Students' adventure supports Sense

Friday 4th May 2012

Dozens of students who took part in a mystery hitch-hike challenge raised more than £2,000 for Sense.

The 28 University Of Birmingham students were dropped off in Dyke Wood, Bridlington, East Riding, and had to race back to Birmingham without a map or spending any money.

Lost: The Ultimate Race, was organised by the student-run Maple Bank Residents' Association (RA) and students were sponsored to take part. Teams of two or three students were taken to the secret starting point just after 8am on April 28.

Teams could get minutes knocked off their time by completing challenges en route including being photographed next to a cow.

The first team back to Birmingham completed the challenge in five hours, but the winning team arrived back slightly later having completed an extra challenge.

Zuki Majuqwana, vice president housing and community at the uni's Guild Of Students, said: "To ensure students' whereabouts and safety were monitored during the challenge; each team was required to check-in with the Maple Bank RA by text or phone call each time they moved on.

"All participants were required to raise a minimum donation of £20 before starting the challenge, so to see the total funds rise to more than £2,000 is wonderful news."

Carl Williams, Sense community fundraising officer for Birmingham, said: "This is a fantastic donation. The money raised in the Lost event will help support deafblind children and adults overcome the isolation that they face on a daily basis."

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