Staff at the University of Aberdeen will today (Friday, April 27) be helping to raise funds for local charities by wearing jeans to work.
It is hoped that a new Student Charities Campaign event involving University staff from across both campuses will raise thousands of pounds from the first ever Jeans in the 'Deen" day (similar to the "Jeans for Genes" day).
Shannon Tubby, Events and Fundraising Coordinator, Aberdeen University Students' Association, has been working tirelessly to make this year's event a success and has organised today's fundraising initiative. Shesaid: "The idea for our "Jeans in the 'Deen" day is the same as the "Jeans for Genes" day where all staff members are encouraged to wear jeans for the one day providing they make a donation to the Charities Campaign.
"This University-wide initiative day takes place today (Friday, April 27), the day before the Torcher Parade and marks the end of the Charities Fortnight.
"We have approached members of staff to help us with collections in their own Colleges and our own student volunteers will go around campus collecting the envelopes.
"Our hope is that this new Charity event will enable us to reach all Departments and Schools and to get as many members of staff on board to help us support worthy, local charities."
Senior management at the University have got behind the new initiative and given the Students' Association their full support. Professor Dominic Houlihan, Vice Principal, Research and Commercialisation, is wearing jeans today and said: "The University's management group are fully behind this new on-campus event involving all University staff. I hope that by allowing staff the opportunity to wear their jeans to work for this particular event and to make a contribution to the Student Charities Campaign, that we raise funds for local charities. This is a wonderful chance for our students and staff to work together to raise money for local causes."
The goal for this year's Student Charities Campaign is to raise at least £100,000 which will in turn be donated to 65 worthy Aberdeen and Grampian-based charities.
In addition to the Jeans in the 'Deen" day, the Torcher Parade is also taking place this weekend and is the Students' Charities Campaign oldest event, dating back to 1889.
Since the early days of horse-drawn carts through the City Centre, the parade has grown to become the largest student torch-lit parade in Europe, attracting tens of thousands of spectators.
Over 50 decorated lorries and 2,000 students armed with collecting buckets from Aberdeen's three educational establishments will take part in the event which kicks off at 7.30pm from Marischal College.
Drew Elliott, Vice President Charities, has been organising Saturday's event and said: "We hope this year's Torcher Parade will be our most successful parade to date. UNITE Student Accommodation are sponsoring the parade for the second year running and we're delighted to have them on board.
"A great deal of work goes into making this event the biggest torch led parade in the UK and we genuinely appreciate the generosity of local companies and the hard work from our Torcher Volunteers."