve out an artistic transition path: as viewer, we overcome emotional turmoil to come out cleansed and healthier, reflecting a journey of emergence, rediscovery and spiritual healing that feels particularly salient in today’s society. By contrast, the show promises to take on more political undertones and will tackle the concept of climax on a global scale, challenging the paranoia of living in a world that seems to be spiralling rapidly out of control.

There is a sense of general symmetry between the show’s theme, and the show’s cause - which Bethany reminds us is at the centre of the show’s ethos - having been chosen by a society vote from a shortlist of nominated charities. Refuweegee are a local, Glasgow based charity that support displaced people arriving in Scotland, working with other refugee charities to extend their network outside of Scotland. They call out political injustices, for instance, challenging anti-refugee legislation, to put away the hostility and turbulence of global politics to focus instead on welcoming refugees and providing a strong sense of community. Hence, Climax emphasises the importance of local community in the healing process. 

The idea of welcome is key to Refuweegee’s mission, and one of their most important offerings is the provision of welcome and support packs to refugees arriving in Scotland, championing the idea of Glasgow as a ‘friendly’ city. These include something special from Scotland, and a letter from a local, to supplement the minimal support given from the government, which expects refugees to live off less than £5 a day. Despite primarily consisting of volunteers or part time workers, and only being seven years old, Refuweegee received over 20,000 donations last year, showing their impact and engagement with Glaswegians to ultimately champion the idea “we’re all fae somewhere”.

The collaboration between GUCFS and Refuweegee extends both before, and hopefully after, being chosen as the year’s charitable cause. Refuweegee has been nominated multiple times, including over previous years, but this year, the Kenmure Street protests highlighted the political activism and engagement from students which really connected with Refuweegee’s cause. The charity’s CEO had also previously taken part in GUCFS’ annual charity panel which showcases a variety of different causes and ways for students to get more involved with them. The money GUCFS raises this year will be vital for helping the charity continue to provide for the community, especially in light of the increased demand for emergency and welcome packs driven by the Covid pandemic. Refuweegee especially hopes to be able to restart its clubs and community projects with mothers and baby groups, as well as develop a refugee led board. “They really do work every second of the day” shares Bethany, who has found the team a joy to work with, having been inspired herself to look to move into the third sector after university.

It’s the charity’s drive and passion that helps the committee on GUCFS drive their work forward. As well as fundraising, GUCFS engages in non-financial charitable efforts for Refuweegee. Primarily, this centres around awareness raising, with initiatives including a charity industry panel, a charity talk and generally functioning as a brand ambassador for the charty to be an ally for refugees across Glasgow: as Bethany points out, “the power of word of mouth is more than people recognise”. GUCFS has also helped with a christmas donation drive, and redecorated Refuweegee’s new offices, putting their creative skills to good use and leaving a legacy with the charity. 

As always, GUCFS has also impressed with their individual fundraisers, a requirement for everyone on committee, and for the models and Brand Ambassadors. Bethany helps oversee these fundraisers, and remains proud of everyone’s efforts, highlighting the physical and mental challenge often involved in these, with a few of her favourites including a bungee jump, pitbull subcrawl and the President’s own fundraiser, 4/4/48, where Sarah ran 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours, pushing herself to motivate her committee and reflect her own commitment to fundraising. GUCFS fundraisers always display a range of physical challenges such as Bethany, Heather Lomax, Maeve Gorman, Louise Tulloch and Georgie Blount taking part in the match-funded Kiltwalk; or Heather, Sophie Ross and Charlotte Clarke’s Ben Nevis climb (the highest mountain in the UK); alongside creative endeavours - Joy Daker, the committee’s photographer, sold headshots for her fundraiser. Sometimes they’re just outright weird and wonderful, such as Aisha Siraj’s and Khena Dungu’s Pitbull themed subcrawl.

Covid-19 has redefined the paradigms of both GUCFS and its charitable partner. For Refuweegee, Covid changed the dynamics of the service they provide from one of providing a welcoming extra to refugees, to one of need and desperation as refugees formed a new reliance on their services, coupled with the difficulties of coordinating volunteers amidst covid contacts and new regulations. GUCFS has also experienced its own challenges relaunching in person. Whilst last year saw its fundraising efforts valiantly continue, GUCFS was unable to hold their annual show, which has arguably resulted in a smaller profile on campus. However, the committee remain motivated and committed to the cause, seeing it important to continue the GUCFS legacy, and now, after a year of planning, the finale of the GUCFS show looms ever closer. Bethany remains excited to see what creative have pulled off, and remains proud of the fundraising work done to date. The total donation remains a composite of individual fundraisers and society events, namely, the show, so every effort matters. The show also presents a great opportunity for the hard working staff at Refuweegee to get to let their hair down and have a night off at a show that hopefully gains traction within the student communtiy to drive future engagement with both Refuweegee and GUCFS itself. 

For people looking to get more involved, this year, Bethany urges people to purchase a ticket to the show, as most of this money goes to Refuweegee. Next year, numerous opportunities open up: people can run for a committee role; apply to be a model or BA; come to one of the other GUCFS events throughout the year, like their pre-loved pop up sale or jailbreak; designers can get in touch to use their collections for photoshoots or the show; or even something as simple as nominating the next GUCFS charitable partner if there’s a cause you’re passionate about. As Bethany reminds us, on GUCFS, it is your commitment to charity that matters most, and “every role requires motivation and passion in some way or another.”

Reflecting, Bethany would share this message about GUCFS: “GUCFS is really about working as a team, and using everyone’s strengths to make a significant difference to the charity. Sometimes people forget the ‘C’, but it's about being philanthropic and making a year-long commitment to the charity: they’re the reason we work so hard”. Bethany’s time on GUCFS has been inspiring, and highlighted the third sector as an area of work often overlooked by students. She’s valued working as a tight team that supports each other, and having found GUCFS a huge part of her university experience, continues to look ahead to the future of GUCFS, hoping it continues to grow, both in in the number of people getting involved, increasing the financial donation and continuing to help an increasing variety of charities. At the end of the day, GUCFS remains a volunteer-led effort, and continues to break the stigma of being a ‘fashion brand’, by leaving a valuable legacy with the charities they tirelessly work with.