Wednesday 15 April 2015

Shannon inspired to give something back


We encourage our students to make a difference wherever possible to other people's lives.

For Event Management undergraduate Shannon Noon this ethos has been part of her make-up for many years, as a result of her experiences with the 'When you wish upon a Star' charity.

Shannon's older sister Terri has suffered bouts of illness, but the charity have stepped in on numerous occasions to grant her wishes in order to offer support through difficult times.

Having experienced trips to a variety of destinations including Disneyland Paris, Shannon says she sees the charity as part of their own family so when the chance came up to give something back she jumped at it.

"I wanted to help all the families the way that Wish upon a Star had done for mine," said Shannon. "I volunteered for them and managed to get myself a spot on their team at their Winter Wonderland weekend at Center Parcs last Christmas."

The weekend consisted of 25 families who all had children with illnesses and included a visit from Santa, bowling, a Christmas themed party and a Frozen Ball.

Shannon added: "The personal highlight for me was to see the families relax and enjoy themselves without worrying about their children. There were no thoughts about hospital appointments - just what the next fun activity was and the smiles on their children's faces.

"I was able to set up a venue over the three days, all with different layouts. It was fun and is exactly what I want to be doing after university.

"My course definitely helped me with my time-keeping and organisation, as at times it was manic. I would definitely do this again as the weekend was so rewarding. After the long hours we put in setting up and running the activities, seeing all the smiles and laughter around the room made every minute worth it."

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