Placement student raises thousands

A College student has raised thousands of pounds for charity during a Voluntary Initiative placement as part of his marketing course.

Dave Benson has been working for the Richard Burns Foundation, which was set up in memory of the rally driver who died from brain cancer in 2005, to support people who are suffering from serious injury or illness.

Working in a team of four, he helped to raise £20,000 at the Autosport awards in London – thanks mainly to Subaru donating the first car of a new special edition Impreza RB320 in memory of Richard Burns to be raffled off. Subaru have kindly agreed to donate a further £25 for each of those cars sold (with a total of 320 to be made) to the foundation.

More cash was raised at the Wales Rally GB, where the organisers gave £15,000 to the appeal. The foundation had a large presence at the start of the race, outside the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, where around 15,000 membership forms and flyers were handed out.

A text-message competition was also set up, which was advertised on the flyers, where people who text RBF to 82344 enter a competition to win a ride in a World Rally Car at the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This also donates a further £2.50 to the Foundation.

In total, the expected funds raised should exceed £60,000, which includes a number of other large donations made at the event in Wales.

Dave said: "I've been interested in motorsport for years, and Richard Burns is a legend in my eyes, so I've been very fortunate to get a role working in marketing and PR in this area.

"I've been given a great insight into the work first-hand, putting the theory I learned at the College into practice."

Dave managed to put in 60 hours' work over the four days he was in Wales, taking his total so far up to 90. He was in action again at the Autosport International Show at the NEC this month, where more than 250,000 people were expected to attend over four days.

Dave has now completed his Voluntary Initiative module, although he plans to return to the charity to work in the summer. For more information on the foundation, visit www.richardburnsfoundation.com.