Charity

What is Charity Week?

Every year, volunteers around the world fundraise for orphans and needy children during Charity Week, with the purpose of raising awareness and encouraging others to get involved in supporting humanitarian causes. Since its inception in 2000, Charity Week has become a staple part of the year, with universities across the UK, as well as in other countries, partnering with Islamic Relief to raise money for those who need it most, whilst also creating an environment of unity, collaboration and generosity. 

To find out more about all our events, follow @cu_isoc on Instagram and keep an eye on the Brothers’ and Sisters’ WhatsApp group chats! 

Charity Week at Cambridge

This year, Charity Week will be from 21st - 27th October. See below for what we have planned for this action-packed week!

  • Are you ready? Before Charity Week even begins, start building the atmosphere of generosity by trekking up this famous mountain alongside fellow brothers and sisters. As an all-day event, including the coach journeys there and back and of course the hike itself, this is a challenging yet very rewarding experience, and we encourage those who feel able to to sign up!

  • Charity week is filled with fun, laughter, and friends, but it’s important to remember the greatest reward in this week is the act of Charity itself. Keep an eye out on our socials for more information on our speaker event, where we will reflect on the importance and meaning of charity in Islam.

  • Running daily from the 21st to the 26th October at Cambridge Market Square, Chemistry Department, Downing Site, University Library and the Engineering Department, this is a great way to give a little to a great cause! Stop by on your way to or after lectures for a sweet treat. Or better still, sign up to volunteer!

  • Quiz night is an ISoc classic of Charity Week! You will work in teams in an effort to win our Charity Week Quiz; always a competitive and charged atmosphere which challenges your knowledge on a range of topics.

  • Join us for an evening of board and video games such as Catan, Cluedo, Exploding Kittens, Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Risk, cards, Mafia and more, including a PS5! Bring along your friends and any games of your own.

  • Join us for a range of activities and enjoy a chill and relaxing night in with the girls. Think mocktails meets arts and crafts… we’d love to see you there and all for a good cause!

  • In the spirit of Unity, get together with friends and meet new people to show us your creative flair and problem-solving skills in this year’s Challenge Night! Prizes to be won!

  • Enjoy a laid back lunch with your friends after a busy few days to better prepare for the finale of Charity Week.

  • A Cambridge ISoc classic - kick off (pun intended) your Saturday morning with some friendly competition.

  • Join us to de-stress and compete in a wide range of games, ranging from rounders to bulldog, and all for a good cause. Get into your competitive spirit and work as a team with your fellow sisters to win prizes and emerge victorious!

  • Join us for a night of Calligraphy! Learn how to write in Thuluth script to create your very own calligraphy piece with an authentic bamboo qalam. No artistic experience or flair required, budding artists and beginners welcome!

  • Our grand finale is our iconic annual Charity Dinner and Auction! This is a chance to enjoy a three-course meal with your friends, and to be inspired by the beauty of Charity as we auction off some truly stunning works of art, generously donated by small Muslim businesses.

How Can You Get Involved?

Volunteer

Our cake sales run everyday for a week, and we always need students to chip in to ensure everything runs smoothly. Remember that giving up your time to raise money for the needy is an act of charity as well as donating!

Attend our events

Charity Week is about giving but also about building our sense of community, and participating in daily events is a great way to do so!

Promote Charity Week to others

Whether this is by telling others what Charity Week is about or encouraging them to attend events, any way in which you increase participation in Charity Week, with the right intentions, will be rewarded Insha’allah.

Donate

The Prophet SAW said “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be their charity” (Hadith, Tirmidhi).

All profits from Charity Week go to Islamic Relief, and you can find out more about their projects on https://charityweek.islamic-relief.org.uk/