guide
Benefits of being a challenge leader Reduced fundraising target! Depending on how many people you recruit to your challenge your fundraising target will be significantly reduced. Stand out from the crowd! This is a fantastic experience to add to your cv, with marketing, recruitment, volunteer management, organisation and team building the skill you will gain from being a RAG Adventure Leader will set you apart. Challenge of a Lifetime! Being a challenge leader isn’t all about leading your team – you’ll also be tackling the challenge yourself. Of all the things you’ll do at university, there’s not much as challenging as this, and trust us – you’ll remember it forever Meet some awesome people! You will be recruiting a team of 20 students and alongside that working with the wider RAG committee. You’ll make some lifelong friendships though our RAG Adventures.
Quotes from past Adventure Leaders Past adventure leaders thoughts‌ What I enjoy most about volunteering with RAG is knowing that we are making a difference to some brilliant charities. I have made many good friends through RAG too! I wish that more people had the confidence to get involved with RAG early on in their degrees because the experience is invaluable, and the pride you feel after being involved in something that raises money and awareness for such amazing charities is unparalleled. Dean Cogger, Kilimanjaro Adventure Leader Being chosen as an Adventure Leader for the Everest trek with RAG is, without a doubt, one of the most positive things that has happened to me during my time at university. Not only has it been a hugely rewarding project to be involved with, allowing me to meet some incredibly inspiring people, but I've gained so many practical skills - particularly in marketing and team leading - that I believe will be just as beneficial to me when I graduate as my degree itself. Elise Downing, Everest Base Camp Adventure Leader I've most enjoyed the adventure leader aspect, working closely with Harry has been fun and getting to know a new group of people and helping them raise thousands of pounds for Dementia UK has definitely felt good. I feel like taking a leadership role has really helped improve my confidence- a year ago and I probably wouldn't have even considered the role and now I love it. This whole experience this year has actually made me think about pursuing a career in charity work when I graduate and I only wish I had got involved properly, sooner than my final year. Charlotte Coventry, Great Wall of China Adventure Leader
Role description
Training •You must attending training for your role, including any away days and training sessions put on by your charity partner and/or challenge company. Where possible expenses will be covered. •Your training will included how to run an effective marketing & recruitment campaign, good team work skills, volunteer management, fundraising event planning and any necessary training needed when on the challenge. On the challenge •You will be expected to keep up team morale and communicate any messages from the challenge company to your team. •You will need to be available for to take part in your challenge in August/September 2016. Except for Skydive & Jailbreak challenges which are term time.
Communication •You will be the main point of contact with the selected charity partner. You will receive constant support from your charity partner and in return you must update them on the progress of your team. •You will be the main point of contact for the RAG Adventures Officer who will report back on your team’s progress to the rest of the RAG committee. You will be required to attend an adventures team meeting every couple of weeks. •You will also be the main point of contact for the UPSU fundraising coordinator and the adventure company partner. •You will need to be an efficient communicator, making sure your team know of all the fundraising opportunities and updates. This will be through the team facebook group and emails mainly.
Role description continued Recruitment •You will have a target of 20 students to recruit to your challenge team. •During Freshers week you will be expected to run a stall with RAG at the Freshers Fayre and the Volunteering/Fundraising fayre to promote your adventure. •You will arrange an information meeting for your adventure in conjunction with the charity partner and RAG adventures officer. •In the week leading up to your information meeting you will be expected to put a significant amount of time into marketing & promotion (with the assistance of the RAG committee).
Team work •For most RAG Adventures you will be working as part of a team of leaders on your challenge. •You are expected to foster a happy social atmosphere in your team. You will be expected with the other adventure leaders to organise regular social events. •Along with your adventure, you will be expected to support general RAG committee activity. It a big team that are there to help each other raise lots of money for charity.
Morocco Atlas mountain trek Hiking across the Atlas Mountains is a side of Morocco that tourists rarely see, this hike through valleys and an ascent up to the summit of Mount Toubkal North Africa’s highest peak at 4167m), this astounding mountain range that runs over half the Mahgreb and is located south of Marrakech. Morocco is a country rich in culture and offers something different for every traveller. At a mid-range fundraising target of £1200 this is a sweet little challenge to get your teeth into and is also a brand new challenge for the RAG portfolio. A really exciting new opportunity! We will be supporting Make A Wish for this challenge.
Gorilla mountain trek Hike, climb and canoe your way through forests and jungles, across lakes until you reach the last wild mountain Gorillas in the world. Since these treks have begun not one Silver-back Gorilla has been shot by poachers. As part of this amazing project you will get to raise money for an amazing charity East African Playgrounds and get to see where your money is going and actually get to help build your playground and see how much happiness your fundraising has brought. A great RAG Adventure at a fundraising target of ÂŁ1200 each for your team.
Cycle London to paris By being a part of this amazing adventure you will join thousands of other likeminded people on Cycle from the Big Smoke in England, through the rural fields of France until you reach Paris! By fundraising for London 2 Paris you will support Breast Cancer Campaign, a fantastic charity. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, every year over 49,000 women are diagnosed and over 10,000 die from this disease in the UK. This challenge is suitable for all abilities, led by experience guides you will cycle approximately 300 miles over four days. The sense of achievement you experience will be one you’ll treasure forever! With a target of £995 this is easy peasy for your participants.
European marathons A marathon is an amazing test of your physical, psychological and mental endurance. Adventure leader will have a choice from 8 European cities, including Athens, Barcelona, Budapest and Amsterdam. Each city has a unique thrilling atmosphere, and you will bet with cheering crowds. The ultimate personal challenge, will be an experience you will never forget. The RAG Marathon Adventure Leader will be involved in picking the charity and the location of the marathon with the RAG Adventure Officer & Presidents.
climb kilimanjaro Want to be able to say you climbed the highest freestanding mountain in the world? Standing 5,895m high, above the clouds, watching the sunrise? Then Kilimanjaro is for you and is an incredible experience you will remember for the rest of your life. By raising money for Meningitis Research Foundation, you will be contributing towards their vision of a world free from meningitis and septicaemia. Our longest standing a most successful challenge, you will be helping your team raise ÂŁ2990 each.
Inca trek
Want to trek to Inca Trail and experience the amazing preserved ancient city of Machu Picchu? On your search for the lost City of Inca, you will hike over the high pass of the Salkantay Mountain while travelling through a wide diversity of terrain. After a rewarding judge trek, setting your sits on this breath-taking architectural achievement will leave you speechless. Whist raising money for Dementia UK, you will be helping them provide Admiral Nurses who give specialised care and support to patients and families. One of our top fundraisers at ÂŁ2990 each participant.
jailbreak
36 hours and ÂŁ0 to race against other teams from Plymouth University to see who can get the furthest! Last year the winning team got to Croatia. A fantastic hitching challenge, you will be recruiting students to raise ÂŁ150 for the RAG nominated charities. You and your fellow Adventure Leader will be responsible for organising the challenge and monitoring our students whereabouts. At a low fundraising target, this is a great challenge that you get to have control of.
skydive
Falling through the sky from 14000 ft, you will be able to seeing both Dorest and Cornwall from this height. Definitely a challenge for the super brave! As RAG Adventure leader you will be recruiting a team to jump out of a plane at the Honiton sight. Raising ÂŁ500 for the RAG nominated charities this is a nice little challenge to organise.
Quotes from past Adventure Leaders
Applications will be open until Friday 13 th March. Casual interviews with the RAG Adventures Officer and RAG Presidents will be between the 20th – 27th March. RAG is also able to accommodate skype interviews for those on placement years. You must be a full time Plymouth student in 2015/16 academic year to apply for one of these roles. Any questions please email volunteer@su.plymouth.ac.uk Apply now at www.upsu.com/volunteering/rag