Business students write blog on St Leonard's Hospice Social Action Project
St Leonard’s Hospice are celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year and a group of our Level 2 Diploma in Skills for Business students helped ensure the charity’s Ruby Ball was a big success.
The students participated in a Social Action Project at the York Racecourse event as part of their course and the below blog forms a part of their assessment.
Every student produced their own individual blogs and the article below has been pieced together by their tutor Tory Muirhead using elements from each one.
The students involved were Eman Afzal, Corey Holden, Charlie Holgate, Georgia Galloway, Koby-Jay Hewson-Mills, Jessica Pickles and Adam…
On the 14th of March 2025, we went to York Racecourse to help St Leonard’s Hospice set up a Ruby Ball. The Ruby Ball was celebrating the 40th anniversary of St Leonard’s Hospice!
The purpose of them hosting the ball was to not only draw light on 40 years of the hospice’s invaluable work but also to raise money for the hospice to ensure that the essential service can continue. We also want to write this blog to raise awareness and to inspire other students to participate in a Social Action Project or even to just volunteer and help our society (Georgia).
So, what did we do... well, on the day we were very busy. Task one was placing on chair covers (seems simple but there were around 500!).
The second task was tying big red bows onto every chair. This was a surprisingly difficult task which annoyingly not all of us had a knack for.
Not wanting to be idle, those of us who couldn’t tie bows spent time moving and carrying different things, speaking to Sarah and other event staff as well as assembling large indoor trees and table centre pieces. (Koby)
After we had finished setting up the ball, the room looked beautiful. As you walked through the lift doors you were greeted by three large, impressive red trees which aligned with the Ruby Ball theme.
As you then entered the main dining area, you were taken aback by the decorations. These included gleaming white trees on each table that created a spring forest atmosphere.
These trees were underlined by crisp white tablecloths and then shocking red ribbons, which again emphasised the Ruby theme. As you looked around the room, the final thing you saw was a giant sparkling pair of shoes that looked like Dorothy’s from The Wizard of Oz (Corey).
When the tasks were done individually, they seemed underwhelming but when we stood back as a group and admired our handy work the transformation was incredible! I was proud of the group, and they were pleased and satisfied with themselves.
They were a part of the transformation and in turn responsible for building an atmosphere that would go on to raise the charity £56,000!! (Tory).
Sarah Atkinson was our contact for the day, and she was also the leader of the event. Whilst setting up for the event, I saw people having a good time and just emitting positive energy.
I personally felt very at ease and welcomed, not just by Sarah but by everyone there. Everyone was there to be a part of something and to help. (Koby)
I have never volunteered before and having now done it I can say I feel a great amount of achievement helping St Leonard’s Hospice raise £56,000. What a great cause!
It was a great experience, and I would certainly seek these opportunities in the future and encourage others to do the same. (Charlie)
Not only did we help set up the event on the day and gain those skills, but we also learnt about the logistics involved with taking a team to an external venue to complete a task. Beforehand we expressed our interest in volunteering and sought out the opportunity.
Once we had finalised our job roles with the organiser, we then organised our own transport. We completed our risk assessments which are an essential part of keeping us all safe. (Jessica)
Our voluntary efforts performed that morning could assist us further, through providing a notable example of demonstrating our skills to put on our curriculum vitae (CV). This can increase our chances of securing a paid job role in a variety of industries. (Adam)
Volunteering at St Leonard’s Hospice has been an incredible opportunity to work together as a team, combining our strength to make a meaningful impact. Each member brought a unique skill set and through collaboration we were able to create a positive environment. Teamwork was the key in achieving our goals. It was a reminder of how much we can achieve when we unite for a common cause. (Eman)
Not only did we feel satisfaction. It was mirrored by Sarah who wrote: “They were invaluable and, indeed, by volunteering their time saved the hospice money. It was nice that they also engaged with questions about the work of the hospice and the event organisation.
“We were very impressed by their attitude, enthusiasm and behaviour. Please could you pass on mine and the hospice’s thanks to them.
“I am very proud of the work they did on the day as well as this written work they have done afterwards.”
St Leonard’s Hospice are one of York College & University Centre’s two chosen charity partners for the 2024/25 academic year, along with The Island. To learn more about the partnership, click here
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