The stars are up in the Grand Arcade, cascading fairy lights are illuminating the escalators of John Lewis, and the infrequently-explored third floor of Marks and Sparks has once again been transformed into a winter wonderland of 3-for-2 secret Santa gifts. It’s here again, the most wonderful time of the year: Bridgemas.

It is easy to get swept away by the highly-anticipated arrival of seasonal Starbucks favourites, or to get worried about scoring Christmas Formal tickets, but too often we forget the true spirit of the season: giving.

For most of us, watching BBC’s Children in Need and buying a sweet Pudsey Bear will be the extent of our holiday charity. There are, however, many Cambridge students who volunteer their time throughout the year to the causes that are important to them: some are charitable, others political, social or environmental.

Over the course of this term there has been a lot of student press coverage of the Living Wage’campaign and the Cambridge Defend Education protests, both of which are heavily supported by students.

Student charities are not often in the headlines, but are just as vital for inciting change as national organisations. Many of them have been quietly revolutionising our city, our students and our outlook for decades.

The Cambridge Hub

Feeling overwhelmed by Cambridge’s array of charities, societies and campaigns? That’s where the Hub comes in. The Cambridge Hub is a student-run umbrella organisation that links Cambridge’s vibrant network of ethical societies together. Whether it’s helping you find a project that suits your interests, or providing training for your charity’s committee, the Hub is the place to go for targeted advice. From social enterprise and international development, to environmental campaigning and local volunteering, the Hub can point you in the right direction.

If you want a map of the buzzing ethical scene, check out the nifty ‘Ethical Guide to Cambridge’ on the Cambridge Hub website. The Hub also hosts great events throughout the year: fantastic speakers, socials and work experience or volunteering opportunities. What’s more, our Ethical Network unifies Cambridge’s societies into a community of student initiatives. The Hub boosts publicity, collaborates with event planners and provides resources and training sessions for charities within this network.

But that’s not all we do. The Hub’s Series consists of weekly events with an array of exciting speakers. This term’s line-up ranged from an electrifying performance of the Asylum Monologues to a talk about the West fuelling poverty in the developing world and a screening of The UK Gold. The Hub holds ethical careers events, such as career speed-dating, where you just might nab that perfect third sector internship. Finally, we are conference-keen: don’t forget the Cambridge International Development Conference this December, or the Cambridge Climate & Sustainability Forum in January.

Submitted by: Ella Griffiths

Giving What We Can

Giving What We Can is an organisation that searches for the most cost-effective charities, in terms of how effectively each donated pound will be spent in combating global poverty. Founded in 2009 by Toby Ord, GWWC encourages members to pledge ten per cent of their income to charity. Shockingly, its findings have revealed that giving to certain charities can be 1,000 times more cost effective than giving to many others, including those currently funded by the NHS. The findings have revealed Against Malaria Foundation, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative and Deworm the World to be particularly cost effective and so GWWC aims to promote these charities to people looking to donate, whether it is those pledging a portion of their income or acting as one-time donors.

The Cambridge chapter of Giving What We Can, led by third-year student Nick Robinson and his committee, organises events including guest speakers and fundraising events around Cambridge to raise awareness of GWWC and to normalise the idea of giving a portion of one’s income to charity. So far this term speakers have included Frederick Mulder who spoke about his journey from an art dealer to a philanthropist. Coming up is the Giving Game whereby an anonymous donor agrees to give £10 per attendee at the event. The attendees listen to presentations about two cost-effective charities and ask questions about them and at the end vote for which one should receive the donation.

This is an important organisation around Cambridge because it can make giving to charity much easier for students, especially those who are sceptical about where their donations will end up. There are many charity fundraising events taking place around Cambridge and now people can choose charities to donate to, whether they are doing a sponsored run or growing a moustache for Movember, with cost-effectiveness at the forefront of their mind.

Submitted by: Rachael Hore

Cambridge Green Students

Cambridge Green Students (CGS) essentially exists to fill a gap in terms of participation in Green politics in Cambridge. As an affiliate of the Young Greens and by extension the Green Party, we aim to promote active participation in green political issues of a wide variety, ranging from renewable energy and energy efficiency to social justice and greater income equality.

There is more than enough evidence to suggest that there is a wide base to build on in Cambridge – there’s a lot of latent support for the Greens in the constituency of Cambridge itself and in the East of England in general. For instance, an on-going survey, being conducted by Vote for Policies, is currently showing that the Greens, in terms of a policy-by-policy breakdown, are the party which most people agree with on the key policy issues in Cambridge. The Greens are also only 1 per cent of the vote away from sending an MEP to Brussels for the East of England constituency. Green issues have a significant presence in a more visible form within the University. From ethical investment to the living wage, fundamental environmental and social justice related issues are regularly recognised as important by Cambridge students.

Our only aim as a group is not to indoctrinate.We hold social events, including film nights and coffee meetings, as well as hosting speakers to generate discussion about important environmental, economic and social issues. It’s important to consider how all of these areas, treated so often by so many politicians as discrete, can be complementary to each other.

We also plan on co-ordinating events and demonstrations with other parties, societies and NGOs so that debates on some of the most pressing environmental, social and economic issues can take place. As an open group representing a political party which prides itself on all members being able to engage directly with policy, discussion and constructive criticism is a key part of the Green process.

Submitted by: Jack Smith